The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1872-12-05
N asqueradc Dall at Long
BY H.r.Lrs FORREST GRAVES.
II do 80 wish I could go with you,

II do 30 wish ! could go with you
YaulT als
| Mrs Dayton sat on q low chair
diligently sewing buttons on a pill,
of her husbands shirts, which has
just come home from the wash
blue-eyed, daisy -complexioned httlt
woman, who might have been very
pretty il she had worn anything but
faded gingham, with lustrous brown
hair put up in cheap net, and moi
80 much rs a garnet. brooch ut hen
throat-for Mr.. Dayton believed in
"the strictest economy" where every
one except himself was concerned
and dealt ont the pennies, with >
parsimonious hand, one at time.
He himself was standing ut the
mirror, brushing his hair but as his
wife gave utterance to this ,revolu
tionary opinion, he turned around
and regarded her with an eye Of grave
reproof. .H..I
'Louise, am astonished at you
-tonished when you know very
we'll that this is merely business
trip, and that every moment Of my
valuable time will be fully occupied,
and
Indeed, Paul, l would try not to
be in your way rt all +; and Z think
the change Of air might do me
good"
Paul Dayton stared at his wife
with unrelenting severity.
"Change of air, Mrs. Dayton !-of
air! And what do you need OF
change Of air You are not i'll, /
hope! II yon are we had better
call in the family physician, Mrs,
Dayton"
.'Oh, I am tot sick, Of course =
faltered poor little Louise only
Only this is regular woman's
whim," pronounced her husband. 81
see, Mrs. Dayton-I see exactly
You want to spend money--to put
me to as much expense as possible!
1 must confess l am somewhat
ashished however, for you know per
fectly well, Mrs. Dayton, what our
circumstances are, and the necessit y
for extreme economy FI..
"Would it cost much, Paul 7"
"Cost much-cost much. Mrs. Day
toni But that is just woman 8
way of looking at things Let me
tell you, once FOR all that every cent
tells in these hard times. And now,
if you viii oblige me by packing that
valise as quickly as possible, L can
get off in something like good time.
And thus ruthlessly was the little
wife's petition dismissed.
Mr.. Dayton departed, with a
Good by!" and u cold peck on his
wife's left cheek which was intended
for akiss; and poor Louise sat down
and indulged herself in a good cry
when he was gone.
"If only he would give me kind
word now and then, or glance, to
show that he appreciates all try to
do for him - she mourned half
aloud, as she took up an old Marseil-
les vest, which he had just thrown
off, to darn the end of one of the but
ton holes. "But / suppose he is right
after all, and it is necessary to econ
omize J! .....
As she uttered these words to her.
self, folded note slipped from the
pocket OF the garment she was turn
ing round and Louise Dayton would
have been either more or less than
woman il she could have refrained
from glancing ut its contents.
paul won't care she thought
"Of course, he must have known it
was there, or"
But the deep, rosy carmine mount
ed to her cheek rs she read the fol
lowing brief lines, hurriedly scrawled
on the paper in bold, masculine
chirography: ttAS..,A
= DEAR OLD FxIIow; Be sure you
are at the Branch tomorrow night
The masquerade bah comes of, and
the lovely widow is to be there as
might with coronet Of gold stars
and q dress OF black strewn with
little stars. Don't fail, for she will
be expecting u.s. H. v.
And behind the veil OF those inn
tials Mrs. Dayton at one recognized
the signature of Harry Villsrs, one Of
Paul Dayton's bachelor friends in the
days of yore, while she was yet Louise
MillertOn. ltas.ra
At the Branch masquerade ball
the ''lovely widow as ''Nightr'
What did it all meant And sudden.
" tho truth flashed across Louises
mjnd with ,fnwelcome distinctness.
Her husbands business excursion
was merely a disguise for this trip to
Long Branch. His unwillingness for
her Company was sufficiently exps&n
ed at last. VEAI 4u lDIuT
L,uises eyes sparkled ominously
The color rose hotly to her cheek.
But she spoke not . word. She on
ly sat and thought. Presently she rose
and rang the bell. as, iss at.a-,s.ai
"Sarah," she said TO the girl Who
answered il ''send round to the hack
stand and get me carriage"
"A carriage, ma'am 7" 'al's' ~ ...e
N-"Yes, q carriage What Is there
- .k.,..o ol>o,,k kha sIau thsl WON