Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-27
CHAPTER III.

IT was a wet, unpleasant night, and J. Archibald Bockaby, as he slowly descended the wide marble steps of his club, felt the in- fuence of the weather. There had been rather heated discussion at this annual meeting, and MT. Bockaby had not been en- tirely silent. He had put his spoke in the wheel and the wheel had revolved all the more furiously for it.
 He would go homo and forget these petty snnoyances in the company of his charming Malyina. He would ask her to sing to him, play for him, talk to him. Since their discus sion, week ago, MT. and Mrs. Bockaby's relations had been rather strained" She had clearly shown resentment at what she was pleased to consider her husbands ungen- erous treatment while newell he simply had not taken the trouble to set things right. He hated explanations all men do-and he knew that peace would eventually reign again in his domestic midst.
 He suddenly remembered, with mental and vigorous By Jove!" that this was the night of Mrs. De Snigsby's bal poudre. Mall vina would not be at home, of course. It was ten o'clock, and she had doubtless departed, in glory of black and gold, to grace the sa- Ions of Mrs. De snfgsby. What an fnsufrer- able nuisancel Bockaby felt that a quiet, home-spent evening with Malvina would do him world of good. After all. he reflected, SAAS SSSASey isfactory than that of men. He could not go back to his club, now. The sight of un- friendly swallow-tails would sicken him. Then 1t occurred to him that he would go to Mrs. De Snigsby's ball and surprise Malvina How delighted she would. He would see her | in her old black and gold dress-poor little ! thing, how she had rebelled against wearing | it-and he would tell her, as enthusiastically | as he could, that she looked better than any one present, that he knew she would do SO, ! that her dress was a great success, that he was glad-yes, really glad-he had been cruel l enough to refuse her another, and-so on. Then he would whirl Malvina away in a waltz, | the unpleasantness of the past week would be entirely forgotten, and all would end hap | oily.
 Mir. Bockaby took cab freshened up his evening dress little, and started fonMrs. De Snigsby's. It was nearly Il o'oclock when he | arrived there-a fact at which he was su.
 premely pleased. His soul delighted not in
 bals poudres and the sooner Malvina was
 ready to go homo the better he would like
 it.
 Mrs. De Snigsby received J. Archibald
 Bockaby with subdued grace. Her dress and
 her face was famingly scarlet, and she felt ! that she must be subdued somewhere.
 "So charmed to see you," Mir. Bockaby
 she said sweetly. "Your little lady is here 1 enjoying herself, I think. An, MT. Bockaby ! you young married men are sad creatures You won't escort your wives to our little en
 tertainments. You present them with money
 toll them to go and buy themselves some
 thing pretty, and then you think you
 duty is done. You can go to your clubs ir
 peace.
 Mrs. Snigsby," said Archibald, feeling that h, spoke the truth for once m his life. at an,
 rnto.
 "Well-well, there are exceptions" quotl
 the hostess with consideration. "They al
 seem to be enjoying themselves" she wen
 on, putting up her eyeglasses, which, it wa
 generally known, were made of window-glass
 and would, therefore, suit anybody who wa.
 neither long-sighted nor short-sight, but wa
 anxious to appear one or the other, because i
 looked nice. "At midnight they will remov
 their dominos. Powdered hair and dOmino ;I that was my notion, MT. Bockaby. Do yo, l not think it delightful one?'
 ll But Archibald's eyes and Archibald'
 thoughts were far away from Mrs, De Snigs ..I by and all her fat suaveness was lost upol ,I him. His glance was rowing among the lady, d guests. There they all were-with white hair black satin covered faces and elaborate even ing costumes. They all seemed happy in tn present, and wotted not of the morrow whe |, the four and egg would no longer be pleas ing addition to their head-dress, and tn |. cleansing process would make itself painfull
 felt.
 + "Ahp' the exclamation came from the lip of MT. Bockaby. There, sure enough, wa , tMalvina, with the arm of some black-coate .whipper-snapper around her waist, whirlin
 around the room as though she had neve , done anything else in her life. How lovel [ she was, even though her face could not b l secnl The black and gold dress had neve looked more regal; it's soft, gleaming fold fell artisically from her waist. while from tn !. chic. low-cut bodice gleamed a throat of wor
 dorful wilderness. Bockaby groaned. HI { wife evidently had partners by the dozen,