Connecticut western news., 1890-04-09
TIT FOR TAT.

erty is to be curtailed. I am never to speak to an old friend if she happens to be a woman. My wife is to tie me to her apron strings at a ball." said Mir. Drummond, sarcastically.
 II seldom wear aprons. Certainly never at ball, said Mrs. Drummond.
 You know that is a figure of speech" said Mir. Drummond. "But now that we have spoken of the mat ter, Estelle, will give you my view of the subject. If married people go out to sit in a corner with each other they might as we'll stay at home"
 You used to be very glad to sit in corners with me-" sobbed Mrs. Drum mond.
 "Now," gasped, Mr. Drummond de- spairingly, ''now you are going to cry. Your eyes will be swollen, your nose red. For heavens sake, Estelle, remember that you are at a ball"
 Mrs. Drummond summoned up all her courage, swallowed her tears, drew her hand from her husbands arm, and began to fan herself furi- ously.
 '.Now you are in temper, my dear, !" said her lord and master. "Go nto the dressing room and powder yourself little. Usually I object to 1t, but now you are flushed, and will take you to that dear old Mrs Jack son, who has chaperoned her four granddaughters, and is quite alone in the corner. She is a most superior wo- man, understand. Come, my love. :"
 q can do without the powder, thanks" said Mrs. Drummond; land you may take me to Mrs. Jackson, while you, l presume, waltz with Miss Merle"
 Why, good heavens, Estelle, you would not have me break my engage ment to dance with a lady, would you2" asked Mir. Drummond, in a tone of desperation.
 ''Oh, by no meansp said Mrs. Drummond; fulfill your engage ment."
 The music began again. The hand some young couple stepped from the had retired to have their unpleasant talk, and in a moment MT. Drummond was whirling around the room with his arm about the pretty Miss Merle's waist, while Estelle sat on the sofa be- side that superior old Mrs. Jackson, who, having aroused herself to re- ceive Mrs. Drummond's introduction, had nodded off again, and was snor- ing behind her large black feather fan.
 And this was Mrs. Drummond's first ball. The daughter of clergyman, brought up, as people say, Every strict. ly," she had never in all her life taken a dancing lesson; she had never been in fashionable society, and retained her simple, countrifed ideas of what married people owed to each other. At the parties at her mothers house Mrs. Smith and Mir. Smith, Mrs. Brown and Mr. Brown were scrupu lously placed side by side. So at the lawn parties or excursions.
 In this way she supposed they must pass through all the festive occasions of life, arm iIrarm, exchanging their opinions on thing4 and people, view ing a startling pH6rama, themselves the only really important personages of the scene.
 The awakening was sudden and startling. Her husband had compiled with popular opinion while they stil remained among her kinsfolk, ano indeed heshad no temptation to leave her, for she was the sweetest, prettiest and most charming person whom he ever met. Besides, the glamour o1 the honeymoon was still upon him In those rural scenes the girl he hac called his white rosebud seemed sweet CT and purer than he could express il words. For three or four months hi
 life was a sort of idyl, and so wal l hers.
 Not until the last red leaves of au
 tumn were upon the trees did h,
 transplant his blossom to the city
 There, in one of those tiny but ele
 gant flats which young couples mos l affect, Estelle began her new life
 Her husband was fashionable man
 free from what he spoke of as ''the pre- Ijudices of the past.
 | For the first time in her life Estell went to the opera, to the theatre. Sh was dressed by French modiste, t whose dictum she bowed. She wa
 called upon and pronounced awful,
 sweet" She went to afternoon tea
 and to receptions; she had breakfast giver her by her husbands friends an
 connections-little parties where dsnc
 ing was in order. She enjoyed 1t all
 for at first the position of recent brid
 and bridegroom caused Mir. and Mrs
 Drummond to be paired off togethe
 very much as they had been in the vii
 lage society. t | However, as time passed on newe
 brides appeared on the scene. Estell
 was merely Mrs. Drummond. Peopl
 took no special pains to bring her fo,
 ward. It remained for her to do tn
 bests she could for herself. And nov | Arthur slipped away occasionally I She saw him talking to this one or. {