Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-10-20

thin, he felt sure not a decent meal haG
he eaten for three days.
"This woman will be the death of me AS
sure as fate!" he said to himself, gazing at
the food placed before him.
Here was the rich, juicy steak that he
himself selected and sent fran the mar
ket. after all his Instructions as to how it
be broled, shockingly overdone-in fact.
almost burned to crisp,hi wife, meantime
partaking of it with great relish.
Nv hat taste this woman must have =
he said to himself.
II have made you an extra cup of tea, to.
day. 'said the lady opposite, handing him
the cup with his dessert.
Hitherto Mr.. Flint had been very par
ticular in regard to his cup of tea at des-
sert, insisting that it should be brought to
the table both strong and hot. Had the
tea been prepared to his taste. 1t would
have soothed somewhat the riotous emo
tions Within. on the contrary, it was mis-
erably weak. quite lukewarm and brack-
ish. He took one sip at the tea and then set
the cup down forcibly on the table, his face
expressing his disgust.
Madam glanced up at him from under her
long eyelashes, slipping from her cup indus
triously, that her facial muscles might not
betray the amusement she felt.
II knew you would think the tea excel
lent, " she said.
Thio mo too vouoh u;c ro ro n nj d;orr 81
fairly boiled over.
"Tea madam, tea!'' he roared. '.You call
such abominable stuff tea, do you? Excel
lent, is it2 Excellentl''
"It is excellent, !" said madam sweetly ia
king him at his word and ignoring the ex-
clamation points entirely. 'Mama taught
me to make tea when-''
Major Flint had stood fire for three
whole days, but flesh and blood could en-
dure it no longer. Not waiting to hear
more. he bounded to his feet and rushed
into the hall. Here he seized his hat in
bsth hands, damned it down over his eyes
and started for the street. Then as if for
getful of something, he retraced his steps,
and. thrusting his head in at the open door.
he shouted
''Can you tell me where Mrs. Burns went
when she left here?''
II Think said madam, deliberately.
''if my memory serves me rightly, [
heard her speak of stopping with her lit
tie girl at Mrs. Marshes till she secured a
situation.''
The Major departed.
II thought the tea would finish him."
said Mrs. Flint, amusedly, watching from
the window her husbands retreating fig
ure, the click of his boot-heels ringing like
bell as he brought his feet down vigo-
rously on the pavement, the small boys
cycling him askance and fastening out OF
his way, wondering if he was racing for a
wager.
1t is, perhaps, needless to say that before
evening closed. Mrs. Burns was again in
stalled at the Flint mansion.
ut is useless" said the Major, mourn
fully, that evening, in the solitude of his
apartment; Il might as we'll attempt to
move the huge boulders on yonder noun
tain top as to contend with that woman
wife No. 2!'
And he never did. For whenever
his wife appealed to him in regard to the
children or the domestic arrangements,
he would answer in the meekest man
ner-''
my dear, do as you think best.''
And Mrs. Flint owed her success
to the fact that she never trenched upon
her husbands real prerogatives, but re-
respected them as she claimed respect for
her own.
And that is how she managed him.