The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-01-10

rather too many, and as Mrs. Mowbray
may not want to meet all sorts of people
and as''-
"Stop, my dear" said 1 with sigh
for | saw that my favorites were not t.
be invited, you have given good reason.
enough. It is a great pity. Though
And l sighed again-a sigh eloquent o
| passive resignation.
My wife heard my sighs, and her ten
der heart was touched, She paused s
moment in embarrassment, and perhaps
even resolved the idea of yielding to my
wishes; but in the end she raised her.
! self on her elbow, and said:
"NIr. Jones, do listen to reason. You
don't know how foolish you make your.
self about those Howell girls. They've
been unfortunate, to be sure, and t. eyre
very passable, indeed; but there's 8
prejudice, you are aware, against girls
who stand in stores; and who knows but
Mrs. Mowbray would take offence at my
inviting such persons to meet her.
shouldn't like to do it, indeed without
first asking her; and 1 can't do that this
time. She is very particular, and SO ex-
cessively highbred.'
Then l don't think she'd regard you
the less, my dear" ventured to say,
for being acquainted with two such ex-
cellent girls as Patty and Lizzy Howell.
Mr.. Jones, don't be a child" replied
my wife, finging herself to the other
side of the bed. At your age you
should know something of the world.
Exclusive people, like Mrs. Mowbray,
don't care to meet nobOdies. She was
very choice, as you saw, whom she ad-
mitted to her acquaintance this summer;
/ 10 Ho l.,
one, of all she met, whom she recognizes
now.
To have protracted the conversation
would have excited my wife's nerves and
deprived her of sleep, so said no more,
but closed my eyes and courted slumber
anew. / have no recollection of any
thing after that till / woke up next
morning, and leaving Mrs. Jones abed,
as usual, went down to see that the fires
were all right, and to do the marketing
while breakfast was being preparet.
The invations to the party were issued
that week, Mrs. Mowbray graciously
promising to attend.
When the important evening arrived
my wife was all nerves. At every ring
of the bell the color rose to her face with
expectation, but guest after guest en-
lG1bu mlILOob ME uuOUO
Her nervousness soon began to change to
anxiety, and this, as the hours wore on,
to disappointment and dismay. She de
Iayed the supper for a full hour, thinking
that her new friend might yet arrive, but
in vain.
"What can the matter be ?" she said
to me, as soon as we were alone. az
| hope the dear babe is well. Perhaps
however, Mrs. Mowbray is herself sick
Dear me, / am afraid l shall not sleeI
for anxiety. The first thing I'll do TO
morrow will be to call on Mrs. Mowbray
and see what is the matter"
| Wouldn't that be against etiquette
| / ventured to ask. " 1t seems to me tina
Mrs. MowbEay should send you note o.
message, or something of that sort, tI
| apologize for her absence"
| Mrs. Jones did not reply in words, but
she gave me a look. And such a look
It expressed all the Indignation which
| her outraged bosom felt at having the
slightest suspicion cast upon her friend
When l came home to dinner that day
| saw at glance that something hsd &C
Cured to ruffie my wife's nerves. She
! had nothing whatever to say to me, bui
she scolded the servants and children in
cessantlv. ] was too wise to inquire
what was wrong. / knew that Mrs
Jones, if she thought proper, would tel
me; and, if not, that idle questions would
only aggravate her secret trouble.
But, the next day, having heard some,
thing that cast light on Mrs. Mowbray's
absence from our party, could not con.
tain myself when / came home.
"Did you ever hear, my love" said /,
as l began TO carve the turkey, " that
the Misses Howell had married sister,?
Mrs. Jones looked sharply up, as if she
suspected meant more than | said, and
then answered, lacoDically:
81 heard it casually, but never asked
further"
at seems" | continued, that Mrs.
Mowbray is that sister.
I've heard so SINCE" said Mrs. Jones,
sharply; and turning TO our second
child, who was asking tor the wingbone,
raped him over the head; exclaimiDg,
helped? Take that, now, and learn
manners"
] allowed a minute or more to elapse,
| in order that my wife's hullitiOn might
subside, when | remarked:
"Mrs. Mowbray, it seems expected to
meet her sisters here"
"I shouldn't wonder il she did, y
snappishly said Mrs. Jones, looking down
into her plate, and apparently absorbed
in parting a wing joint.
"When she found, continued, "thai
her sisters were not asked, she grew in
| dipnant. She heard the reason, it seems
Your friend, Mrs. Wharton, whom yoU
have made confidante, told some lady
| who told her, and hence her anger"
| " I'm sure / don't care if | never se'
the proud thing again," said my wife
rtddening very much, but still wIthOu
| looking up. Zone would not have sup
posed that she was a sister to the Missei
| Howell"
After another pause passed | said:
g Did you call on Mrs. Mowbray, a
you intended 2"
Mrs. Jones was silent for a full minute
and seemed halt disposed to decline an
swering altogether; but finally she blurt
ed out her reply as follows:
AZ Yes, / did, since you must know
She was not at home-so, at least thu
footman said, but if / didn't see her a
the drawing-room window" and her
she burst into tears of modification aBC
rage, may l never eat another mouth
full"
| saw that it would not do to continu
the conversation so / quietly ate m,
dinner. kissed the children, end wen
my way.
OF course the intimacy of my wifi
with Mrs. Mowbray ceased from tha
fatal PARTY; ard I am sorry to say tha
the Miss Howell have, as the phrss
goes, "cut our acquaintance"