The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-03-11

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wrappers in their appropriate recepta-
cles. l...4 - -.
"Mrs. Darcy, roared Luke, at fever
heat of impotent rage, "what on earth
do you mean?"
-" mean to keep y0a in that clothes
press, Mr. Darcy, until you have made
| up your mind to come out in more
/ amiable frame ofmind."
There was a dead silence of fully six
ty seconds in the closet, then 3 sudden
outburst of vocal wrath.
"Mrs. Darcy, open the door this in
slant, madam"
But Evelyn went Oh humming a
saucy little air, and arranging her
clothes. *
= ado you hear me ?'
"Yes, hear you."
"Will you obey me %'
"Not until you have .solemnly pro-
missed me to put some sort of control on
that temper Of yours; not until you
pledge yourself hereafter to treat your
wife as lady should be treated; not as
q menial."
81 won't"
"No? Then in that case / hope you
don't find the atmosphere at all op-
pressiye there" eaE
Another sixty seconds of dead si-
lence, then sudden rain Of heels and
hands against the wooden panels.
My dear Luke, how strongly you
do remind me of Freddy. You see
there is nothing l have SO little toler-
ance for rs bad temper. 1t ought to
have been checked long ago, only you
know I am so ridiculously indulgent."
Mr.. Darcy WINGED little at the fa-
miliar sound of his own words.
Tap, tap, tap, came softly ON the
door. Mrs. Darcy complaceDtly opened
it and saw her husbands little Office
boy:
"Please, mem, there's gentleman
at the office i'm great hurry to see Mr..
Darcy. It's about the Applegate Will
Case.
Mrs. Darcy hesitated an instant,
there was triumphant rustic in the
closet, and her determination was ta>
ken. -tf-.f&
"Tell the gentleman that your mas
ter has a headache, and won't he down
town this morning"
Luke gnashed his teeth audibly, as
soon as the closing of the door admon-
ished him tkat he might do SO with
safety. . -
Mrs. Darcy, do you presume to in
terfere with the transaction of business
that is vitality important, ma'am"
Mrs. Darcy nonchalently took up the
little opera air where she had left it,
letting the soft Italian words ripple
musically off her tongue.
Evelyn, dear? ?"
"What is it, Luke" she asked mild
ly.
"Please let me out. My dear, this
may be joke to you, but"
al assure you, Luke, it is nothing of
the kind; it is the sOberest of serious
matters to my. 1t is a question as to
whether my future life shall be miser-
able or happy"
There was third brief interval of si-
lence.
EVELYN" said Luke, presently, in
subdued voice. "Will you open this
door ?"
"On one condition only"
"And what is that? ?'
"Ah! ah ?" thought the little lieu
tenant-general, shes beginning to en-
tertain terms of capitulation, is he?
On condition, she added, dryly, that
you will hreak yourself of the habit of
speaking sharply and Grossly to me,
and ON all occasions keep your tenn
per-"
"My temper, indeed" sputtered
Luke.
"Just your temper" returned his
wife, sternly. "Will you promise" ."
"Never, madam"
Ar, norox, took m, of hose
that required mending, and prepared
to leave the apartment. As the door
creaked OH its hinges, however, voice
came shrilly through the opposite key
hole.
"Mrs, Darcy, Evelyn, wife,
"Yes."
"You are not going down stairs to
leave me in this place "'
d" am.n
"Well, look here-I promise
"All, and everything / require ?'
"Yes; all and everything you require
-coniound it ALL"
Wisely deaf to the muttered Sequel,
Mrs. Darcy opened the door, and Luke
walked out, looking right over the top
of her shining brown hair.
Suddenly little OBTAINING hand Was
laid on his coat sleeve.
"Luke, dear"'
"Well?"
"Won't you give me kiss ~
And Mrs. Darcy burst out crying on
her husbands shoulder.
"Well, calculated the puzzled Luke,
"if you aren't the greatest enigma 60
ing. A kiss? Yes, a half dozen of
'em if you want, you kind hearted lit
tie turnkey. Do not cry, pet, I'm not
angry with you, although | suppose
SAnd may let Freddy Out:"
ayes, OH the same terms that papa
was released. Evelyn, was l very in>
tolerable %
"If YOU hadn't been I never should
have ventured on such violent RENE
dy.n
:" Did 1 make you very unhappy
every"
And the gush of warm, sparkling
tears supplied a dictionary full OF
words.
Luke Darcy buttoned up his over
coat, put on his hat, shouldered his
umbrella, and went to the Applegate
Will Case, musing as he went upon the
new state of affairs that had presented
itself for his consideration.
"By Jove," he calculated, !" that lit
tie wife of mine as bold woman and
a plucky One."
And thus he burst out laughing on
the steps. s.sm
1t is more than probable that he left
his stock of bad temper in the law
buildings that day, for Evelyn and
Clara never saw any more of it, and
Freddy is daily getting the best of the
peppery element in his infantile dispo-