Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-06-09


TRUTH" said Evelyn, quietly, with her
coral lips compressed, and scarlet spot
burning on either cheek. "Clara, some
times wonder how can endure the daily
cross OF my husbands temper"
TemperF said Clara, with q toss of
her chestnut-brown hair. "And the poor,
| dear fellow hasn't the least idea how disa.
greeable he makes himself"
Only this morning." said Evelyn, {" he
punished Freddy with unrelenting severi.
ty for fit of i'll huwor which he himself
has duplicated within the last half hour.
lam not a moralist, but it strikes me that
the fault is rather more to be censured in
iuli grown, reasoning man than in q
Evelyn" said Clara gravely, edo you
suppose he is beyond the power of
" hope not; but what can l dor"
shut him up, as he shut up little
FreddyP"
Evelyn's merry, irresistible laugh was
checked by the arch, peculiar expression
in Clare's blue eyes.
The remedy needs to be something
short and sharp, said Clara, and this dark
eloset system certainly combines both re.
qulsltes. Tears and Mysteries were played
out long ago in matrimonial skirmishes,
you know, Evy." ..
Nonsencer' laughed Mrs. Darcy, ris-
ing from the breakfast table to answer to
her husbands peremptory summons from
above stairs, while Clara shrugged her
shoulders and went to look for her work
basket
Luke was standing in front of his bu-
reau drawer, f1inging shirts, collars, era
vats and stockings recklessly on the bed
room floor.
I'D like to know where my silk hand
kerchiefs are, Mrs. Darcy?' he fumed.
"Such state as my bureau is in is enough
to drive man crazyr
Its enough to drive woman crazy,
fthink" said Evelyn, hopelessly, stoop
ing down TO pick up a few of the scattered
articles.
You were at the bureau last, Luke. 1t
is your fault"
My fault-of course it's my faultp
snared Luke, giving Mrs. Darcy poodle
kick that sent him bowling off to to his
mistress. Anything else but woman's
retorting, recriminating tongue. Mrs.
Darcy, won't stand it any longer"
Neither will | |" said Evelyn, resolute-
ly advancing as her husband plunged into
the closet after his business coat, and
promptly shutting and locking the door,
l think I've endured it long enough-and
here is an end of it,"
Mrs. Darcy, open the door," said Luke,
scarcely able to credit the evidence of his
own ST enses.
81 shall do no such thing" said Mrs.
Darcy, composedly, beginning to rear
range shirts, stockings aud flannel wrap
pers in their appropriate receptacles.
Mrs. Dar-cy!" roared Luke, at a
hoo %
earth do you mean?"
"Imean to keep you in that clothes
press, Mr. Darcy, until you have made up
your mind to come out in a more amiable
frame of mind. If the system succeeds
with Freddy, it certainly ought to with
you | am sure your temper is much more
intolerable than his"
There was dead silence of full sixty
seconds in the closet, then a sudden burst
of vocal wrath.
"Mrs, Darcy, open the door this instant,
madam"
But Evelyn went on humming saucy
little opera air, and arranging her clothes.
do you hear meY"
"Yes, hear you"
"Will you obey me-"
Not until you have solemnly promised
me to put some sort of control on that
temper of yours; not until you pledge
yourself to treat your wife as lady should
be treated, not as a menial."
81 won't"
"NoP Then, in that case, I hope you
don't find the atmosphere at all oppressive
there, as 1 think it probable you will re-
main there some time"
Another sixty seconds of dead silence,
then sudden rain of heels and hands
against the relentless wooden panels.
Let me out say, Mrs. Darcy Madam,
how dare you .perpetrate this monstrous
piece of audaciIy?"
My dear Luke, how strongly you do
remin me of Freddy. You see there is
nothing have SO little tolerance for as
bad temper. 1t ought to have been
checked long ago, only you know I'm so
ridiculously indulgent."
Mr.. Darcy WINGED little at the familiar
sound of his own words.
Taptap rap came softly at the fdoor-
Mrs. Darcy composedly opened it, and saw
her husbands little office boy.
"Please, mem, there's some gentlemen
at the office in 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,
"Tell the gentlemen that your master
has bad headache, and won't be down
town this morning"
Luke gnashed his teeth audibly as soon
as the closing of the door admonished him
that he might do so with safety.
Mrs. Darcy, do you presume to inter-
fere with the transaction of business that
is vitality importantp
Mrs. Darcy nonchalantly took up the
little opera air where she had left it, let
ting the soft Italian words ripple musically
off her tongue
Evelyn, dearp
"What is it, Luke ?" she asked, mildly.
"Please let me out, my DEAR this may
be joke TO you, but"
al assure you, Luke, it's nothing of the
kind 1t is the soberest of serious matters
to me- 1t is a question whether my fu-
ture life shall be miserable or happy"
There was a third interval of silence.
Evelyn" said Luke, presently, in a
subdued voice, "will you open the
door?"
"On one condition only"
"And what is that's"
"Ah, ah p thought the little Lieutenant
General, che is beginning to entertain
conditions of capitulation, Is her On con.
dition," she added, aloud, that you will
break yourself of the habit of speaking
Grossly and sharply to me, and on all oc'
casions keep your temper"
"My temper, indeed" sputtered Luke
"Just your temper" returned his wife,
serenely, "will you promiseS"
| "Never."
Mrs. Darcy quietly took ups pair Of
hose that required mending, and prepared
to leave the apartment. AS the dool
creaked on its hinges, however, voice
came shrilly through the opposite key
hole.
"Mrs. Darcy, EVelyni wife wifeP
Eyes"
"You are not going down stairs tc
leave me in this placer"
"Iam."
"Well, look here-I promise"