Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-03-15

lOOKGQ SO tAI0 was AAAAAk1CAA 81
agreeable, that it soon cost her no effort
to converse and then her old lively
spirits returned, and, to her surprise, she
Sound that she was enjoying herself.
Her husband didn't much notice this,
but Miss Baden did. and her Irritation
with Mr.. Palmer lost much of its charm,
now that his wife did not appear morti-
fed and jealous, and that people couldn't
see that she was SO. Wherefore Miss
Baden grew Indifferent, and Mr.. Palmer
bethought himself to look after his wife.
Not finding her looking over the photo
graph albums, nor talking to deaf old Mr..
Brown, neither in any of the holes and
corners" which she was won't of late to
frequent, he became rather puzzled.
%She's got in the dumps again, sup
pose, was his thought, "and is trying to
disguise it under the pretense of being i'll.
Dare say shall find her crying or faint
ing away in the conservatory, with fans
and smelling bottles around her, or per-
haps she's gone home.
At that instant q little laugh at his
elbow startled him, and turning, he saw
Nettie, bright and flushed, talking to
very handsome man, who appeared quite
absorbed in her. Mr.. Palmer stared
moment at the unconscious couple.
"Why, the deucei" was his thought,
"what on earth can they have been talk
ing about all this while?" Then suddenly
meeting his wife's eye he smiled and
whispered Enjoying yourself,
"Oh, yes, dear, delightfully."-! Don't
| trouble yourself about me, pray.
He passed on, but didn't go far, and as
he stood, whispering soft nothings to
sentimental Kate Marshall, his eyes oc-
casionally wandered to his wife. How
pretty she was looking. and how gay she
| was, and how coquettishly she was ex-
changing light repartee with that flirting
| fellow, Tom Harrison. And all the
time the handsome stranger never left
her side. 1t was perfectly evident that
| he admired her.
IF she were not married woman he
| would certainly fall in love with her, she,
| my wife," and he felt little resentful
| of the admir- ration.
Nettie Palmer had never sung more
sweetly or danced more gracefully than
on this evening.
Don't you think, Nettie, you have
danced enough for one night, said her
husband, toward the close of the evening,
"for married woman?" he added.
| Perhaps SO" she answered, cheerfully,
"but I've enjoyed myself SO much Real
ly, 1 almost forgot was married woman
and felt like girl again"
1 "And behaved like one," he said,
rather coolly. "Who is that fellow that
has been in attendance upon you all the
EVENING"" he inquired, as they walked
downstairs.
"That remarkably handsome man,
with the expressive dark eyes, do you
mean?"
II never noticed his eyes, nor that he
was at all handsome, he replied, stiffly.
"Oh, thought you meant Captain
Lowell, of the artillery. All, here he is
just one moment, dear, / quite for
got"
And Nettie spoke few words to the
captain in passing, of which her husband
could distinguish only something about
that book. 3"
upon my word, "he said, sarcastically,
"you appear very intimate already"
because, love, we've discovered that
we're congenial spirits. We like the
same things, books, music, scenery; in
deed, everything, and have the same
opinions on most subjects You know
how pleasant it is to meet with one who
can comprehend you; not your outer
self merely, but with a sort of soul SYM
pathy.
"Soul fiddlesticksl"
"You never did have much sentiment,
Bob, " sighed Nettie, in an injured tone.
Sentiment be hanged Come, Nettie,
be quick with your wrappings 1t has
been a stupid evening, and / shall be
glad to get home and to-bed."
When Robert Palmer came home next
day he found his wife not crying as be-
fore in her bedroom, but in the parlor
practicing new song.
capt. Lowell called this morning, l"
she said, "and l have promised to sing
this for him at Mrs. Campbell's.
"Ah!" he answered, with an express
sion of Indifference and as his wife
again struck up with the first few notes,
he muttered to himself: "Confound
Capt. Lovelll"
At Mrs. Campbelrs Capt Lowell was
again in attendance upon pretty Mrs.
Palmer, and then other gentlemen dis
covered her attractions, piquancy, CO.
quettishness, and fiirtableness, and 30 in
very few weeks Mrs. Palmer was a
belle. She did not seem in the least to
care who her husband was attending
upon, and, indeed, he could rarely get
word with her at all when at the gay as
semblies which they constantly fire.
quented. He sometimes gave her hint
that shewas mo longer girl, and that
he was her husband but she only
laughed and said there was no harm
done, and that she was enjoying herself
30 delightfully."-, and felt herself more
belle than even when girl-which was
true, because she had not fiirted then,