The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-10-25

y
ooh, yes; it's delightful. Don't you
find Il so?"'f oaHlN
tsNot particularly"
Fanny turned again to Mr.. Harring-
ton, with some coquettish remark, and
when be answered, in q tone SO low that
Mr.. Merritt did not catch the words, she
exclaimed: ''You naughty manpp and
tapped him playfully on the arm. Tom
thought this was progressing wonder
fully for his modest little wife, and he
looked around to see whether il had
been observed. Somehow he didn't
like the idea of Mrs. Merritt being so
familiarity talking with this stranger.
what a charming little lady Mrs.
Merritt is.'' he heard a gentleman say to
another; $50 lively and piqudnte, and
evidently not averse to filtration. l
suppose her husband1' and here he
stopped, warned by a nudge from his
friend, whose face was towards Toni
but the words left a disagreeable, half
angry, halfmortified impression upon
Mr.. Merits mind.
"Fanny, are you not getting tired ?''
he asked, when, half an hour later, he
sought his wife, and found her prone
nading in lively chat with Captain
Mansfield, who was known as the great
est ladyis man in Westville.
Tired Pho, indeedl Pray don't
trouble yourself about me, dear. Pm
perfectly satisfied; and Captain Mans
field will take good care of me-won't
you, Captain ?'' coquettishly.
The Captain answered gallantly, plac-
ing his hand on his heart; and Fanny
laughed as she resumed her promenade,
leaving her husband looking after them
l...N
ing. He saw smile on the faces of one
or two persons who had witnessed the
scene, and who were evidently amused
at his vexation; and he determined to
put a stop at once to his wife's very un-
becoming conduct. q q = AL
Fanny, do you know il is very late?'
he said, as she repasssed him in her
promenade.
SIS it? What pity! But / suppose
we can remain little longer ?n she
said. - 49, - 81 L
81 think we had best go now" he an
swered, gravely.
'TTben I must bid you au ripoir, Cap
tain Mansfield. This tyrannical hus-
band of mine insists upon taking me
away with him. What a misfortune to
be married womanW
The Captain whispered something
about its being greater misfortune to
himself than to Mrs. Merritt, and Mrs.
Merritt murmured, laughingly, that the
Captain had better Keep his gallant
speeches for the young ladies; and at that
moment Mr.. Harrington addressed her
with:l
''Not going, hope, Mrs. Merritt, Just
as the Virginia reel is about TO COM
mence?' and she regretfully replied:
"Yes, | positively must; but" and
her husband heard distinctly some
words exchanged about a Scotch song
that Mrs, Merit had promised to play
Tor Mr.. Harrington on the following
day. -
Fanny, is that man going to call
upon you tomorrow ?p asked her hus-
band on their way home.
Certainly. One of the most agreea-
BILE and interesting gentlemen that L
have ever met with. What a delightful
evening it has been, Tom, dear-hasn't
it ?''
''Not to me-though yOa certainly
appeared to be enjoying yourself, and in
4 way, as / must confess, that did not
admire. In fact, Fanny, /
was surprised to see you carrying on so
more like girl than a married wom-
am
tfWhy, what have I done to dispIease
you?p inquired his wife, innocentiy.
"What have you done? Haven't you
been chatting and laughing, and flirting
with those men all the evening, putting
on the most coquettish airs, and encour-
aging their foolish speeches and atten-
tions as no married woman ought to do,
or has right to do ?p
why, Tom, 1 do believe you're jeal-
"Jealousr' said Mr.. Tom, with su-
preme seOrn. 81 jealOus-and of those
popinjays! No, Fanny, Pm no jealous;
but Pm hurt and mortified; and must
really request that such conduct on your
part shall not be repeated"
"Iom," said Fanny, looking gravely
in his face, ''did you not tell me yester-
day that you wished / would amuse
myself and fiirt a little, and that il
would do no harm, but, on the contrary,
render me more attractive ?u
Mr. Merritt looked startled.
"You might have known was not in
earnest"
"And, Tom, don't you flirt always, at
every party that we 60 tO?n
''What a man does is not precedent
for his wife to go by"
at ought to be-" said Fanny, decid-
edIy.
"I was merely amusing myselEn
quoth Mr.. Thomas, in an explanatory
tone. -.r u-rr-rr ana. .-~--
$50 was T." she retorted. - -f-
"But, Fanny, it is not pleasant to a
man to see his wife carrying on so with
other men, and ii humiiiates him in the
eyes of Others"
Exactly as it pains and humiliates
a wife to have her husband fiirt with
other women"
Mr.. Merritt looked at his wife-at her
earnest, fearful eyes and flushed cheeks
and a light flashed upon him. He
said nothing, however, until they were
in their own dressing-rOOm, and Fanny
had taken off her wraps.
He was looking very sober; and his
wife, gently going up TO him, said, half
timidly: .nu
"Are you angry with me, Tom?"
He turned, and drew her down by his
side, tenderly.
i'No, darling. And, in fact, Fanny,
confess that after all, you have more
cause to be angry with me; though you
know it was mere carelessness on my
part"
'sYes, l did know that, Tom. I had
never a doubt of my husbands entire
love, thank God; but you know now
how it pained and humiliated me-" she
said, looking up into his face with low
ing, fearful eyes.
az shall never grieve you in that way
again, my dear, clever little WIFE" he
answered, lifting up her face and kiss
ing her. @You have fairly given me tit
for tat, and now we are quits, and will
do better in future"
And we may observe, in conclusion,
that it would do away with great deal