Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-11-02

Hubert
Mr.. Stickney moved the three-leg
ged stool to the side of another COW
and commenced milking again, before
he replied
Didn't | mention to you, Florence
that these ladies lived with me p he in
quired. i know / didn't dwell on the
subject, he went on, but | must have
spoken of it,
Mention to me that these ladies liv.
ed with youn Mrs. Stickney repeated
oblivious to the rest of her husbands !
remark, hard look settling round the
pretty mouth. May 1 ask, Mr.. Stick
ney who these ladies are? | know
they are the Mazonsons,' she added,
in the same singular tone, but what
are they to you?'
They are the relatives of my first
wife, the gentleman replied, in a voice
that had the calmness of desperation
in it. Il must have taken for granted
that you knew, Florence Mrs. Ma
zonson was Mrs. Stickney's mother,
and Maria and Susan her sisters
And they have always lived here p
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 eve-
ning?'
We have no servants, Florence
And all the work Of your house is
performed by the Mazonsons
Yes
And who did it before the Mazon-
sons came p
Mrs. Stickney, my dear
For momeut there was silence in
the barn-yard. Then there was
rustic of retreating silk, a light step
going swiftly toward the house, and
thus the singular interview ended
This was very unpleasant commence
ment, Mr.. Stickney told himself, and
for awhile 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 a great deal to do in the
house, much more than Florence
could ever manage ifshe worked night
and day. At this point Mr. Stickney
really did have serious doubts as to
the wisdom of this second marriage of
his. For the first time he asked him.
self whether it would be right to i'm
pose the drudgery of farm work on
this young and delicately nurtured wo-
man. He had thought very little
about the domestic part of the pro-
gramme. He was accustomed to see
ing the women about him constantly
employed. and Florence knew she was
accepting farmer when she agreed
to marry him. Then, too, Mrs. Ma
zonson was exceedingly competent in
deed, no housekeeper could be more
so and Mr.. Stickney summed 1t all
up by assuring himself that Florence
could get along with the Mazonsons
easily enough if she only had mind
to think So
In the meantime Mrs Stickney had
locked herself in 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 decelv-
ed 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 ten
der and pitiful as she thought how ut
terly she had loved and trusted him,
ana how entirely she had believed in
his affection for herself no live with
these solemn and automatic Mazonsons
would be worse that keeping house in
tomb, with skeletons for company,
she sobbed She could not and would
not endure 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 unut-
terably 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
bis daughter She would go. No,
she would stay, and show the Mazon-
sons, and her husband, too, what kind
of stuff she was made Of
That evening Mr.. Stickney was de-
tanned below by callers. 1t was ten
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 tie MaZonsons,
and after little everything would go
smoothly enough Mr. Stickney would
not have been SO certain of this if he
had seen the tear-stained face and quiv-
ering lids. Ignorant of all this, and
in spite Of his ten years. experience as
husband, utterly ignorant of the
delicacy and constituencies of true
woman's nature, Mr.. Stickney went
calmly and comfortably to sleep.
The next morning, after waiting to
be called to breakfast, Mrs. Stickney,
in the daintiest Of muslin wrappers,
presented herself in the dining-room
Her husband had just finished his
early morning work, and now greeted
her with smile and kiss The
elder Mazonson looked exceedingly
flushed and nurricd, and Maria and
Susan Mazonson flew briskly round at
the bidding of their superior officer.
Il beg your pardon said Mrs. Stick
ney, in her calmest and coolest man.
ner. 4 thought breakfast was ready.
hope am not intruding.'
A smile played round the lips OF
Miss Susan, who, in spite of her dread
ful name, was not altogether so hide
Gus as Florence had thought at first