The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-12-07
TAKEN AT HIS WORD.

Nellie Palmer was lying OIL tic i9tHSe
! her pretty bedroom, crying and look
Ing very unhappy. And vet she hiri been
m trried only six months, and to such II
'nice, handsome man" asall tic young
ladies' declared, that surely she ought to
have been happy with linn.
And so she had been until, TO tell the
truth, Mr.. Bob Palmer, forgetting, -or
seeming to forget, that he WAS u married
man, had recently taken to E.rting with
these very young l~tiies, Mt all the parties
in Middleton, leaving his wife TO take
care of herself.
Surely it was enough to make amy six
months wife cry, especially one so seusi-
tive as Nellie.
Not that Mir. Robert Palmer loved his
little wife u bit Io than on the day of
his marriage, neither that Nellie sus-
pected him of it, or for a momentdolbted
his morals any more than she did his on
stancy. But Mr.. Palmer wasa gay young
man, and loved to amuse himself and to
be amused.
lie liked the society of prettyand lively
women, both married and single; and, in
a word, he liked to flirt and saw no harm
in it. So, while he hung over the young
ladies' chairs, laughing and paying gay
COUlpllIlleubS HIS wiz hpibA ~ OOHAh
over a photograph album, or conversing
solemnly with some old gentleman, or no.
ticing some shy and awkward child while
pretending to be unconscious Of her hus-
bands proceedings.
Not that She was compelled to enjoy
herself in this solemn way, sheusually SO
bright and pretty and agreeable, but she
had no heart for anything else now. OF
1o4oo1l I,o, 1i-nT;DacJ u,al ohattinosz-h had
left her, and she answered absently and
smiled listlcssly, and ii compelled to
dance or sing, did so out OF time and out
of tune to her husbands great vexation.
1t is thus that many q young wife set
ties down into q duh and faded old wo-
man, while her husband grows hand
somer and heartier, and wonders what on
earth could have changed her.
"Hallol been crying again, 1 declare!'
exclaimed Mr.. Bob Palmer, suddenly
ceasing his little whistle, as he entered
the room, on returning from his Office.
"What's the m~atternow, Nellie? Canary
refused to sing, or Madame Viglini not
put flowers enough in your bonnet?'
ooh, Bob. how can you?' sobbed Nell
lie, beginning afresh.
"Look here, Ellen said her husband,
sitting down on the lounge, and speaking
more seriously; "Idon't like this at all.
Inever come home that your eyes are not
red and swollen with crying. What have
you to cry about, Islou'd like to know?
It's an insult to meto cosniveilinGabout
the house in this fashion, and moping
away in corners. locking sttllen and mis-
cradle, as you did last night at Macklin's.
Why, people will thiuk me 4 perfect do
mestic tyrant".'
"Ah, Bob, don't speak so. l can't help
it, indeed. lido feel so miserable. You
make me so, Bob"
al 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 Il modern Njobe:"
"Nothiag really wrong, dear; but, oh!
if you knew how much q wife thinks Of
her husbands love, and"
Here poor Nellie broke down again.
Mr.. Palmer's eyes opened very wide.
~'Whew!!' wbistiel he; IF this isn't
really absurd. So, she's j~ealous."
'Indeed, no, dear Dobi But-but-''-
she could hardly speak for the choking in
her throat-"you can't understand the
pride Il woman takes in having her hus
band treat her with affection and res ect
Dt1DT6 every OiiCs vi nov ~ tAttLtlDAIo tL4b
mortifes her to be neglected by him, and
have other women consider themselves
her rivals-like Isabel Baden"
Mr.. Bob Palmer laughed outright, and
then lie grew angry.
You're an absurd little fool, Nellie"
he said. Gas if Isabel Baden were any
thing to me beyond q pleasant and agree
able young woman TO amuse ones SeH
with at a party. Nonsense
t'Shc 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 hatters herself that she has
cut me cut, and is trying to let people
see it,"
''Fiddlesticks!' said Bob, rising impa-
tiently from the lounge. Pm aston
ished at you, Nellie, and had really given
you credit for more sense as well as tenn
per" he added severely. II wish you'd
amuse yourself in society, as l do, in
stead of moping about in this fashion.
You can't expect to have me tied to your
apron strings; and I'd much rather sec
you flirting n little yourself than skulk-
ing away in holes and corners, like a
spider, watching your butterfly of a hus-
band to see if you can detect him in do
ing wrong. Yon make me- quite ashamed
of you, I declare.
Mr.. Palmer took his hat and walked
out of the room, with an air OF mingled
dignity and injured innocence. His wife
sat up, wiped away her tears and unused
awhile, with eyes flushing and cheeks
flushed with WOUNDED and indignant
feeling.
yes" sic Aaid t. herself, 'sincc lie
= I I'LL -~,4-,a, ,,---,lf G,.