The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-05-13

s'Mr Jones, do listen to reason. You
don't know how foolish you make your
self about those Howell girls. They've
been unfortunate, to be sure; and they re
! very passable indeed; but there's. pref
udjce, against girls who stand in stores;
and who knows but what Mrs. Mowbray
would take offense at my inviting such
persons to meet her? shouldn't like to
do it indeed, without first asking her;
and I can't do that this time. She's
gsey geey particular and 50 excessively high
"Then don't think she'd regard you
the less, my dear," I ventured to say,
"for being acquainted with two such
excellent girls as Patty and Lizzie
| Howell"
'sMr. Jones, don't be a child, replied
| my wife, finging herself on the other
side of the bed. cat your age you
should know something of the world.
Exclusive people, like Mrs. Mowbray,
don't care to meet nobodies. She was
very choice, as you say, as to whom she
admitted to her acquaintance this sum-
mer; I may say, indeed, that am the
only one of all she met whom she recog-
niZes now"
To have protracted the conversation
would have excited my wife's nerves and
deprived her of sleep, so said no more,
but closed my eyes and courted slumber
anew. I have no recollection of any
| thing after that, till awoke the next
morning, and leaving Mrs. Jones abed
as usual, went down to see that the fires
were all right, and do the marketing
while the breakfast was being prepared.
The invitations to the party were
issued that week. Mrs. Mortimer Now
bray graciously promising to attend.
When the important evening arrived,
my wife was all nerves. At every ring
of the bell the color rose to her face with
expectation; but guest after guest en-
tered without Mrs. Mowbray appearing
Her nervousness soon began to change to
anxiety, and this, as the hours wore on,
to disappointment and dismay. She de-
layed the supper for full hour, think
ing that her new friend might yet ar
rive; but in vain.
"What can be the matter, wonder?"
| she said to me, as soon as we were alone.
81 hope the dear babe is well. Perhaps,
however, Mrs. Mowbray is herself sick.
Dear me- I am afraid shall not sleep
for anxiety. The first thing I'll do to-
morrow will be to call on Mrs. Mowbray
and see what is the matter"
'Wouldn't that be against etiquette?"
I ventured to ask. "It seems to me that
Mrs. Mowbray should send you a note
or message, or something OF that sort, at
least, to apologize for her absence"
Mrs. Jones did not reply in words,
but she gave me look. And such q
look It expressed all the indignation
which her outraged bosom felt at hav-
ing the slightest suspicion cast upon her
friend.
When I came home to dinner that day,
L saw at glance that something had oc-
CURED to ruffie my wife's nerves. She
had nothing whatever to say 10 me, but
she scolded the servants and children in
cessantly. I was too wise to inquire
what was wrong. I knew that Mrs.
Jones, if she thought proper, would tell
| me !; and if not, that idle questions would
only aggravate the secret troubles.
But the next day, having heard some
thing that cast light on Mrs. Mowbray's
| absence from our party, / could not con-
tain myself when I came home.
did you ever hear, my love-" said,
as began to carve the turkey at dinner,
''that the Misses Howell had married
| sister,"
Mrs. Jones looked sharply up, as if
- .
and then answered laconically.
81 heard it casually, but never asked
further
sit seems" I continued, 'sthat Mrs.
Mortimer Mowbray is that sister,"
81 have heard SO since. said Mrs.
Jones, sharply; and, turning to our Sec
ond child, who was asking for the wing
bone, she raped him over the head, ex-
claiming tartly: ''Haven't told you to
wait until You were helped9 Take that
now, and then learn manners"
allowed a minute and more to elapse,
in order that my wife's ebullition might
subside, when / remarked:
"Mrs. Mowbray, it seems, expected to
meet her here"
ST shouldn't wonder if she did, " snap
pishly said Mrs. Jones, looking down in
her plate, and apparently absorbed in
parting a wing-joint.
"When she found, I continued, 'sthat
her sisters were not asked, she grew in
dignant. She heard the reason, it seems.
Your friend Mrs. Wharton, whom you
had made con6dante, told some lady,
who told her, and hence her anger"
81 am sure don't care if don't see
the proud thing again" said my wife,
reddening very much, but still without
posed that she was a sister to the Misses
Howell
After another pause, said:
.'Did you call ON Mrs. Mowbray, as
you intended ?"
Mrs. Jones was silent for full min
ute, and seemed half disposed to decline
answering altogether, but finally she
blurted out her reply, as follows:
eyes, did, since you must know.
And she wasn't in. So, at least, the foot
man said; but if didn't see her at the
drawing-room window" and here she
broke into tears of modification and rage,
'smay never eat another mouthful."
I saw that it would not do to continue
the conversation; SO I quietly ate my
dinner, kissed the children, and, like the
Christian in '.The Pilgrims Progress,
went my way.
Of course the intimacy of my wife with
Mrs. Mowbray ceased from the date of
that fatal party; and, am sorry to say,
that the Misses Howell also have, as the
phrase goes, '.cut our acquaintance.
A CaenIng Cat.