American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-30
VOL. XIV.
said, land ] have something to say to

said, land ] have something to say to
you; something"
There she stopped him. "Don't say
II now" she pleaded. IL have an evening
before me which calls for all my calm.
ness. If it is anything agitating, Ill
must ask you to wait. After these guests
| u mine are gone-or tomorrow, / will
hear you; not now"
Charles Rokewood bowed "Your will
shall be my law" he said, and took her
hand and kissed it. She let him do it,
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 SO
we'll
| "And have felt so sure could never
like anyone again." thought Hetty Arm
strong. "There is fate in it."
But she danced and sang and talked as
usual, and no one guessed that was what
wood, who, with q chosen friend, had
slipped away from the parlors, and was
smoking and talking in the dressingroom.
He was a little out of sorts. Hetty, con-
scious of her duties as a hostess, insisted
| on being public property, and could not
he lurcd into a tetc-a-tete, and the women
who were ready to be talked to he did not
care about. Engaged men are generally
known by their boOrish conduct to ladies
generally. RokewOod, although not en-
gagged, believed himself far enough upon
the road to forget his suavity, and fell
back upon cigars and his masculine
friends whenever his lady love could not
be whispered to or gazed at.
Consequently damsels who thought
lockwood charming were wondering
what had become of him, when Biddy,
the waitress, mysteriously beckoned her
mistress into the hall, and, in an awful
whisper, said " more spoons were needed
for the crane"
"Of course there must be-" said Mrs.
Armstrong. Where WAS my poor head
to 50 forget it? I'll get poor Aunt Mar
tha's set from my upstairs china closet.
Please wait on the stairs till l come to
you"
And away ran Mrs. Armstrong to the
second floor, where she plunged into
long, old-fashioned closet and brought
forth q legacy of silverware left her by
maiden aunt. Counting the spoons over,
a murmur OF. voices from the next room
fell upon her ear. At the same time she
caught the perfume of cigar She
knew that Charles Rokewood had the
richest voice and smoked the best cigars
of any man in his set.
You dear old fellow" she whispered
to herself, L have been SO cross to you
tonight that some day 1 will be as kind
to you rs l can to make up for it,"
Then, with loving wOmau's wish to
see the face that is so dear to her, she
stepped forward and peeped through
crack in the door of the china closet
opening into the little sewing-r room, de-
voted this evening for the gentleman's
lot ri nj sr1r In
when her pretty ear approached SO close
ly to the crevice, and the first word riv-
eted her attention. The men were talk
ing of matrimOny.
Its deuced BORE" said his friend |
F" You are tied to woman's apron |
strings for life. You can't say your soul |
is your own. Take my advice and keep
out of it altogether, Charley"
Look here, old fellow" said Charles, |
taking his cigar from between his lips, |
" that sort of a thing is all a mans fault. |
Now, when marry, my first act will be
to prove myself master. As you begin |
SO you 60 on, and, before the honeymoon
is over, the woman who takes my name
shall know that my word is law and that
hers must yield to it."
The spoons in Mrs. Armstrong; hands
tinkled togethe just then. But no one
heard them. Charles went on:
My wife, if have one, shall have no
chance to show her temper. If she does
not like my orders, she must obey with
out liking. Pll break her in just as l
would a hOrse-bring her down at once
to the frame of mind mean to keep her
in; purpOsely thwart her for while;
contradict her; object to her style of
dress; make her alter her way of doing
her hair; refuse to dance attendance at
church; make her send regrets to party
when she wants to accept
them; show her at once what she may
expect After while 1 might yield a
little more; but because / want to, you
to please her."
"Y-e-es," said the friend, doubtfully;
" but you can't think how hard you'd find
such a row-sit up for you in a night-cap
and cry when you come in"
I'D manage that" said ROkewood,
e by staying out every night until dav-
light. The one rule should put in prac-
lice would bc-never let woman have
ner own way"
The spoons tinkled little more, and
Mrs. Armstrong; face was terribly
flushed, but she listened still
"Of course you yield a great deal to
The women you are in love with" said
Mr.. ROkewOod, evidently brushing the
ashos from his cigar; "but that's be-
cause of the romance and all that sort of
nonsense, which dies out with the honey
noon. You can find women enough to
write poetry to, and to talk sentiment
With, married or single. AS for your
wife, she's the woman that keeps house
'or you, and the sooner you make her
ware of the fact the better. When
marry, Jones, my dear fellow, it will be
With no idiOtic idea of perpetual court
hip in my mind. I'll begin as 1 intend
o go on, and be master, depend upon
But not my MASTER" whispered pref I
y Mrs. Armstrong, "not mine"
Mistress Armstrong, them spoons"
whispered Biddy at the stairs just then.
Hetty Armstrong gathered up the I
poons which had slipped down into her
ap. She looked at them as she did so.
They were solid and elegant, as was all
Ter silver. Her eyes glanced about the
Dom, which wealth and taste had made ,
he perfection of elegance and comfort. ,
Ter room! She heard downstairs the j
merry chat of her guests, the sound ,
# music and dancing. She re- !
rendered that in the kitchen her
ervants were making ready sup
'er mt for king. She turned to the
mirror; handsome woman, still young,
md elegantly dressed, looked proudly I
back. An hour before, all this, the !
woman included, she would have given J
o Charles lockwood had he been "A beg I
,ar. just q twinge Of pain went through
Ter heart. One tear stole down her
glowing cheek. Then she gave a little .
utter laugh. s.
II alone am queen of mer she mis- ,
NOTED and ran out to rive the snoous tn