The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-08-25

so, she must be, or Sne WOULDN'T be talk
ing on the balcony in the night with a man.
/ couldn't be sure it was he, for haven't
heard his voice much. Though, now think
of it," the gossip went on, eagerly, as new
idea seized her, she asked me to present
him to YOU. I'll do it now, and that will
rive me chance to hear him sneak
while remember the sounds of last night. %
"But-" began Margret.
80. YOU needn't mind" Miss Spart inter-
rupted. ''He must be respectable, for he's
a friend of the Horace Grays."
And away swept the excited little
woman, shortly to return with Mr.. Fare
"Mr. Farebridge, Mrs. Merryweather. -
and before Margret had time to recover her
self she was sitting there talking to Phil as
if they were the veriest strangers. 1t was
too slpremely ridiculous; yet there sat
little Miss Spart, shrewd, alert, eager for a
morsel of scandal as is the early bird for
the proverbial worm, and Margaret was far
too plucky to yield herself to the tongue of
any woman.
She scarcely followed the earlier portions
of the conversation, with its usual com
monplaces, which needed no very close at
tention. But all her energies were aroused
when her husband threw down the gauntlet
by saying: ut is strange, Mrs. Merry
weather, that | never heard the Grays men
ton your name. Horace Gray was nv
chum at Harvard, and l have known him
all my life"
"Indeed !" Margret returned ,coolly, rails
ing her eyes to meet his and ignoring the
main point of his remark. 81 should have
said that Mr.. Gray's Harvard chum was
Mr.. Sweetser. certainly have met such a
man at the Grays'."
"There was a Sweetser in our clasp re-
torted Phil. Capital fellow; the girls all
used TO rave over him.
at can't be the one l mean, then, "said
she severely. ''No girl could POSSIBLY fSVe
over him."
A stony silence succeeded, broken by an
inquiry from Miss Spart upon the length
of time Mr.. Farebridge remained at Nag
nolia.
''That depends" he answered carelesly.
"There is nothing in particular to dtain
me here"
"NoN Mrs. Merryweather said, VIII I'M
necessarily sarcastic sweetness; "thn why
do you remainw
"Inertia."
"The most useless thing in the INVERSE"
Marget observed, endeavoring cover
the string of the words by SUDDEN graci-
BUSINESS of manner, sis an idle nm"
"Come, come," Miss Spart iperrupted,
briskly; "that is far too persnal, Mrs
Merryweather. Pm sure an ida man is no
worse than an idle woman; an. he is still
man, you know"
"And therefore necessarily good for
something" laughed Phil.
"No-therefore not expectd to be good
for anything" retorted his wife.
"Good !" he said. ''Now We shall get on.
As long as we can confine olrselves to gen
eral abuse of the sexes, Mrs Merryweather,
we are safe. 1t is individual application
that is dangerous"
so, that is no NATTER" sle returned, eff
it isn't personal. For instance, if l said
that a man who put both himself and his
wife into ridiculous position should have
wit and skill enough to find way out of
it, that would still be a remark of general
Certainly; and if 1 answered that under
those circumstances some women would be
so stubborn or so stupid that noteve Solo
mon could get them out OF the simplest fix,
that, too, would be only a moral that runs
at large"
81 am neither stubborn nor stupid" poor
Margie burst out, tears starting into her
eyes.
''My dear Mrs. Merryweather," ex-
claimed Miss Spart, whose presence alone
prevented the conclusion of the whole mis-
at that moment, ''of course
Mr.. Farebridge meant nothing of the sort.
How could you think so?"
sit is said to be feminine trait to make
a personal application" Phil said. 81 was
only speaking of the wife of the man in the
hypothesis"
"We women are easily hurt" Margret
said, in low voice, rising and moving
away.
She was wounded and miserable. IN
imagining the comedy which she and her
husband were to play she had fancied
sort of stage courtShip, a little high-flown
and unreal from the consciousness on the
part of the actors that they were merely
playing. A light, half-mocking gallantry
was what she had expected, or at least so
she had told herself, although in truth with
a woman's sentiment she had also expected
the ring of genuine love, too. Tears were
i'll her eyes as she now sought a seat in a
retired part of the piazza, and it was with
difficulty that she refrained from breaking
down altogether.
A step she knew approached quickly
'Margie," her husband said, coming up
to her, chow long"
Miss Spart's appearance cut the question
short.
why, here you are!" she cried, volubly.
What made you run away? Have you
discovered, Mr.. Farebridge?"
NO" he replied, "but | hope to, for Mrs.
Merryweather has been kind enough to
promise to drive with me this afternoon.
| will have the carriage at the door about
three, II that suits your convenience"
And before either lady couldutter word
OF comment or suggestion, he had lifted his
hat and withdrawn.