Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-05-08
ABOUT GEORGE MARTIAL.

year OF more, anu CONHtliHs, III uiLl
all the time. as unsuspicious as a new
born baby.
There's loving and cherishing" for
you! a man coming in. and eating his
dinner. calling me Polly, and dear. just
MS if all the time he wasn't writing un-
known TO me. and getting oceans OF
money. that he spends on--the dear
knows what for don't; and I'll war
rant. he's told all about the hollow place
ir the bed where he has to sleep, and the
shirt-buttons, and the way | got my
gray silk at Ubsdell e. Persons But
I'll show him up, and just let every
body know what pitiful, underhanded,
soft-soaping Molly of man he is.
He write, indeed! I'd as soon think
of our old gray cat sitting up by the
fro with spectacles on and trying to
crochet.
But this amt the story.
You must know that il happened just
before New Years, I'd been making
up my mince pies and giving the house
n good cleaning out and l was pretty
tired. had just got off my dress when
] thought heard something like talk
ing down stairs.
Now. Mr. Martial WAS down there
and. of course, [ suspected mischief
for haven't lived forty-one years
good gracious! how my pen slips.
mean thirty ive-without knowing that
ledgers up TO mans neck and ink
enough to drown him are no safeguards
against his own natural wicledness.
and. slipping on my gown | stole softly
down the stairs. bound TO find out what
that talking meant as sure Us my
name was Polly Martial.
The door OF the sitting room was
"a little ajar. as good luck would have
it, sitting there in his dressing gown
the gown | made for him, and ] wonder
it didn't burn him-and his ledger
open before him (the old hypocritc);
but who he was talking to, | couldn't
fer the life ofme make out. till it came
into my head 10 look through the crack
OF the door.
And then-but forty-one q mean
thirty-fve) years OF experience OF the
meanness of men in general, and his,
III particular, never would have made
me believe. il hadn't seen it with my
own eyes, that Mr.. Martial would have
been sitting in his own dining-room at
eight O'clock in the evening right under
the picture of his blessed mother and
talking, and not only that but looking
at lean, scraggy, curly-headed
Frenchwoman.
! wonder that he wasn't afraid that
his mothers portrait would come out
of the frame; and how he could take
GeOrgy on his knee, as he had done
that very evening, and kiss him--there-
by daubing himself dreadfully with
molasses-while he had all that wick
edness in his heart is q mystery beyond
my comprehension.
My first thought was to rush in and
confound them both. Then | remem-
bered l had no hoops on; and it struck
me that ii might be as well TO find out
the full extent of his depravity before
/ annihilated him.
Il don't know how we shall manage
it, he was saying. my wife has
such sharp ears that she could hear
cat stealing after mouse.
1T will be difficult. without doubt.
answered mademoiselle "but mon
sieur's affection will, / am sure. over
come all-what you call emp
obstacle.
Il don't know" he said, rubbing his
bald pate IF she hadn't ouch ears;
but I'm afraid. now, she'll be in on
us."
and then. how can we get at her
dresses? | can't go near her closet,
and If she should find you there
Think of that! That scraggy thing
In my closet! As If it wasn't enough
to run away with my husband, but she
must want my clothes also!
Well" answered mademoisellc.
suppose I.try and SEQ her. / can
what you call it?-fx her in five
minutes.
Fix meme, Polly Martial! The
demons meant to assassinate me.
"But it would be better if you had "a
dress" insisted Mr.. Martial. Her
gray silk, for instance
Suppose you call and tell her you
are n poor seamstress in want OF work
and. offer to sew for her at three shill-
ings day. She'll nibble ut that bait.
and when she goes out OF the room you
can just whisk up TO her closet and
slip out with the gray silk"
There ladies! There's Mr.. Martial
for yeu.
My best silk that bought ut
Ub5deh's, and paid eight dollars for
the making and trimming! and that
-yellow-faced trollop was to "whisk
up" and "slip out with my sikh" Ugh!
the wretch!
/ don't faint because am too heavy
and was too mad for Mysteries. but
the awful discovery OF his perfidy. and
her cool impotence actually made me
so dizzy that don't rightly know what
else was said and done only she was
TO come at ten o'clock the next morn
ing TO play the part of tho poor seam
stress; neither can tell how got to
nv own room. or how / ever managed