Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-07-06

/ me- because won usUen,~ EaIu Ene
lady one evening over dessert. She
/ spoke aggressIvely, cracking the shell
OF walnut with decision. She peevish-
! ~ found fault with the fish and the
salad. and had slapped her pug Tor no
/ earthly reason. If Josiah had been
/ less slow he would have Oplned that q
| storm was brewing. There was silence
I for minute after Mrs. DObbs had
/ opened FIRE.
Aren't you going to speak?" she
! said at length
"A child,'' remarked Josiah, drop
/ ping MS fat chin into his shirt. siv
love, that is surely q project requiring
very serious consideration"
Mrs. DObbs tossed her mead omIn-
Ously. Every inch of lace IN her cap
seemed suddenly to have acquired
starch, while the gilt ornaments there
on scintilIated fercely.
when l say q thing I mean 10, as
you know, Josiah 1 have considered
that you indulge your hobbies with
out restraint. 1t is high time my
benevOlence found something to oc-
cupy it"
Josiah drank up his wine slowly.
When he spoke again it was ina sub
dued tone.
dorothy, my dear, how often have
1 reminded you IN the past three
years that your poor sister-left a
child. AS 1 have said before, it is
your clear duty"
''Mr. Dobbsl' The lady roso, and
swept her black satin skirts to the
door. Here she paused to add: "I
repeat, / remember no sister. A dis
graceful marriage severed all connec-
ton of birth. 1 beg that you will
a Z n 70 nfrrf 1.svs
again"
Perhaps the episode alluded to was
well remembered by Josiah, for he
sighed several times in his after-din-
ner solitude. He knew the mad-cap
girl he had sheltered for many years
beneath his roof was dead, but he
knew, too, that her child lived, and he
would fain have cherished it for the
mothers sake.
In the course of the evening Mrs.
Dobbs resumed the question of adop-
ton. Josiah was a peaceable man,
and he loved his wife; but this last
whIm was a serious one, and would
inevitably entangle her in difficulties.
"Pm going to advertise at once"
she said.
Mr.. DObbs looked very blank.
81 should advise you to try some
other plan that would give less pub
iicity to the matter" he said mildly.
'"Ihat would bring any amount OF
beggars and inpOstors about you"
Mrs. DObbs looked over her creWel
work in an injured way.
'"There you are again, Josiah; always
trying to oppose me and make my
life miserable. I declare you contra
dict me every morning and evening
about something. Haven't I told
you before what a lonely life I lead?
to the city every day to make
money. You are Just like all men
you are selfish to the core" With
this final female platitude, Mrs. DObbs
began to whimper. Mr.. DObbs felt
guilty of heinOus cruelty.
"a companion might-"he began.
The lady lifted herself from the sofa
cushion and Josiah quailed.
"a COmpaniOn!" with whitening
sarcasm, ito make love to you, no
doubt. Josiah. I know their sch5m-
ing ways. Didn't I have enough of
Miss Grlggs and her maneuVering
tricks, working you braces, the hussy,
and sending you Christmas cards.
How dare you mention a person of
that sort after all my sufferings with
them?"
OF course IN the end the lady pre-
vailed, and Josiah passively counte-
nanCed the adoption. Matters We're
soon set in order tor the fultiIlment OF
the latest whim. Yet verify her heart
failed her during the week follow
ing her advertisement. Her lonely con-
dltlOn had never been so apparent to
her before as when she was heset by a
crew of parents and guardians bearing
some punv or blighted infant for her
adoption. All sorts and cOndi-
tiOns of men craved her pity for their
wretched children. She was bewildered
by the offensive bearing OF holder APP
plicants. More than once Mrs. DObbs
had to ling in her respectable butler
to get rid of some insistant parent
who endeavOred to intimidate her IN
to an immediate purchase. The re-
suit Of all this was a cessation Of the
daily advertisement. Mr.. Dobbs, OF
course, was not informed infinitely Of
ali that went on, though an interview
with his butler one evening threw a
little light on things that had occurred.
81 wish to give a months warning,
sir, said this gentleman In privacy
to his master.
"Why. now, Tinker, what is the
matter2 I'm sure you've very com
Portable place, with a boy to do all
your dirty work"
Tinker coughed and stammered q
few words before coming to the point.
"Well, now, sir, to speak plain It's
along ofthat wild crowd of vagabOnds,
as Mrs. DObbs she's seeing of every
day. Babies by the score, they're
brought by impident rascals such as /
amt been accustomed to. One Of EN-
she wouldn't 90 out OF the gate TIN I
called the police. 1t amt respectable
in a gentleman's house, / do assure
you, SIT"
Somehow or other Mr.. DObbs man
agsd to sOoth the OUTRAGED feelings O.