Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-03-12

'sadored them" 1t was always the merI
est party of the season at X and this TIN
Mrs Armstrong decided that she Woul
Guido herself. There was a dash more
coquetry in her dress; dash of extrav;
gance in the supper; a glitter Of rare chin;
and perfume of rare flowers in the pal
lors-just as they say wine warns up tn
wits and fancy does love at times. A
things would be brighter, fresher, MOI
sparkling just now thought, or rathe
vaguely felt the woman who had just b
gun to know her heart right, and though
she knew another's.
She stood, in her rich dress of lace AM
Isilk, flowers in her hair and on her bosom
before her guests arrived, before her graf
fire in the parlor, when some one touched
her ON the shoulder, and, turning, she say
Charles Rokewood, &, =.
Her face was little paler, her eyes NOR
earnest in their look, than usual, and sor
of happy terror hung upon her as she guess
ed why he had come so early.
II knew should find you alone" h
said, s'and T have something to say to you
something"
There'she stopped him. ''Don't say i
now,'' she pleaded. 81 have an evening
before me which calls for all my calmness
If it is anything agitating, II must ash
you to wait. After these guests Of min.
are gone-or tomorrow, will hear you
not now" ~
Charles Rokewood bowed. 'Your will
shall be my law,'' he said, and took he
hand and kissed it. She let him do it, blush
ing all the while, not caring now to lool
at him.
All the evening, after the other guests
were there, her thoughts wandered back tt
that moment. She knew what she woulC
say, and she could answer only in one way
l-only one-she liked him so well.
ssAnd have felt so sura [ could never
like anyone again." thought Hettie Arm
strong. ''There is fate in it.''
| But she danced and sung and talked as
usual, and no one guessed that was what
she was dreaming-not even Mr.. Roke.
! wood, who, with a chosen friend, had Slip
ped away from the parlor, and was smok.
ing and talking in the dressing room. He
was little out Of sorts. Hetty, conscious
of her duties as a hostess, insisted on being
public property, and could not be lured in
to a tete-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. Roke-
wood, although not engaged, believed him
sells far enough on 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
Rokewood charming were wondering what
had become of him, when Biddy, the wait
resB, mysteriously beckoned her mistress
into the hall, and, in an awful whisper, said
more spoons were needed for the crame.' -
"Of course there must be- said Mrs.
Armstrong. s'Where was my poor head SO
to forget? I'll get poor Aunt Martha's set
from my upstairs china closet Please
wait on the stairs till come to you.''
And away ran Mrs. Armstrong to the
second floor, where she plunged into long,
old-fashioned closet and brought forth a
legacy Of slverware left her by a maiden
aunt. Counting the spoons over, MUIR
muir of voices from the next room fell upon
her ear. At the same time she caught the
perfume Of cigar. Sheknew that Charles
Rokewood had the richest voice and smok.
ed the best cigars of any man in his set.
"You dear old fellow" she whispered to
herself, Il have been so cross to you to.
night that some day I'll be as kind to you
as can to make up for it,
Then, with woman's loving wish to see
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 devoted for this even
ing to the gentlemens' toilet. Every word
was plainly audible when her pretty ear
approached so closely to the crevice, and
the first word riveted her attention. The
men were talking of matrimony.
''It'sa deuced BORE" said his friend.
ssYou 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"
'sLook here, old fellow said Charles,
taking his cigar from between his lips,
'sthat sort Of thing is all a mans fault.
Now, when marry, my first act will be to
prove myself master. AS you begin, so
you go on, and before the honeymoon is
over, the woman who takes my name shall
know that my will is law, and that hers
must yield to it.''
The spoons in Mrs. Armstrong; hands
tinkled together just then, but no one
heard them. Charles went on;
'sMy wife, if 1 have one, shall have no
chance to show her temper. If she does
not like nay orders, she must obey without
liking. I'll break her in just as would a
horse-bring her down at once to the frame
of mind / mean to keep her in; purposely
thwart her for awhile; contradict her; OBJ
ject to her style of dress; make her alter
her way of doing her hair; refuse to dance
attendance at church; make her send re-
grets to party invitations when she wishes
to attend them; show her at once what she
may expect. After awhile I might yield a
little more; but because, you understand
not to please herr
"Ye-e-s," said the friend doubtfully," but
you can't think how hard you'd find it:
and if you stay out late they make such a
row-sit up for you in night-cap, and cry
when you come in.''
Cpd manage that,' said lockwood, "by
staying out every night until daylight. The
one rule should put in practice would be;
| never let woman have her own way"
The spoons tinkled a little more, and Mrs
Armstrong; face was terribly flushed, but
she listened still