The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-06-27

must be poor, spiritless concern"
"Partanbridge is man of great abil-
ity," said Moses, gravely.
"Fiddlesticksl" said Mrs. Mickleber-
ry "a regular hen-hussy-s thorough
going Miss Nancy"
I'm sorry you feel so about him, my
dear" said Moses; "for he doesn't like
the place where he is boarding now,
and l told him he might occupy our
spare room for few days"
"Oh, I've no objections to that" said
Mrs. Micltleberry, composedly. "Im
always glad to entertain your friends,
my dear, even if they are not the most
agreeable people in the world, and l
dare say can get along with Mr.. Par
cambridge for u few days"
You're little |, nv DEAR" said
Moses, and he forgot ,.i Partan bridges
insinuations at once.
Mr. Partanbridgc came, bag and bag
gage, and took possession of the spare
room in the Miclllebe mansion as
Importantly as if he had been the
Grand Turk. And thenceforward my
wife" began, figuratively speaking, to
trample Mary Mickleberry into dust.
MI WHY 0DChb bO llOuCNs my
wife" went nowhere my wife, would
sooner cut off her hand than to go to
woman's rights convention; my wife"
was not literary, but spent her days do
ing houseworlS, and her evenings mend
ing stockings. She held her husband
in salutary awe, never spoke when she
wasn't spoken to-in short, knew her
place.
And how did you manage it, Partan-
bridge?' asked Mr.. Micklebe,ry once
again, in the admiration of his soul.
Mr.. Partanbridge waved his hand
loftily.
''Mickleberry!" said he, "there are
some things that can't be expressed in
words"
"Fortunately!' put in Mrs. Miclxle-
berry, who was sewing away as vigor-
ously as if every stitch were an unut-
tered protest.
and" went on Mr.. Partanbridge,
as if he had not heard the inter
ruption, sit is woman's duty to listen
to submit-to keep SILENT"
''There goes the doorbell," observed
Mrs. Mickleberry; will you go, Moses?
it is Bridget's evening out"
MY wife," commenced Mr.. Partan-
bridge, ''would never have asked me to
perform so menial an office as
He stopped short as loud, mascu-
line voice was heard in the entry be-
low stairs.
Does Job Partanbridge board here?
Yes? Oh, all right-tell 'em to bring
the trunks, and you, hackman, dol
lars enough fare. You'll get no more
out of me- Clear out and let's hear no
more of your grumbling. SO he's Here,
is he? A pretty chase I've had after
him.
Mrs Mickleberry looked up at the
blanching countenance of Mr.. Job
Partan bridge in surprise and bewilder-
ment.
'Who can that loud-voiced woman
possibly be?" she asked. Surely there
is some mistake"
''Nno!' quoth Mr.. Partanbridge,
with chattering teeth, sit is-my wife"
Mrs. Partanbridge? Can it be possi-
ble?" and hospitable little Mary Mickle-
berry dropped her work and hastened
to greet and welcome her new guest,
the paragon among women, the meek
and lowly and well-trained wife of the
doughty JOB
Mrs. Partanbridge came into the
room with the tread of giantess and
the aspect of an Amazon. She was a
tall, large woman, red-faced and reso-
Lutte, with the faint shade of a mustache
on her upper lip, and deep voice like
that of a grenadier, and she wore her
n10o1r l,l
coat, the two sleeves tied round her
neck, while her sailor hat would have
been snug fit for her husband.
She sat down, at Mrs. Mickleberry's
invitation, with force that made the
chair crack and tremble in its every
joint and thrust out her feet
Pull off those rubbers,' said she to
JOB, and the husband promptly went
down on his knees to perform the be-
hest. Not so rough-you're as clumsy
as ever, l see; and now tell me why
you didn't send the money for me to
join you before?"
IL couldn't spare it from my bust
ness, Drusilla, my DEAR" stammered
Job, growing scarlet.
Hang up my cloak to dry--and get
me footstool for my feetl" command
ed Mrs Partanbridge. "Look sharp
about it, too! Well, l borrowed fifty
dollars from Deacon Underhill, and I've
come on on my own hook I'm tired
of being poked away in the backwoods
while you're playing the fine city gent,
and I'll not stand it any longer; be-
sides, / wanted to attend the Woman's
Suffrage association, and I'm a member
of the Sedleyville Branch of Female
Rights Advocates. You've got a nice
house here, ma'am," turning to Mrs.
Mickleberry 81 might have had a
house of my own if Job Partan bridge
had used common sense in his busi-
ness affairs, and listened to my advice
little"
'Drusilla, my dear" interposed
Mr.. Partanbridge, but his wife darted
leonine glance at him.
"Job Partanbridge, will you hold
your tongue, and speak when you're
spoken to?" she demanded, tartly.
Certainly, my dear, certainlyr
"Then let's have a specimen of it,
AS was saying, Mrs. Mickleberry-
Job, go downstairs, and look in the
big-handled basket on top of the trunk
in the hall, and get me my handker-
chief and the camphor bottle with the
little wicker-case round it-as / was
CO.. k1nA e Al