The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1886-07-08
A WIFE'S GRIEVANCE.

rlsh, archly, standing on tlptoe to smooth
down her husbands noading scalp lock.
'It's too late to think of it-t0o late
altogether cried MIR Gcrrish, in haste,
rushing to his desk and scattering the
papers like Dakota blizzard. "Where's
my bank book? Seen it, Mabel2"
There, Warren; forgot to tell you.
I thought it would be safer behind the
clock,
"Safcr behind the fddlesticks," cogi-
tated the annoyed husband, as he tipped
over tn, timepiece in laying hold of the
missing property; but being gentleman,
he merely remarked impressively tat
ten to one he should lose the train.
Its only eight, Warren. You've hall
an hour"
'But rve-Tve something to attend to
before going to the station he STAN,
mered, obviously embarrassed.
"Oh!" Mrs. Gerrish dropped her ques,
tioning brown eyes, flushing hotly. Why
did her husband reject her proffercd
company And what was this mysteri-
Gus errand that he would not tell of
"Good-by, wifekin. Take care Of
yourself till see you," he added, in a
tricndlier tone, as he jumped into his
carriage.
"Well, I must say" CALCULATED the lit.
tie lady, frowning after the retreating
vehicle. But she did not say it. In.
+ stead, she set the clock on its legs again,
and fell to musing.
She was sorry she had vexcd Warren
by meadling with his bank book, but he
need not have been so cross. What did
he want of the book, anyway Had he
not only yesterday told her that he didn't
owe cent in the world? And why
this was vital query-why hal he gone
OF without her, too preoccupied to snatch
q good-by kiss2 Last week he had left
her behind in the same way. She would
not have minded the neglect so much if
it had not afterward come to her ears
that he had gone straight from her to
Miss Ebbitt, and escorted that young
lady to the city. He never had hinted a
word about it. Mrs. Gerrish secretly
hoped the rumor wasn't true, but it was
shocking to have the neighbors talking.
And now to think that, after humblinp
herself to ask her husband to take her,
she should have me- with a fiat refusal
The stroke of nine surprised her just this
side of tears. Was it possible she had
idled away a whole hour in arranging
the writing desk, and bridget gone for
the week?
Hurrying into the kitchen to wash the
breakfast dishes, her eyes rested on a
quaint-looking man in the doorway.
.uns bis hat foF coclness rather than cour.
teSy.
"Good-morning, Uncle Jabez," re-
sponded she, kindly. ''Have you come
to split me some kindlings2"
"Sartain, ma'am. l suspicioned you
must be about out" said the village fac
totum, wiping his bald knob of crown,
which rose above its encircling fringe
like the secd-vessel of poppy above its
corolla
II knew your husband wasn't here to
do for you," he continued, putting his
hat on again with screwing motion, as
If it were the cover of fruit jar. 'I'd
been clearing out the Widder Ebbitt's
pipes, and was crawling along on her
rug, when Mr.! Gerrish drove up for
jimmy. He didn't have to wait. On the
fiat of her foot Jimmy is, for all her fuss
and feathers"
''Did they catch the train" faltered
the young wife, her face averted.
"Yes, ma'am, they catched it. asked
Hiram Blodgett when he fetched your
horse back to the store" answered Uncle
Jabez, his confiding blue eyes fixed on
the sky. 'I'm jealous of a shower,
ma'am. Remember that pealer we had
the last time your husband took jimmy to
Boston!"
Last Thursday. do you mean?"
queried Mrs. Gerrish, anxiously. That
miserable rumor might be true. She
was ready to believe anything.
''It strikes me twas Thursday. Yes,
ma'am, twas week ago to-day, for was
in the Widder Ebbitt's stable mendin'
her crib when your husband drove in with
jimmy. The water was a-streakin' it off
o. the kerridge, but he'd wropped jimmy
complete, so't she skipped out dry as a
grasshopper. She told him she was no
end grateful for his care, and faith she'd
orter been; for if he hadn't held her
shawl round her so, her silk gownd would
a been spotted hitherty yonder."
What did he say to that, uncle!"
'Oh, he was even with her, ma'am.
I'm the one obleeged, Miss jimmy says
he. You know you're everything to
me- lost the rest, he spoke so low. !"
eyes, certainly" murmured the dazed
little wife, absently shutting Uncle Jabez
into the shed.
Miss Ebbitt everything to Warren by
Warren's own confession! Could she
trust her own ears? Eccentric and scat
ter-brained Uncle Jabez might be. but
deaf or prone to mischief he was not.
She could not for a moment doubt his
word. That her husband should be
seeking clandestine interviews with any
lady was enough; that the lady thus
sought should be Miss Ebbitt was beyond
endurance! In her fierce perturbation
Mrs. Gerrish hardly heard the crash of
the sugar-bowl that slipped from her
hand. Who would heed breaking china
when the very sky was faling2 To be
frank, from the time she came to Oak
land bride, Mrs. Gerrish had suffered
intermittent spasms of jealousy on ac-
count of this same Miss Ebbitt. She
had never been able to forget jesting
remark made by one of her best callers.
Among our village celebrities we
reckon Miss Ebbitt, our talented organ
ist," the guest had said. ''Really. Mrs.
Gerrish, must hasten to introduce you
to your husbands old flame"
"Old fame!n the coarse words
ranked. One moment the young wife
would resolve to repeat them to her hus-