, 1875-02-13

| bappier with such u bosom TO TepOse
| upon, and began to wonder whether il
| really was necessary for a widow to be
, married in pearl COlOTwhen white was so
| becoming TO her complexion.
SO matters stood when Christmas drew
near. and with it Hetty Armstrong; reg
ular Christmas Eve party. All y, or
nearly all. would be there, even the Rev.
| Luther Paragon, who amlably forgot to
! say that he disapprOved Of dancing and
charades when Mrs. Armstrong declared
! that " shc adored them 1t was always
the merrieSt party of the season at y,
and this time Mrs Armstrong decided
that she would Outdo herself. There
was i dash more of Cpquetry IN her
! dress: a dash of eXrraVagancG IN the
| supper; glitter OF rare china and per
! fIme of rare flowers in the parlOrs-iust
/ rs they sav wine warns up the wits and
! fancy does love at times. All things
! would be brighter. freaher, more spark
| ling lust now thought, or rather vague
| lv felt, the woman who had just begun
| TO know her heart right and thought she
! knew anUther's.
She stood, in her rich dress Of lace and
| silk, flowers in her hair and on her
! bosom, before her guests arrived in front
! of her CRATE fire in the paTlOr, when some
/ one touched her on the shoulder, and,
| turning. she saw Charles ROkewOOd.
Her face was 4 little paler, her eyes
more earnest in their look than usual,
and sort Of happy terror hung upon
her as she guessed why he had come so
early.
! I Ii al a.
said "amd ! have something 10 say to
YOU something -"
There she stopped him. Don't say
| il now" she pleaded have an evening
! before me which calls for all my calm
ness. II it is anything agitating, ~
must ask you to wait. After these guests
# mine are gone-or tomorrow, l Will
hear YOU; not now"
Charles Rokcwood bowed. "GOur will
shall be my law" he said, and took her
hand and kissed it. She let him do 1t,
blushing all the while, not caring now to
look at him.
All the evening, after the other guests
were there, her thoughts wandered back
to that moment. She knew what she
would say, and she could answer only IN
one way-only one-she liked him 50
well
And have felt so sure l could never
like anyone again." thought Hetty Arm
strong. There is fate in IL"
But she danced and sang and talked as
usual, and no one guessed that was what
she was dreaming-nOt even Mr.. Roke
wood. who, with chosen friend, had
slipped away from the parlOrs, and was
smoking and talking IN the dresslngroom.
He WAS a little out of sorts hetty, con
, sci0us of her duties rs hostess, insisted
on being public property, and could not
> be lured into a tctc-a-tetc, and the women
who were ready to be talked To he did not
, care about. Engaged men ar, generally
known by their bUuri~h Cuud'sr' 10 ladies
, generally. Rokewood, although not en-
gagged believed himself far enough upon
the road 10 forget his suayIty, and iel
; back upon cigars and his masculine
! friends whenever his lady-lUve could no
Z be whispered 20 or gazcd AT.
Consequently damsels who thought
Rokewood charming were wondering
t what had become of him, when Biddy
/ the waitress, mySteriouSly beCk0ned he
mistress into the hall, and, in an awtu
! whisper, SdIN ulNAN Ni'''A' WIZ AANN~'~
for the crane
"Of course there must be, said Mrs
y Armstrong Where was my poor heat
{ to 81 forget it? III get poor Aunt Mar
! tha's set from my upstairs china closet
i Please wait on The stairs till | come L
= you"
And away ran Mrs. Armstrong TO thC
= second floor, where she plunged into ;
Il long. old-fashioned closet and brOugh
!. forth legacy of Silverware left her by ,
Il maiden aunt Counting the spoons over
Is a murmur of voices from the next room
I fell upon her ear At the same time Sh,
l caught the perfume Of a cigar. Sht
{ knew that Charles Rokewood had tn,
, richest voice and smoked the best cigar
- Of any man in his set.
You dear old fellow" she whispered
{ 10 herself, L have been so cross 10 yol
tonight that some day | will be as kin(
to YOU rs can to make up for IL"
Then, with LOVING WOmau'S wish Il
, see the face that is so dear TO her, shr
stepped forward and peeped through
l crack in the door of the china close
opening into the little sewingro0m, de
voted this evening for the gentleman
I toilet. Every word was plainly audible
when her pretty ear approached so close
" to the crevice, and the first word rly
; eted her attention. The men were talk
ing of matrimOny.
. It's deuced bore" said his friend
.'You are tied to wOmanS apron
strings for life. You can't say your sou
is YOUR own. Take my advice and keel
: out of it altogether, Charley"
"Look here, old fellow said Charles
taking his cigar from between his lips
that sort of thing is all mans fault
Now, when marry, my first act will d
= TO prove myself master. As you begiI
!, SO YOU 60 on, and, before the honeymoon
is over. the woman who takes my nam
shall know that my word is law and tina
: hers must yield TO IT,"
The spoons in Mrs. Armstrong; hand
) tinkled tOge ther just then. But no on
heard them. Charles went on:
NV wife, if | have one, shall have n,
chance to show her temper. If she doe
not like my orders, she must obey with
out liking. III break her in just as
would horse-bring her down at one
to the frame of mind mean to keep he
: in; purposelashwart her for while
> contradict her; object to her style o
, dress; make her alter her way OF dolnt
. her hair; refuse to dance attendance a
church; make her send regrets to part.
! invitations when she wants to accep
them; show her at once what she ma
! expect. After while might yield
! little more; but because ! want to, yo
! understand-not to please her"
. "Y-e-e-s," said the friend, doubtfu!ly
"but YOU can't think how hard you'd I'm,
: it; and if you stay out late they max
: such a row-sit up for you in night-cal
: and cry when you come in"
/ I'D manage that" said lockwood
2 "by staying out every night until day