Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-22
TAKEN At HIS WORD.

Nellie Palmer was lying on the lounge
in her pretty bedroom, crying and looking
very unhappy. And yet she had been
married only six months; and to such a
mice, handsome man, as all the young
ladies declared, that surely she ought tc
have been happy with him. And so sne
had been, until-until, to tell the truth
Bob Palmer, forgetting, or seeming to for.
get, that he was a married man. had re-
Gently taken to flirting with these very
young ladies at all the parties in Middle
ton, leaving his wife to take care of her
self. Surely it was enough to make any
six-months wife cry-especiaily one SO
sensitive as Nellie.
Not that Robert Palmer loved his little
wife bit less than on the day OF his mar
riage-neither that Nellie suspected him
of 1t, or for moment doubted his morals
any more than she did his constancy.
But Mr.. Palmer was a gay young man,
and loved to amuse himself and be
amused. He liked the society of pretty
and lively women, both married and sin
gle; and, in word, he liked to firt, and
saw no harm in it. So, while he hung over
the young lodies' chairs, laughing and
paying gay compliments, or promenading
with the young married ladies, his wife
would be looking over a photograph al
bum, or conyersing solemnly with some
old gentlemen, or noticing some shy and
awkward child, while pretending to be
unconscious of her husbands proceedings.
Not that she was compelled to enjoy her
self IN this solemn way-she, usually so
bright, and pretty, and agreeable-but she
had no heart for anything else now. Of
late all her liveliness and chattiness had
left her, and she answered absently and
smiled listlessly, and, if compelled to dance
or sing, did so out of time and out of tune,
to her husbands great vexation. 1t is
thus that many young wife settles down
into dali and faded old woman. while
her husband grows handsomer and heart
Ter, and wonders what on earth could have
so changed her.
Halo! been crying again, | declare p
exclaimed Mr.. Bob Palmer, suddenly ceas-
ing his little whistle, as he entered the
room, on returning from his Office; what's
the matter now, Nellie? Canary refused to
sing, or Madame Viglini not put flowers
enough in your bonnet?'
Oh, Bob! how can your sobbed Mel
lie, beginning afresh.
Look here, Ellen" said her husband,
sitting down on the lounge and speaking
more seriously; &C don't like this at all. /
never come home that your eyes are not
red and swollen with crying. What have
you to cry about, | should like to know
m IN
the house in this fashion, and moping
away in corners, looking sullen and miser-
able, as you did last night at Macklin's.
Why, people will think me a perfect do
nestle tyrantp
" All, Bob, don't speak so! 1 can't help
1t, indeed / do feel so miserable. You
make me so, Bob.'
81! Well, that is rich Perhaps you
will be good enough to let me know of
what enormity I've been guilty, that has
turned you into a modern Niobe ?"
Nothing really wrong, dear; but, oh
If you knew how much a wife thinks of
her husbands love, and"
Here poor Nellie broke down again.
MIR. Palmer's eyes opened very wide.
"Whew!" whistled he, ''if this isn't
really absurd. So, she's jealous?"
" Indeed no, dear Bob But-but"-
she could hardly speak for the choking in
her throat-"you can't understand the
pride woman takes in having her hus-
band treat her with affection and respect
before every one, or how it humbles and
mortifies her to be neglected by him, and
have other women consider themselves her
rivals-like Isabel Baden"
Mr.. Bob Palmer laughed outright, and
then he grew angry.
You're an absurd little fool, NeIlie,n
he said. GAS if Isabel Baden were any
thing to me beyond pleasant and agree
able young woman to amuse ones self with
at party. Nonsense +"
"She don't think so,". said Nellie; "and
and the others don't think so. They all
think you are getting tired of your wife,
and Isabel fatters herself that she has
cut me out, and is trying to let people see
it."
" Fiddlesticksw p said Bob, rising impa-
tiently from the lounge "Tm astonished |
at you, Nellie, and had really given you
credit for more sense as well as temper" |
he added, severely. ~ wish you'd amuse |
yourself In society as | do, instead of 60
ing moping about in this fashion. You |
can't expect to have me tied to your |
apron-strings; and I'd much rather see
you flirting a little yourself than skulking |
away in holes and corners, like spider, |
watching your butterfly of husband to !
see if you can't detect him in doing wrong |
You make me quite ashamed of you, de- |
clare"
Mr.. Palmer took his hat and walked out !
of the room with an air of mingled dig
nifty and injured innocence. His wife sat |
up, wiped away her tears and unused |
awhile, with eyes flashing and cheeks |
flushed with wounded and indignant feel |
ing.
YES" she said to herself, since he has /
requested it, / will amuse myself as he !
does and see how he likes it Ashamed of I,
me, is he? And he did not use to be so i
when was gay and happy. Oh, Bob, if |
you only knew how l loved your
And once more, despite her resolutely !
losing her eyes and pressing her fingers
upon them, the tears would come.
There was to be, that very evening, a
ty at Colonel Johnston's, and Nellie |!
it. She had been, of late, rather care
on this point, and was now rewarded /
her extra care by her husbands glance !
AppIONdl tiiu tudt Tie
was becoming to her. In consequence
eyes and cheeks were brighter and
spirits more buoyant as she entered
Johnston's crowded drawing-room.
'cely had they paid their respects to
hostess, when Mr.. Palmer accosted, or
ather was accosted, by Miss Baden, a
illiant, confident girl, who tried to en-
enare him before his marriage; and, at the
same moment, a gentleman addressed
Mrs. Palmer. She answered mechan-
ically, unable to withdraw her atten-
lion from her husband and his COM
panion, until seeing something in Miss
Baden's glance at herself which she did
not like, her pride again awoke, and she
turned, as with sudden determination. to
the gentleman at her side. He was re-
cent conner to the town-very pleasant and
handsome-and Nellie Palmer forthwith
began 20 try and make herself agreeable to
aim. nie looked so pleased, and was him
self SO agreeable, that it soon cost her no
,fiort to converse; and, to her surprise,
he found that she was enjoying herself.
Her husband didn't much notice this, but
Mss Baden did and her Irritation with
dr. Palmer lost much of its charm, now