Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-01-16
TAKEN AT HIS WORD.
A Pleasant Love Story.

NolllC L d1Auc1 was 1y1uS Ou IAo lOuuSt
in her pretty bedroom, crying and look.
ing very unhappy. And yet she had
been married only SIX months; and tc
such ''n1ce, handsome man." as all the
young ladies declared, that surely she
ought to have been happy with him
And so she had been, until-until, to tell
the truth, Mr.. Bob Palmer, forgetting, o,
seeming to forget that he was married
man, had recently taken to flirting with
these very young ladies, at ali the parties
in Middleton, leaving his wife to take
care of herself. Surely it was enough to
make any six-months wife cry-especial.
ly one so sensitive as Nellie.
Not that Mr.. Robert Palmer loved bls
wife a lit less than on the day Of his
marriage-ne1ther that Nellie suspected
him of it, or Tor moment doubted his
morals, any more than she did his con :
stancy. But Mr.. Palmer was gay
young man, and loved to amusc himself
and to be amused. He liked the society
of women, both married and single; and
in a word, he liked to firt, and saw nc
harm in it. 81 while he hung over the
young ladies' chairs, laughing and pay
ing gay compliments, or promenadins
with the young married ladies, his wife
would be turning over a photograph al
bum, or conversing solemnly with some
old gentleman, or noticing some shy and
akward child, while pretending to be I'M
conscious of her husbands proceedings.
Not that she was compelled to enjoy her
self in this solemn way-she, usually 50
bright and pretty, and agreeable-but
she had no heart for anything else now.
Oflate, all her livelmess and chattiness
had left her, and she answered absently
and smiled listlessly, and, if compelled
to dance or sing, cid so out of time and
out of tune, to her husbands great vcx-
alton. It is thus that many a young
wife settles down into dull and faded
old woman, while her husband grows
handsomer and heartier, and wonders
what on earth could have so changed
her.
"Helio! been crying again, declare p
exclaimed Mr.. Bob Palmer, suddenly
ceasing his little whistle, as he entered
the room on returning from his Office.
"What's the matter now, Nellie? Cana
ry refused to sing, or Madame Viglin1
not put flowers enough on your bonnet?'
.'Oh, Bob! how can you? sobbed Mel
lie, beginning afresh.
''Look here, Ellcn,' said her husband,
sitting down on the lounge, and speak
ing more seriously;"I do not like this at
ALL I never come home that your eyes
are not red and swollen with crying.
What have you to cry about, ! should
like to know? 1t is an insult to me to
go sniveling around the house in this
fashion, and moping away in corners,
looking sullen and miserable, as you did
last nj ght at Macklin's. Why, people
will think me a perfect domestic tyrant."
"Ah, Bob, don speak so! l can'thelp
it, indeed I do feel so miserable. You
make me 50, Bob"
II! Well, that is rich Perhaps you
will be good enough to let me know of
what enormity I've been guilty, that has
turned you into modern Niobc2"
"Nothing really wrong, dear; but, OH
If you knew how much wife thinks of
her husbands love, and
Here poor Nellie broke down again.
Mr.. Palmer's eyes opened very wide.
sWhcw! whistled he; eff this isn't alb.
surd. So, she's jealous!'
. "Indeed, no, dear Bob! But--but"
she could hardly speak for the chok-
ingin her throat-"you can't understand
the pride woman takes in having her
husband treat her with affection and re-
spect before every one, or how it hum
bles and mortifes her to be neglected
by him, and have other women consider
themselvesl her rivals-llkeilsabelI Baden. y
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 a pleasant and agree
able young woman to amuse ones self
with at party. Nonsense!" =.
She don't think So" said Nellie; land
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 pco-
pie see it,
:. .Fiddlesticksln, said Bob, rising impa-
tiently from the lounge. II am astonlsh-
ed at you, Nellie, and had really given
YOU credit for more sense as well as tenn
per-" he added severely. u wish you'd
amuse yourself IN society as do. instead
of going moping about the house in this
fashion. You cannot expect to have me
tied to your apron strings; and I would
much rather see you flirting little your
self than skulking away IN holes and
corners like a spider, watching your
butterfly Of husband to see if you can't
detect him in doing wrong. You make
me quite ashamed of you, I declare"
Mr.. Palmer too6 his hat and walked
out Of the room with an a1r Of mingled
dignity and injured innocence. His wife
sat up, wiped away her tears, and unused
awhile, her eyes flashing and cheeks
flushed with wounded and indignant
feeling. go,
ssYes, 2 she said to herself, sssince he
has requested il, will amuse myself as
he does, and see how he likes it Asham-
ed Of me, is he7 And he did not use to
be SO, when / was gay and happy. Oh,
Bob, il you only knew how ! loved
youl