Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-10-06


| preceded it. In dilapidated straw hat,
patched coat, and blue overalls, she did
not at first recognize her husband; but
when she did, she clapped her hands
like child, and laughed as merry d
laugh as was ever heard on the Stickney
farm.
"Is that the way the people always
dress when they milk ?' she inquired,
touching the old coat caressingly with
her little white hands.
"One must dress according to ones
work on farm, Florence" Mr.. Stick
ney remarked, sententiously.
Something in her husbands words OF
manner must have recalled her late an
noyances, for the smile faded away from
her lips, and her eyes grew sad and
troubled. Hubert" she said, softly,
"who are those-those ladies at the
house?'
"Why, they are the Mazonsons,
Florence Mazonson and her two
daughters" the master of the grange
replied.
1t was very kind of you to ask Mrs.
Mazonson and her daughters to meet
me-" the young wife resumed, with a
touch of something in her tone that her
companion was not familiar with, "but
can't understand why they should
seem so very much at home, Hubert =
MIR. Stickney moved the three legged
stool to the side of another COW and
commenced milking again, before he
replied.
" Didn't I mention to you, Florence,
that these ladies lived with me?' he in
quired. "I know I didn't dwell on the
subject" he went on, +" but I must have
spoken of it."
Mention to me that these ladies
lived with you'll r. Mrs. Stickney re-
peated, oblivious to the rest of her hus-
bands remark, hard look settling
round the pretty mouth. "May ask,
Mr.. Stickney, who these ladies are ?
I know they are the MazoEsons," she
added, in the same singular tone, "but
what are they to you?"
They are relatives of my first wife, ("
the gentleman replied, in voice that
had the calmness of desperation in it
81 must have taken for granted that
you knew, Florence. Mrs. Mazonson
was Mrs. Stickney's mother, and Maria
and Susan her sisters"
"And they have always lived here ?"
For some time before and ever since
Mrs. Stickney died Mrs. Mazonson has
been my housekeeper, and the girls
have been her assistants"
Why was there no servant, Mr..
Stickney, to wait on the table this even
ing ?" was the lady's next question.
"We have no servants, Florence"
"And all the work of your house is
performed by the Mazonsons p
eyes"
"Who did it before the Mazonsons
came p
Mrs. Stickney, my dear"
For moment there was silence in
the barn-yard. Then there was a rustic
of retreating silk, a light step going
swiftly toward the house, and thus the
singular interview ended. This was a
very unpleasant commencement, Mr..
Stickney told himself, and for while
this gentleman's milking was purely
mechanical. From the bottom of his
heart he wished he and his wife could
be alone. On the other hand there was
great deal to do in the house, much
more than Florence could ever manage
if she worked night and day. At this
point Mr.. Stickney really did have seri-
GUS doubts as to the wisdom of this
second marriage of his. For the first
time he asked himself whether it would
be right to impose the d.udgery of
farm work on this young and delicately-
nurtured woman. He had thought
very little about the domestic part of
the programme. He was accustomed to
seeing the women about him constantly
occupied, and Florence knew she was
accepting farmer when she agreed to
marry him. Then, too, Mrs. Mazonson
was exceedingly competent; indeed, no
housekeeper could be more SO; and Mr..
Stickney summed it all up by assuring
himself that Florence could get along
with the Mazonsons easily enough if
she had only mind to think SO.
In the meantime Mrs. Stickney had
locked herself into her room, and with
clinched hands and flashing eyes was
recalling every moment of the time
since she first met the man she had
married. She had been grossly deceived
and imposed upon, and worst of all,
the deception and imposition had come
from the one who had promised to love,
honor and cherish her to the day of
her death. The drawn lips grew tender
and pitiful as she thought how utterly
she had loved and trusted him, and how
entirely she had believed in his affection
for herself. ssTo live with these solemn
and automatic Mazonsons would be
worse than keeping house in tomb,
With skeletons for company, she sobbed.
She could not and would not en-
dure It. No man had right to ask
such sacrifice from his wife. But she
hadn't been asked. She had been
cheated into her present position. She
would leave the house where she had
been and would continue to be unutter-
ably wretched, and go straight back to
her father. Little did he think that
the rich and honorable Hubert Stick
ney would heap such indignities upon
his daughter. She world 60. No, she
would stay, and show the Mazonsons,
and her husband too, what kind Of
stuff she was made of.
That evening Mr.. Stickney was de-
tanned below by callers. It was 10
o'clock before he was at liberty, and,
then, to his great delight, Florence was
fast asleep. The poor child had for
| gotten her troubles, and the morning
would show things In more promising
light. He would do everything he
could to make up for the Mazonsons,
and after q little everything would go