Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-07-21
CAPTAIN COVERS WIFE.
BY RUTH RANSOM,

BY RUTH RANSOM.
| We had been keeling house only three
months.
! I wonder if the experience of life time
can ever replace thosA first bright weeks OF
married life, when thasunsets are brighter
the roses sweeter and the song Of Wild
birds more entrancinat than ever they have
been before ? Justine thought not /; and
quite agree with Justille.
We had cottage lew miles out of the
| city-just such cottage as one reads about
in romances, with a step gable-roof to the
very crest of which the sweet-scented
honeysuckles climbed, 1inging their slen-
der tendrils into the blle air beyond, as
if they would fain climb further still. And
there were latticed casenl ents, and shady
porches, and a piece of velvet grass in
front, where giant hose chestnut tree
flung it's island Of shade, I'd ID hya cinth Dor
ders all aglow with bloss1 5, and real
old well at the back, whHe an eye of light
seemed to glimmer Up at the sky whenever
you looked down into it's circular deep of
messy stones.
| Justine had never had much experience
in housekeeping. ohE had been school
teacher when I marri,d her. aud knew a
good deal more about cube-root, chemis-
| try and botany than SIZE did about pud-
dings, white soap and .pricot tarts. But
old Maggie, our maid-uf- lll-work, took a
mild, protecting interest inboth of us, and
by aid of her practiced skill the wheels re-
volved as if on velvet.
[ read aloud to Justine, in tire summer
evenings, while she worked at set of
shirts she was making for me; We compar-
ed our. past existences, and resolved that
the future should be unremittingly bright;
and we set up a monster Housekeeping
Book in which recorded every cigar I
bought, and Justine set down hslf-pounds
OF candy, papers of needles, and even the
pennies she bestowed upon crossing sweep
ers and wandering hand-organists.
In short, we were perfectly happy until
Captain Glover. came to visit us.
Captain Clover was an old friend of
W . Lou OOdltOu ctU CilC OdluG llOUcl
in QUIZ bachelor days, before his regiment
was ordered to Florida, and I met Justine
Walterson, now Mrs. Paul Picard. So, of
course, was very glad to see nm, and
Justine put fresh flowers on the dressing
bureau in her best bedroom, and ordered
an especially nice dinner.
"Don't smoke in the parlor, eh % said
Glover, after dinner, when I invited him
out on the lawn to discuss couple Of CT
CARS.
NO." said I. ''Mrs. Picard does not
exactly like it,
"Humph!' said the captain, elevating
his moustache with rather a sardonic
smile.
what doyou mean, Clover?" said I.
''She's got you into pretty good subjec-
ton already, Ell ?" said he.
met at all,' returned I, with some
warmth. "But man who pays no atten-
ton to his wife's wishes, scarcely deserves
the name of husband.''
..'There may be too much of that" said
Captain Clover. 81 smoke wherever l
/ like"
The next evening he proposed to me that
we should take the eight o'clock train into
| the city, and go to hear the French opera
| bouffe.
''Not this evening, I Think. said J.,
"Mrs. Picard complains of headach,
and
"Oh, wasn't thinking of including Mrs.
Picard in the party!" said the captain, in
an off-hand sort of way. "Ladies don't
like that sort of thing and"
Justine looked appealing at me.
II think 1 will remain at home," said 1
little embarrassed in spite of myself.
The captain said nothing, but put on his
overcoat.
'sIllwalk with you as far as the station, -
said I.
ssPicard,' said he, when we were once
out Of the honeysuckle-b powered gate,
"what fool you are!"
sEh 2" said l.
"Once let your wife get the upper hand
of you," asserted he, ''and good-by forever
to all independence and freedom of action.
I tell you, old fellow am married man
myself, and L know all about it. And I
should like to see Mrs. Clover oppose my
! will, or dispute my inclinationsP'
''Very likely" said 1, shut Justine and
I-n
"Oh, dare say. 1 dare say ~ brusquely
interrupted Captain Clover. ''It's all as
smooth as satin and as sweet as honey
now, but it will get to be COMPOUNDED
bore after awhile. just try it, that's all.
There's the whistle-excusem me, old fellow,
but must step little livelier if I expect
to get there"
So Captain Clover went to the opera
bouffe, and returned to Justine.
That was the beginning of it. When
Captain Glover had been our guest for a