The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-06-20
"Whewl" whistled he; "if this isn't
really absurd. So. she's iealousl"

Y
really absurd. So. she's jealous!"
Indeed, no. dear Bobl But-but"
she could hardly speak for the chok-
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 mortifies her to be neg
lected by him, and have other women
consider themselves her rivals-hke Is
abel Baden"
Mr.. Bob Palmer laughed outright,
and then he grew angry.
you're an absurd little fool, Nellie"
he said. Gas if Isabel Baden were any
thing to me beyond q pleasant and
agreeable young woman to amuse ones
self with at party. Nonsense!"
"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 hatters herself
that she has cut me out, and is trying to
let people see it."
Fiddlesticks! said Bob, rising i'm
patiently from the lounge. "I'm aston
ished at you, Nellie, and had really given
you credit for more sense as well as
temper" he added, severely. II 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 apron strings; and I'd much
rather see you flirting little yourself
than skulking away in holes and cor
ners, like 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. 1 declare"
Mr.. Palmer took his hat and walked
out of the room with an air of mingled
dignity and injured innocence. His
wife sat up, wiped away her tears, and
unused awhile, with eyes flashing and
cheeks flushed with wounded and in
dignant feeling.
eyes," she said to herself, since he
has requested it, I will amuse myself
as he Does and see how he likes it |!
Ashamed of me, is he! And he did not
happy. Oh, Bob, if you only knew how
loved you'll"
And once more, despite her resolute-
ly closing her eyes and pressing her
fingers upon them, the tears would
come.
There was to be, that very evening, a
party at Col. Johnston's, and Nellie
took particular pains in dressing her
self for it. She had beon, of late,
rather careless on this point, and was
now rewarded for her extra care by her
husbands glance of approval and his
remark that the pink silk was becoming
to her. In consequence, her eyes and
cheeks were brighter, and her spirits
more buoyant, as she entered Mrs.
Johnston's crowded drawing-rooms
Scarcely had they paid their respects to
the hostess, when Mr.. Palmer accosted,
or, rather, was accosted, by Miss Baden,
a brilliant, confident girl, who tried to
ensnare him before his marriage; and,
at the same moment, a gentleman ad-
dressed Mrs. Palmer. She answered
mechanically, unable to withdraw her
attention from her husband and his
companion, until, seeing something in
Miss Baden's glance at herself which
she did not like, her pride again awoke,
and she turned, as with a sudden de-
termination, to the gentleman at her
side. He was recent conner to the
town-very pleasant and handsome
and Nellie Palmer forthwith began to
try and make herself agreeable to him.
He looked so pleased, and was himself
SO agreeable, that it soon cost ler no
effort to converse; and then her old
lively spirits returned and, to her sur
prise, she found that she was enjoying
herself. Her husband didn't much
notice this, but Miss Baden did and
her Irritation with Mr.. Palmer lost
much of it's charm, now that his wife
did not appear mortified and jealous,
and that people couldn't see that she
was So. Wherefore Miss Baden grew
Indifferent, and Mr.. Palmer bethought
himself to look after his wife. Not
finding her looking over the photograph
albums, nor talking to deaf old Mr..
Brown, neither in any of the "holes and
corners" which she was wont of late to
frequent, he became rather puzzled.
"She's got in the dumps again, sup
pose," was his thought, "and is trying
to disguise it under pretense of being
i'll. Dare say shall find her crying or
fainting away in the conservatory, with
fans and smelling. bottles round her--or
perhaps she's gone home"
At that instant little laugh at his
elbow startled him, and, turning, he
saw Nellie, bright and flushed, talking
tn a very handsome man, who appeared
quite absorbed in her. Mr.. Palmer
stared a moment at the unconscious
couple.
"Why, the deuce!" was his thought;
what on earth can they have been talk
ing about all this while?" Then sud-
denly meeting his wifes eye, he smiled,
and whispered, Enjoying yourself,
Nell?"
ooh, yes, dear, delightfully."-! Don't
trouble yourself about Re, pray"
He passed on, but didn't go far, and,
as he stood whispering soft nothings to
sentimental Kate Marshall, his eyes
occasionally wandered to his wife. How
pretty she was looking and how gay she
was, and how coquettishly she was ex-
changing light repartee with that flirt-
ing fellow, Tom Harrison. And all the
while the handsome stranger never left
her side. 1t was perfectly evident that
he admired her.