The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-08-23

"And it isn't my second best gown,
either"
"1t's almost too good towear around
the house every day." said Colonel
Hopkins, scrutinizing the folds of black
silk through his eye-glass. "My Maria
only wore silk on Sunday. 1 hope
you will endeavor to avoid the pitfall of
extravaganza. My son-in-law's in
come will hardly suffice to keep you in
silk gowns every day."
Hattie Mayfeld scarcely knew wheth,
er to laugh or cry when she had safely
escaped from the presence of this ter
rible old Cerberus Here, then, was
the secret of her troubles. Little petty
annoyances, such as she could not relate
to the good old aunties nor yet to the
nearest neighbors, but which, neverthe-
less, stung her sometimes into absolute
madness. Colonel Hopkins was prying
and dictatorial, Maurice Mayfeld was
despotic and stern-Hattie, who always
nau rer own way as iiru~I.-s.s-----5-
yellow butterfly which scared through
the sunshine, found the chafing of
these invisible chains something almost
unendurable!
Dinner was ready when Mr.. Mayfield
returned from his office in the main
street of the village, and Hattie, with
rose pinned in her hair, sat at the ta-
Bile, smiling a sweet welcome. Mr..
Mayfeld glanced at the board.
"Poultry, eh?" said he.
"Stuffed duck and Olives" said Hat
tie. "And a dish of scalloped oysters.
I hope you'll like them Maurice, for
made them myself.
"My DEAR" said Mr.. Mayield, "is
not this rather elaborate for a family of
three?"
"Three don't want to be starved
to death more than thirteen" said
Hattie.
"My Maria never had any poultry
except on Sundays" said Colonel Hop
kins. "Our table nowadays is dreadful
ly extravaganza Look at these olives
And see the plum tarts tell you what,
Maurice, there has got to be reform,
or we shall be in the poor house"
"Oh, by the by" said Mrs. Mayfeld.
ignoring the remarks of her husbands
father-in-law, "have you heard anything
about the surprise party at the Rectory?"
eyes," said Mr.. Mayfield coldly.
"But I declined to have any thing to
do with it.
"Did your" cried Hattie, with rising
color. 81 am sorry to hear that, be-
cause am going there
81 think not, Harriet"
"I told you so," said the Colonel in
an audible aside.
''But l am," said Hattie. "The rec
tors wife is my dearest friend. l am
the one who proposed the whole affair."
and I intend to CO."
"Not with my permission" said Mau
rice.
"Without it then," said Hattie.
"Harriet! % said Colonel Hopkins
sepulchurally--" "Harriet !recollecty your
"Maurice," said the young wife, witt
a quiver in her voice, ''may l not go?'
"No" said Mayfeld, sternely; "Id'
not intend that my wife shall be vii
lage gad-about !''
''I will gol" cried Hattie, excitedly
awe shall see about that" said May
field.
"My Maria would never have rebelleC
in this way against her husbands au
thority," croaked Colonel Hopkins
shaking his head slowly to and fro.
Hattie was resolute. Mr.. Mayfeld
in his way, was equally obstinate; anc
when she dressed herself to go to the
surprise party and found the door lock
ed on her, she quietly opened the win
dow, made an impromptu ladder of the
wisteria vine and tripped away across the
meadows.
"There!" said she, "I'll stay in nc
house where l am not mistress. Well
see how Maurice and the old Colonel
will getalong together-especially since
they dismissed the hired girl because
my Maria always did her own house
work ="
For Hattie's spirit was reused at last.
"Since Harriet has chosen to leave
us in this way" said Mr.. Mayfeld,
sternly, she may remain away until she
returns in proper spirit of humility
and repentance.
every right, very right" said Col.
Hopkins. s'My Maria would never
have dreamed of setting martial authori-
ty at defiance in this manner"
AS for Hattie she went cheerfully to
visit her old aunts.
81 will not go back until l can go
back on my own terms" said she. "Af-
fairs had to come to a crisis sooner or
later, and perhaps it is just as well that
l eloped on the night of the surprise
party"
The garrison held bravely out for three
days. At the end of that time Colonel
Hopkins fell sick with arheumatic fever.
''I wish Harriet was here" he moan
ed. "Nobody has ever nursed me so
we'll as Harriet did when l had that
carbuncle on my neck"
The inefficient "help" who had
been installed in the kitchen departed
with most of the family silver; two of
Mr.. Mayfeld's college chums came to
visit him without notice, and Maurice
knew not which way to turn.
"Go after Harriet" said the poor old
Colonel, who was twisting and groan-
ing among his pillows.
"She will not return, l fear" said
Maurice, despondently, "unless we stip-
ulate to let her do as she pleases for the
future" ("
"Stipulate anytbing!" groaned Col.
Hopkins. "Tell her l won't meddle
any more. Say you've seen the folly
of your ways. Oh, dear oh, dear |!
why did we persist in tormenting her
l can see it now, poor child We were
pair of tyrants!"
81 am afraid we were," said Maurice.
"But in asking her to return, we shall
be seriously compromising our dignity,
shall VIC not p