Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-10-16

and looking very unhappy. And yet
she had been married only Qix months !;
and to such nice, ham deome man." as
all the young ladies declared, that surely
she ought to have been happy with
him. And so she had been, until-un-
til, to tell the truth, Mi. Bob Palmer,
forgetting, or seeming to forget, that he
was a married man, had recently taken
to flirting with these very young ladies',
at all the parties in Mid leton, leaving
his wife to take care Of herself Surely
it was enough to make ary six-months'
wife CRY especially one . sensitive as
Nellie.
Not that Mr.. Robert Palmer loved
his little wife bit less than on the day
of his marriage neither that Nellie
suspected him of it, or for moment
doubted his morals, any more than she
did his constancy. But Mr.. Palmer
was gay young man, and loved to
amuse himself and to be amused. He
liked the society of pretty and lively
women, both married and single; and,
in word, he liked to firt, and saw no
harm in it. So, while he hung over the
yOo1S 4oSA1Oc Oll1A1 anu pay
ing gay complim ents, or promenading
would be looking over, a photograph
album, or conversing solemnly with
some old gentleman, or noticing some
shy and awkward child, while pretend
ing to be unconscious Of her husbands
proceedings. Not that she was scom-
PEELED to enjoy herself in this solemn
way-she, usually SO bright, and pretty,
and agreeable-but she had no heart
for anything else now. Of late, all her
iveliness and chattiness had left her,
and she answered absently and smiled
istlessly, and, if compelled to dance or
sing, did SO out of time and out of
tune, to her husbands great yexation.
It is thus that many young wife set
ties down into dull and faded old
woman, while her husband grows hand
somer and heartier, and wonders what
on earth could have SO changed her.
Halo been crying again, I declare !"
exclaimed Mr.. Bob Palmer, suddenly
ceasing his little whistle, as he entered
the room, on returning from his Office.
What's the matter nov, Nellie? Ca
nary refused to sing, or Madame Wig
Iini not put flowers enough In your
bonnet?"
3Oh, Bobl how can your" sobbed
Nellie, beginning afresh. =
aLook here, Ellen said her husband,
sitting down On the lounge, and speak
ing more seriously Il don't like this at
all. / never come home that your eyes
are not red and swollen with crying.
What have you to cry about, I should
like to know? It's an insult to me to
go sniyeling about the house in this
fashion, and mop.ng away in corners,
looking sullen and miserable, as you did
Last night, at Mackhn's. Why, people
will think me perfect domestic ty-
rantln -
3Ah, Bob, don't speak SCI I can't
help it, indeed. / do feel SC miserable.
You make me SO, Bob"
"It Well, that is richl Perhaps
you will be good enough to let me know
of what enormity I've been guilty, that
has turned you into a modern Niobe?nf
Nothing really wrong, dear; but, oil
if you knew how Dluch wife thinks of
her husbands love. and"
Here poor Nellie broke down again.
Mr.. Palmer's eyes opened very wide.
"Whewl" whistled he; eff this isn't
really absurd. So, she's jealous! % ~ =
Indeed, no, dear Bobl But-&but"
she could hardly speak for the chek-
ing in her throat you can't UNDER
stand the pride woman takes in hav-
ing her husband treat her with affection
and respect before every one, or how it
humbles and mortifes her to be neg
lected by him, and have other women
consider themselves her rivals-like Is
abel Baden"
Mr.. Bob Palmer laughed outright,
and then he grew angry. hsg aaa asw
you're an absurd little fool, Nellie,n
he said. "As if Isabel Baden were any
thing to me beyond pleasant and
agreeable young woman to amuse ones
self with at party. Nonsensel"
"She don't think SO, said Nellie:
and-and the others don't think SO.
They all think you are getting tired of
your wife, and Isabel fatters herself
that she has cut me out, and is trying to
let people seeit." TIT
Fiddlesticksl said Bob, rising i'm
patiently from the lounge. "I'm aston
ished at tyou, Nellie, and hadreaHy given
you credit for more sense las well as
temper" he added, severely. "I wish
you'd amuse yourself in society as do,
instead of going moping about in this
fashion. You can't expect to have me
tied to your strings and I'd much
rather see you flirting little yourself
than skulking away in holes and cor
ners, ike a spider, watching your but
terfy of husband to see if you can't
detect him in doing wrong. You make
me quite ashamed of you. I declare"
Mr.. Palmer took his hat and walked
ont of the room with an air of mingled
dignity and injured innocence. His
wife sat up, wiped away her tears, and
mused awhile, with eyes flashing and
cheeks flushed with wounded and in
dignant feeling. 5aiFsiT sfseTHA
"Yes," she said to herself, "a,since he
has requested it, I will amuse myself
as he does and see how he likes it'll
Ashamed of me, is he? And he did not
use to be so when I was gay and
happy. Oh, Bob, if you only knew how
I loved you'll"
And once more. despite her resolute-
ly closing her eyes and pressing her
fingers upon them, the tears would