Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-02-28
ron are not IN earnestg" he sad.

persist in not esc0rting me Yourself"
II certainly shall not 60" her
husbaud answered firmly. And |
cannot believe my little wife will 20
without me, he added. pleasantly.
"Gho me a kiss, puss. and when |
come home this evening, | trust you
will have put all this nonsense out Of
your head By, byw
But his wife would not look at him
when be kissed her, and stamped her
foot angriiY rs the door closed behind
him. aud she heard his careless whistle
as ne ran down toe steps.
I'm not baby she said to her
self and won't be treated like one. lie
shall find out that | can 90 without
him"
Aud lac did come to realizing sense
of the fact when he come home to
dinner that evening. Running lightly
up stairs TO their room, the first sight
that met his amazed eyes was his pretty
wife ia fun festive robes
We'll. dear. she said with a light
alfeclatiun Of Inconsistencies that She
was vexing him in the least you see
/ have decided to 60 after all. How
do YOU like my dress? | dressed early
on purpose for you to see it"
Mr.. Alison had stopped short as she
spoke, with hand upifted.
Maud. be said, in a vexed way,
"what does this meau?'
"Ilave YOU forgotten so quick2" she
answered lightly" 1T is the Wilrer-
tons bail YOU Know. told YOU this
morning Mrs. leighton had offered to
call Tor me and bring me home again.
Don't YOU remember
II remember something YOU seem
TO have forgotten was the cold reply;
'that Is, that did not and do not wish
YOU to go 70 this ball. Those Wlyer-
tons are not fiji people for you to as
socate with; OF that am certain. Tie
town is full of runors against them,
aud J predict Won will hnd but very
few decent people there tonight"
What nonsense YOU are talking
she said genuinely surprised now.
why | know there are plenty Of the
best people going; ! have scarcely met
one who has declined the invitation"
That may be, was the quiet reply:
but many men who have heard as
much. and more than have. will
change their minds tonight and keep
themselves aud their families away.
Those who 90 so will be sorry for IT, |
am sure.
"What terrible things have You
heard | should like to know?' she
asked half convinced.
Only rumors. own he answered.;
"but they are bad enough There was
never so much smoke without a little
fire, ~
Mrs Alison Interrupted him with
blazing eyes. "RGmors, iudeedl You
need shy no more, ! 10 not believe
one word of 1t all, and l shall go That
is decided"
But Maud
81 don't wish to hear any more.
am going
Aud she went-went with Mrs
leighton when she called for her--went
with smiling face and an angry re-
bcllious henri,
The WiIyertons greeted her with
efIusion. But there we're very few of
her set present and somehow the at
mosphtye seemed different one from
what she had been accustomed TO.
i y
present ladies aud gentlemen. The
former did not impress her favorably
and tho latter seemed rather demon
strative in their deYotions TO the fairer
sex MIR, Wilycrton made her uncom-
Portable, moreover, with his persistent
attentions; anj altogether sue wls not
sorry when Mrs. leighton proposed
returning home. Tney went early,
aud most of their particular set fol-
lowed iu their wake those III least
| who had not gone before.
Very little conversation passed be-
tween MIR. and Mrs. Alison that night
very little for Somo days thereafter.
! He considered himself Justly aggrieyed,
aud was indignant accordingly. She
| felt herself in tho wrong, was too proud
to own IT, and was miserable in couse-
| quoncc.
Meanwhile the whispers against the
Wivcrtons increased in number and
| Importance. lt began TO be generally
conceded that there was something
wrong abou. them; aud people who had
taken them mp ou trust were gradually
dropping their acquaintance. Mrs
Alison. however prided herself on be-
ing no summer friend. aud her inti-
macy with the Wilycrtous seemed Ia
no wis diminished. seemed, ! say, for
She wa, growing TO dislike them both,
as She saw moro aud more of them.
| Mrs. NilyCrt0u's d3shiug ways secured
coarse nov. ard no words could tell
how she was growing 10 loolho the man
/ who grew more bold aud uut7pokCa IN
z B. .