The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-04-26
Which Was Guilty.

!
Which Was Guilty.
| Il do think, John, you might let me
haye little more money!
Victoria Hale was sitting at the
breakfast. table, a pout upon her cher
ry lips, an ominous wrinkle between
her brows, She looked very pretty in
her morning dress of futed white
lawn, with breakfast cap of Swiss
muslin and rose. colored ribbons that
were peculiarly becoming to her olive
skin and large, velvet black eyes.
Her husband, slowly slipping his cof-
fee at the other side Of the table, was
quite as handsome aud distinguished
looking in his way. John Hale was
chief bOokkeeper and cashier in a
large firm in Wood Street, and
had scarcely been married three
months "a yet. Already, however, the
bloom and charm of welded life had
been dissipated i'm some degree. He
had begun to discover that his divini-
ty was not all divine.
More money, Victoria!' he repeat
ell, with scarcely preceptible knit
ting of the brows. Are you not get
ting unreasonable? DO l not keep
you literally supplied with all the
/ hot 7 has to
But it's SO mortifyiny to go shop
ping with Mrs. Hyde and Mrs. Ben.
mngton and haye 10 stand by while
they are purchasing the sweetest
things ut such bargains
Don't go shopping with them, then
that's my advice
'You would shut me up, then, from
all amusements and society?'
Nonsense. Victoria! You know
better than that! Here are your pret.
tily furnished house, your garden, your
little conservatory, to amuse you.'
I'm tired of them ALL said the pret-
ty bride. 'One cannot be contenteJ
with the same thing forever
If you wanted a perpetual change,
a continual whirl Of excitement, you
should have married rich man.
'Don't be cross, John, said Victoria,
coaxingly. But You know all our
neighbors about here are tolerably
well of, and don't want TO be left be-
hind. l shall be mortified to death il
can't have a croquet party in July
Il have no especial objection to that, :
said her husband. 4 suppose it nee
not necessarily be expensive?'
Not 80 very,' said Victoria. 'Of
course, we must have band, and the
sweets and ice from the confectioner's.
Wouldn't your piano, and a little
homemade cake and ice-cream, do?
'What nonsense! Do you suppose I
could ask our sty lish neighbors to such
a two-penny sort OF affair as that?'
'They would know it was as good az
we could afford
'And need lace parasol terribly.
And oh +! John, had forgotten about
Mrs. Lacy's cream-colored ponies.'
Il hope for goodness sake, she don't
want you to buy them.'
No, of course not. But she says
may use them while she's at Scarbor.
ough. Isn't it kind of her?'
Il dare say it's very kind said John
Hale, ruefully, but do you chance to
know how much 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 az that
'Well, well, use them If you like.
dare say we shall manage somehow
'And the croquet party? Only
thirty of forty people-just to pay our
social debts. It's so shabby to be be-
hind hand in such tbings.'
If you will be as economical as you
can about it,
And the parasol? And the sum.
mer silk that is such bargain atPeter
Robinson's-'
Yes, yes, yes! Only remember, Vic
that there is a limit of our funds
Mrs. Hale was satisfied with the
grudging assent so reluctantly screw.
ed out OF her husband.
She gave the croquct party, and had
the satisfaction of hearing on all sides
that il was the most elegantly gotten
up little affair of the season in HOllo.
way Road. she whirled down to the
parks. and along the Bayswater Road,
with the cream -colOred ponies. She
bought the lavender summer silk, with
a love' of lace shawl to wear with il
paid Madame Fringe Furbelow -four
guineas to make it up, and had it ruin
ed by q glass Of lemonade the frs
time she ever wore it. She accepted
an invitation to visit Yarmouth with
a party of gay friends, and cried al
night before she could induce her hus
band TO consent.
'Vic, YOU don't understand said
John, with a careworn look on hii
brow. We must study economy, o
we shall go to ruin'
Economy ! sharply retorted Victo
RIA Il am sick of the very word
Her husband turned silently away
it was hard, just when he had mos
need of sympathy. counsel, and advice
thus to be repulsed.
sThey tell me- said Mr.. uardie, tn