The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-07-11

street of the village, and Hattie, with ros
pinned in her hair, sat at the table, smiling
a sweet welcome. Mr.. Mayfield glanced a
the board
Poultry, ell ?" said he. a.
"Stuffed duck and olives" said Hattie
Sand dish of scalloped oysters. l hop
you'll like them, for made them myself"
my DEAR" said Mr.. Mayfield, isn't thi
rather elaborate for family of three?" '.
"TlIree don't want to be starved to dealt
more than thirteen" said Hattie. I......l l..
| MY Maria never had any poultry eXcep
on Sundays" said Colonel Hopkins. "Ou
table nowadays is dreadfully extravagant J.
Look ut these olives And see the plum
tarts! tell you what, Maurice, there ha
got to be reform, or we shall all be in TIL,
poor house"
"Oh, by. theby," said Mrs Mayfeld, ig
nOring the remarks OF her husbands father
inlaw, "have you heard anything about thu
surprise party at the rectory ?"
YES" said Mr.. Mayfeld, coldly. "But
declined to have anything to do with it"
"Did you n cried Hattie, with rising color
IL am sorry to hear that, because l am go
ing there"
II think not, Harriet p
~ told you so" said the Colonel in an a,i.
lible aside ......
"But | am" said Hattie The Rector,
wife is my dearest friend am the one who
proposed the whole affair, and intend tc
CO." s, 90 j.lu.u .4.ts...
Not with my permission" said Maurice
| "Without it then" said Hattie.
| "Harriet" said Colonel Hopkins, sepulch
| rally-"Harriet! recolect yourselfp
Maurice" said the young wife, with a
culver in her voice, may not go?" DID,.
tend that my wife shall be a village CAD.
II will gor' cried Hattie, excitedly.
"We shall see about that" said Mayfeld.
"My Maria would never have rebelIed in
| this way against her husbands authority
croaked Colonel Hopkins, shaking his head
| to and fro. q. g.. ..I ......... I.....l
Hattie was resolute. Mr.. Mayfield, in his
way, was equally obstinate and when she
dressed herself TO go to the surprise party
and found the door locked on her, she quietly
opened the window, made an impromptu
ladder of the wstaria vine, and tripped away
across the meadows
There p said She "Pll stay in no house
where am not the mistress. Well see how
Maurice and the old Colonel will get along
together-cspecially since they dismissed the
hired girl because My Maria always did her
own homework 7"
For Hatties spirit was reused at last.
"Snce Harriet has chosen to leave us in
this way" said Mr.. Mayfcld, sternly, she
may remain away until she returns in prop
er spirit of humanity and repentance"
very right, very right" said Colonel
Hopkins. my Maria would never have
dreamed of setting marital authority at def
ance in this manner"
AS for Hattie she went cheerfulIy to visit
her old aunts.
81 will not go back until l can go back on
my own terms" said she Affairs had to
come to a crisis sooner or later, and perhaps
it is just as well that cloped on the night of
the surprise party"
The garrison held bravely ont for three
days. AT the end of that time Colonel Hop
kns fell sick with rheumatic fever.
81 wish Harriet were here" he moancd.-
"Nobody has ever nursed me SO we'll rs Har-
riet did when / had that carbuncle on my
neck"
The inefficient "help" who had been in.
stalled in the kitchen departed with most of
the family silver; two of Mr.. Mayfleld's col
lege chums came to visit him without notice.
"Go after Harriet" said the poor old Colo
mel, who was twisting and grooming among
his pillows.
"Shc will not return, fear" said Maurice,
despondently, unless we stipulate to let her
do as she pleases for the future"
"Stipulate anything" groaned Colonel
Hopkins. "Tel her | won't NEEDLE any
more. Say you've seen the folly of your
ways. Oh, dearl oh, dear why did we per-
sist in tormenting her? can see it all now,
poor child Wcare completely in the wrong,
you and l. We were pair of tyrantsp
81 am afraid we were," said Maurice
"But, in asking her to return, we shall be Sc.
riously compromising our dignity, shall we
nOt?" '..
Dignity be hangedp' said the Colonel, as
particularly sharp pang searched through his
bones. Harriet is the sunshine of the house
We can't get along without her. We must
have her back again"
Mr.. Mayfleld went to his wife, Hattie ran
to meet him with smile and outstretched
hands.
"Hattie," said he, we want you to come
home again"
"And want to come" said Hattie, eff"
ooh" precipilately interrupted Mr.. May
field, at will be all right. We have made u
mistake, the Colonel and l. But it shall not
happen again"
"You don't think did wrong, Maurice"
said Hattie wistfuly. t.. u. .U.- rs.
"No," said Maurice, II think you did per-
fectly right"
And this ended Mrs. Mayfield's rebellion
She had won her freedom, and that was all
she wanted. ttHINla, aI. p