Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-24

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 well.
And / have felt so sure ! could never
| like any one again." thought Iletty 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.. Rokewood, who
with a chosen friend, had slipped away from
the parlors, and was smoking and talking in
the drcssingroom. lie was a little out Of
sorts. lletty, conscious of her duties as
a hostess, insisted ON being public property,
and could not be lured into teie-d-tefe, 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. lockwood, although not
engaged, believed himself far enough on the
road to forget suavity, and fell back upon
his cigars and his masculine friends when
ever his lady-love could not be whispered TO
or gazcd at
Consequently, damsels who thought Roke-
wood charming, were wondering what had
become OF him. when the waitress mystcri-
ously heckoned her mistress into the hall,
and in an awful whisper, said "morc spoons
were needed for the crane"
"Of course, there must be-" said Mrs.
Armstrong Where was my poor head 10
so forget it III get poor Aunt Marthas
set from my upstairs china closet. Please
wait ON the stairs until come 10 YOU"
And away ran Mrs. Armstrong to the sec
ond floor, where she plunged INTO long.
oldfashioned closet, and brought forth a
legacy of silyerware left her by q maiden
aunt. Counting the spoons over, murmur
of voices from the next room fell upon her
ear At the same time she caught the per-
fume 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, have been So cross 20 You tonight
that some day I'll be as kind to you as ! can
TO make mp for IT,"
Then, with loving woman's wish 10 see
/ the face that is so dear TO her, she stepped
| forward and peeped through a crack in the
| door of the china closet opening into the
/ little sewing rosm, devoted for this evening
/ TO the gentlemen's toilet. Every word was
plainly audible when her pretty ear ap-
! preached so closely to the crevice, and the
first word rivcted her attention. The men
We're talking of matrimony
ats q deuccd bore" said his friend
"Nou are tied to q woman's apron string,
for life. You can't say your soul is your
own. Take my advice and keep out Of il
altogether, Charley
q" Look here, old fellow" said Charles, TAX
ing his cigar from between his lips, "tha
sort of thing is all mans fault. Now
when ! marry my first act will be to prov,
myself master. As you begin, so you 20 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 10 it,
The spoons in Mrs Armstrong; hand
tinkled together just then, but no one hearc
them. Charles went on
my wife, if | have one, shall have Nc
chance to show her temper. If she does mo-
like my orders, she must obey without liking
III break her in just as | would a horse
bring her down at once to the frame of min,
mean TO keep her IN purposely thwart hel
for "a while: contradict her; object to styl,
of Dress make her alter her way of doing
her hair; refuse 90 dance attendance "a
church; make her send regrets to party in
vtatiuns when she wants to accept them
show her at once what she may expect AT
ter a while | might yield a little more bu
because, you understand-not TO please her.
Y-c-es, said the friend, doubtfully; "bu
you can't think how hard you'll find it; anc
if You stay out late they make such a row
sit up for you in a night-cap, and cry wher
You come in"
"I'd manage that" said Rokewood, "by
staying out every night until daylight
The one rule should put in practice woulc
be-never let the woman have her 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
woman You are in love with" said Mr.. Roke
1 wood, evidently brushing the ashes from hi,
cigar but that is because Of the romance
and all that sort Of nonsense, which dies out
with the honeymoon. You can find womer
enough to write poetry to, and TO talk senti
ment with, married or single. As for YOU
wife, she's the woman that keeps house fol
you, and the sooner you make her aware o.
the fact the better When marry, Jones
my dear fellow, it will be with no idiotiC
idea of perpetual courtship in my mind. II
begin as intend to go on, and be master
depend upon it,"
" But not my MASTER" whispered prett,
Mrs. Armstrong, mot mine
Mistress Armstrong, them spoons, wills
pered Biddy, at the stairs just then.
lletty Armstrong gathered up the spoons
which had slipped down into her lap Sh,
looked at them as she did so. They wer,
solid and elegant, as was all her silver He
eyes glanced about the room, which wealtl
and taste had made the perfection of elegano,
and comfort. Her room. She heard dowr
stairs the merry chat Of her guests, tn,
sound OF music and dancing. She remem
bered that in the kitchen her servants wer,
making ready supper fit for king, Sh,
turned to the mirror; handsome woman
still young, and elegantly dressed, looked
proudly back. An hour before, all this, tn,
woman included, she would have given t.
Charles Rokewood had he been a begear
just then a twinge Of pain went through her
heart, One tear stole down her glowing
cheek. And she laughed little louder
than usual, and not quite naturally.
lletty Armstrong refused Charles Roke
wood the next day, and the people who
guessed it blamed her bitterly. As fol
/ Charles himself he was amazed, and injured
and deeply grieyed, for he never guessed that
his lecture on married life had second au.
ditor; nor that lIetty woudhaye said Yes y
instead of " No." but for that crack in the
. china plosat