The Republican. [volume] (Maryville, Tenn.) 187?-187?, 1875-02-13

time she caught the perfume OF cigar
She knew that charles Rokewoood hat
the richest voice and smoked the bes
cigars of any man in his set.
"You dear old fellow" she whis
pered to herself, I have been 80 crosi
to you tonight that some day I'll be al
kind to you as / can to make up for it.
Then, with loving woman's wish Il
see the dear face that 10 81 dear to her
she stepped forward and peeped through
crack in the door Of the china closet
opening into the little sewing room
devoted for this evening to the gentle
mems toilet. Every word was plainly
audible when her pretty ear approachd
so closely to the crevice, and the first
word rivited her attention. The men
were talking of matrimony.
Its adeuced bore" said his friend.
"You are tied to q woman's apron
strings for life. You can't say your
soul is your own. Take my advice and
keep out of it altogether, Charles"
"Look here, old fellow" said Charles,
taking his cigar from between his lips,
that sort of thing is all a mans
fault. Now, when marry, my first act
will be to prove myself master. As you
begin, 80 you go 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
tingled together just then, but no ono
heard them. Charles went on:
"My wife, if I have one, shall have
no chance to show her temper. If she
does not like my orders she must obey
without liking. I'll break her in Just as
/ would q 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 style of dress;
make her alter her way of doing her
hair; refuse to dance attendance at
church; make her send regrets to party
invitations when she wants to accept
them show her at once what she may
expect. After a while i might yield
little more; but because, you under
stand-not to please her."
"Y-e-es," said his friend, doubtfully;
"but you cant think how hard you'll
find it and if you stay out late they
make such a row-sit up for you in n
night-cap, and cry when you come in."
"Pd manage that" said Rokewood,
"by staying out every night until day
light. The one rule 1 should put in
practice would be-never let the woman
have her own way"
The spoons tingled little more, and
Mrs. Armstrong; face was terribly
flushed, but she listened STILL"
"Of course you yield great deal to
the woman you are in love with" said
Mr.. Rokewood, evidently brushing
the ashes from the cigar; "bat
that's because of the romance and
all that sort of nonsense, which
dies ont with the honeymoon. You cen
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 for you, and
the sooner you make her aware of the
fact the better. When marry, Jones,
my dear fellow, it will be with no
idiotic idea of perpetual courtship in
my mind. I'll begin as I intend to go
on, and be master, depend upon it..
"But not my MASTER" whispered
pretty Mrs. Armstrong, "not mine"
mistress Armstrong, them spoons"
whispered Biddy, at the stairs just
then.
Hetty Armstrong gathered up the
spoons which had slipped down into her
lap. She looked at them as she did 70.
They were solid and elegant, as was all
her silver. Her eyes glanced about the
room, which wealth and taste had made
the perfection of elegance and comfort.
Her room /! She heard down stairs the
merry chat of her guests, the sound of
music and dancing. She remembered
that in the kitchen her servants were
making ready supper fit for king.
She turned TO the mirror; handsome
woman, still young and elegantly
dressed, looked proudly back. An hour
before all this, the woman included,
she would have given to Charles Roke-
wood had he been beggar. Just
twinge OF pain went through her heart.
One tear stole down her glowing check.
Then she gave little bitter laugh.
|" / alone am queen Of me she
misquoted, and ran out to give the
spoons to Biddy.
cit was hard to find them," she said,
"but here they are at last"
Aud she laughed little louder than
usual, and not quite naturally.
II was the merriest Christmas party
of them all, said every one OF her