Nevada County picayune., 1891-05-28

self: 'No, that won't do; for he ii
have to take sides with one or the
other, and either way it will make
trouble. 1t may wean his love from
me, too. No, no, I'll try to get
along without; but / wish l had
known more about her before / came
here to live
And 50 she smiled and chatted
gaily with Harry, and hoped he had
set it down to the account of ner-
vousness.
Still the hours passed slowly, when
he was absent at his business and
she felt uneasy every time she heard
step on the stairs, lest the old lady
should subject her to some new trial.
II wonder what has come over our
Emma" said one of her sisters !;
''she has grown so grave and matron-
ly. | half-hated Harry when he car.
ried her off, and / quite hate him
now, for she's so sedate and moping.
l desire to keep my neck out of the
matrimonial noose.'
Shortly after this, Emma's mother
sent her some little delcacy, manu-
factured by herself, of which she
knew her daughter TO be particularly
fond. Mrs. Hall brought it into her
room. and set it down on the table
as if she was testing the strength OF
the dish. and said: 81 wonder if
your mother is afraid you'll not have
enough to eat here. One would
think you was a child at boarding
school,.
Emma controlled herself by
strong effort, and made her no re-
ply, simply taking the gift from her
hands with a nod of acknowledge
ment. Every day brought her some
petty annoyance; and her father-in-
law. who was old and childish, being
quite as troublesome as his wife in
these respects, il required all OF
Emma's love for Harry to carry her
through.
She still adheres to the determina-
ton, however, to conceal her trouble
from her husband; and though he
noticed she was less vivacious, per-
haps he thought the mantle OF
matronly dignity so becoming to his
wife, that he felt no disposition to
find fault with it. In the meantime,
old Mrs. Hall being confined to her
room with a violent influenza, the
reigns of government were very un-
willingly resigned into Emma's
hands. What endless charges she
received about the dusting, and
sweeping, and cooking, ending al
ways with this soliloquy, as the door
closed upon Emma's retreating form
q am a goose to tell her anything
about ii. She's as ignorant as a
Hottentot-it will all 90 in at one
ear and out at the other And the
old lady groaned in spirit, as the
vision of the nose of the tea-kettle
pointed the wrong way; or the
sauce pan hung on the wrong nall,
fitted through her mind. Emma eX-
erted herself to the utmost to please
her; but the Cruel was always mot
quite right" the pillows not ar
ranged easily behind her back, or
she expected to find bedlam let loose
when she got down stairs, and vari-
Gus other encouraging prognostica-
tions of the same character.
Emma" SAID Harry one day,
chow should you like living five
miles out of the city? l have seen
place that just suits my fancy and
am thinking of renting it on trial. -
Emma hesitated. She wished to
ask: "Does your mother go with
us?' but only said, II could not tell,
dear Harry, how l would like the
place till saw it; but should fear
it would take you too much from me.
1t would seem SO odd to have five
miles distance between us for a
whole day. Oh, I'm very sure
shouldn't like it, Harry!" and the
thought of her mother-in-law clouded
her sunny face, and, in spite of her
self, tear dropped on her husbands
hand.
"Well, dear Emma, now I'm very
sure you will like it," and his large
dark eyes had look she did not
quite understand, even with all her
skill and practice in reading them.
"And so I'm going to drive you out
there this very afternoons and we'll
sec, said he, gaily, kissing her fore
head
Thither they accordingly went.
"Oh, what little paradise, Har-