The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-10-12

the hrSt time they had met since the
previous evening, saw nothing out of
the way in his manner, but supposed
him only engrossed in the argument
they were carrying on.
Swelling with indignation at the cool
politeness of her husbands manner, the
little lady sat for few moments silent,
not daring to trust herself to speak, for
the last thing she desired was that her
father should be cognizant of the state
of affairs.
Before the dessert was removed,
Colonel Delafeld excused himself on
the plea of an engagement, and with q
comprehensive "Good bye to you all,
to which his wife did not respond, he
left the room.
He, too, was anxious to shave it out"
with his wife, but he meant to take his
own time, and supposed that time would
be when they were alone in their own
room but, in order to show his inde-
pendence, he made it unusually late be-
fore he returned, fully expecting to find
his wife in bed and ready to submit to
mis- rebuke and be forgiven her offsnse.
He was already sorry for the part he
had played. the night before-he had
not intended to go so far, but meant to
open the door after the gentlemen had
left, till his anger was raised to white
heat by his wiie's remarks when looking
through the trsnsom.
Great was his surprise and indigna-
tion to find the room empty on his re-
turn, and no preparations for his wife's
toilet before retiring. The little slippers
that Kate always set temptingly on the
footstool were missing, so was the dress
ing gown that was generally thrown over
the back of chair, while further search
revealed the fact that her tooth brush,
comb and brush, and other accessories
of the toilet had been removed.
"She can stay away as long as she
likes, " he said, as he threw himself on
the bed. 81 shall not ask her to come
back"
Mrs. Delafield Just at that moment
was saving to her sister: "I'll not go
back, l tell you, till he goes down ON his
knees and kisses my foot"
Day after day passed and both held
stoutly to their determination; they had
been forcedfor appearance sake to speak
at the table, but nothing beyond the
shortest and coldest remarks passed be-
tween them. Both were miserable, and
both determined not to be the first to
speak.
Nanny Kate meanwhile moaned and
sighed, going about with funeral face,
and laying all the blame on " old Mr..
Bells son john" who had no business
to come home, "looking like he had
stuck one of his paris blacking brushes
over his mouth for mustacher." If
it had not been for him Miss Mary would
never have waltzed; or if she had, would
never have got on the table and peeped
through at the colonel. She had sense
enought to see that any yremonstrance with
her mistress would be but adding fuel
to the flame, and she did not dare to
speak to the colonel.
Matters had gone on so for nearly
week, and Mrs. Delafield, though she
kept brave face outwardly, was hearth
ly tired of the quarrel She never
waltzed; but then she might as we'll have
done so, for her husband never entered
the public parlor, where the effort to
appear in good spirits was becoming
daily greater, until she was glad to avail
herself of the excuse given by slipping
one day on the stairs, and say she had
hurt her aukle and could not go down
stairs at all.
The colonel meantime was equally
miserable, and fully as determined not
to make the first advance; but when two
whole days had passed, during which
his wife had never left her sisters room,
he became really uneasy about her, and,
purposely delaying to go down to din
ner on the third day till he was sure Mr..
Ellis and Louise were down, he waylaid
nanny ON the stairs as she was taking
up Mira. Delafield's tea, and inquired
casually GLOW Miss Mary felt"
Nanny was born diplomat and rose
to the height of her opportunity.
"Indeed, sir, rs very uneasy about
Miss Mary; she is jest pining away, and
she ought to see the doctor, but she
won't hear of it; and Miss Louise she
don't know half how bad Miss Mary is,
cause she keeps up before 'em all but
me. Deed, colonel, you couldn't keep
so mad with her, if you knowd how
sorry she was for Tending YOU"
"Mad with herl the shoes on the
other foot-it's she who is mad with
me"
Lord sakes alive mad with you2
why, she don't do thing but Cry cause
you don't go to see her."
The colonels heart begun to melt.
A." But if she wants me, Kate, why don't
she send for met"
"'Deed, sir, and so she would if she
wasn't 'fraid you wouldn't come. In
course she don't say so, but she Just
says, Nanny, where is he p and when
1 says, Lord, honey, he'd come in a
mint if you'd let me call him, she jest
shakes her head and says: mo, he
wouldn't"
This last was an out and out fiction of
The colonel stood irresolute,
and Kate saw her opportunity and con-
tirued her blows.
"The way she come to hurt her foot
was running to ketch q look at you,
cause Miss Louise said as how you had
a bad headache and was looking pale.
But, Lord bless me, the poor chile's a
waiting for her tea, and she told me to
be sure and fetch her some chicken
salad, and rs forgot it. must go back
and get it, for she don't eat nothing,
and jest has dinner brought up to fool
master" And Kate, like a prudent di-
plomat, set the waiter down at the door
anu went down stairs, convinced that
the colonel would go in as soon as she
was out of sight. ......
81 can't leave her here sick," he NUT
tered, as an excuse to himself, and open
ed the door quietly as he spoke. Think
ing it was Kate, Mrs. Delafield, who was
lying on the sofa in her wrapper, never
turned her head, but looked so utterly
and woe-begone that the col,