The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-02-02
Which Was Guilty7

Which Was Guilty7
'T do think, John, you might let me
have a little more mOneyu'
Victoria Hale was sitting at the
breakfast-table, pout upon her cherry
lips, an Ominous wrinkle between her
brows. She looked very pretty in her
morning dress of fiuted white lawn,
with a breakfast cap of Swiss muslin
and rose-colored ribbons that were pc
culiarly becoming to her olive skin and
large, velvet black eyes.
Her husband, slowly slipping his coffee
at the other side of the table, was quite
as handsome and distinguished-lOOk
in his way. John Hale was chief book
keeper and cashier in a large firm in
Wood street, and had scarcely been
married three months as yet. Already,
however, the bloom and charm of we'd
ded life had been dissipated in some de-
gree. He had begun to discover that
his divinity was not all divine.
"More money, VictOriaw he repeated,
with scarcely parceptible knitting of
the brows. care you not getting un-
reasonable? ? Do not keep you literally
supplied with all the money that have
to spare ?'
"But it's so mortifying to go shop
ping with Mrs. Hyde and Mrs. Ben
nington and have to stand by while
they are purchasing the sweetest things
at such bargains"
"DOn't go shopping with them, then;
that's my advice"
'You would shut me up, then, from
all amusement and society ?n
"Nonsense, Victoria! You know
better than that! Here are your prettily
furnished house, your garden, your lit
tie conservatory, to amuse you"
"pm tired of them ALL" said the
pretty bride. "One cannot he contented
with the same thing forever"
"If you wanted perpetual change, a
continual whirl of excitement, you
should have married a rich man."
"DOn't be cross, john" said Victoria,
coaxingly. "But you know all our
neighbors about here are tOlerably well
of, and 1 don't want to be left behind.
shall be mortified to death if 1 can't
have a croquet party in July"
81 have no especial objection to that"
said her husband. "I suppose it need
not necessarily Ue expensive ?''
mot so very" said Victoria. "Of
course, we must have band, and the
sweets and ice from the eonfectioner's." :"
"Wouldn't your piano, and a lit
tie homemade cake and ice cream,
do?n
"What nonsense, John! Do you sup
pose 1 could ask our stylish neighbors
to such a twO-penny sort of affair as
that ?"
"They would know it was as good as
we could afford"
"And need lace parasol terribly.
And oh! John, had forgotten about
I ooxrJc F,a-ao1nraI
i'I hope for goodness sake, she don't
want you to buy them"
mo, of course not. But she says /
may use them while she's at Scarbor-
ough. Isn't it kind of her ?"
81 dare say it's very kind" said John
Hale, ruefully, "but do you chance to
know how much a pair of ponies costs
in the keeping-tO say nothing of the
expense of the groom ?'
"Oh, if you're going to stoOp to such
petty considerations as that
"Well, well, use them if you like. I
dare say we shall manage somehow"
"And the croquet party? Only thirty
or forty people-just to pay our social
debts. It's so shabby to be behind
hand in such things"
eff you will be as economical as you
can about it-n
Anu tue JdidSOl Anu bilG summer
silk that is such a bargain at Peter
Robinson's-"
"Yes, yes, yes! Only remember, Vic,
that there is limit to our funds"
Mrs. Hale was satisfied with the
grudging assent so reluctantly screwed
out of her husband.
She gave the crOquet party, and had
the satisfaction of hearing on all sides
that it was the most elegantly gotten up
little affair of the season in Holloway
Road. She whirled down to the parks,
and along the Bayswater Road, with
the cream-col0red ponies. She bought
the lavender silk, with a dove" of a
lace shawl to wear with it; paid Madame
Fringe Furbelow four guineas to make
it up, and had it ruined by a glass of
lemonade the first time she ever wore
it. She accepted an invitation to visit
Yarmouth with party of gay friends,
and cried all night before she could in
duce her husband to consent
"Vic, you don't understand" said
John, with careworn look on his brow
"We must study economy, or we shall
go to rGin!''
"EconomyW sharply ret0rted Victo-
ria; 81 am sick of the very Gord.n
Her husband turned silently away; it
was hard, just when he had most need
of sympathy, counsel, aud advice, thus
to be repulsed.
=
''They tell me,u said Mr.. Hardie. the
senior member of the firm of Hardie,
Blocke & Co., tthat Hale's wife dresses
the most elegantly of any one at Var
mouth this season."
"What, Hale, who keeps Denny's
books Young Hale ?"
'fYesp'
''rhe deuce she does! How can be af-
ford it?n
'Ab,n said old Hardie, taking snuff,
that's different matter. / don't
know how he affords it. II 1 were
Denny, should keep an eye to things"
They've had some serious lessons al