The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-02
l COMPOSITE WIFE.

NoVyf1BAts iooZ, Dy Harriet ffeecots spouofQ
When Mr.. Chipperley lost his wife he
was for time very unhappy. He felt q
little angry when he saw other women
walking IN the sunlight. He missed the
hattery, the affection. the object of love.
And perhaps all that furnished him with
sufficient reason for marrying again, which
he did very speedily. He lived very hap
PLY with the next venture, although now
and then the pale and pretty young face
Of her predecessor slipped in across his
mental vision Of the other, and it was a
little difficult to separate them. And
when third young woman ruled his af-
fecti0ns. it was az effort for him to say if
1t were Mays lower lip that looked as if a
bee had stung it, or If it were Mary's
upper lip that had the fiddle-bow curves,
or If IL were Maria that smiled with the
deep Greek corner in the mouth and in
his memory CLEANS of Mary's eyes shot
through Mays glance and were yelled
with Maria's long lash. NAYS pale cheek
wore the rose bloom of Mary's the outline
Of Mary's broad brow melted into the oval
Of Maria's Madonna-like forehead; and in
this composite memory Of q wife Mays
frown and Maria's smile were fast be-
coming indistinguishabie when he first
laid eyes on Honor Humphreys, and
overshot the whole picture with her great
shining hazel eyes and black brows, her
full red lips. and the faultiess teeth that
flashed with white light in the dark coun-
tenance where the rare red only now and
then blossomed, a tall and superb young
creature, whose health and vitality and
busters completely wiped ont the whole
mental photography Of poor May and
Mary and Maria.
'Gracious!" said Honor to her gentle
cousin, Marian Marcy. Don't talk of
hint He's married ali to pieces. So you
suppose will take fragment of hus-
band! Am l going to make one of q
harem. What does Papa mean2 The
idea of my marrying an old man like
thatl"
Poor Mr.. Chipperley was only As, but
such 10 the point Of view OF youth that As
was all the same to her as AS.
II don't care IL he is made of money!"
cried Honor. "He looks as If he were
Of old bank bills"
Stag, you know, almost as splendid as
precious stones.
HE hasn't reached the Stag stage. The
fancy of his daring to send me roses |" as
her cousin opened for her box that had
just come in. "Put them all back in the
box, Maddy, right away-I won't touch
one of them!"
Slut, Honor. look at these great beau
ties-an armful-the stems more than
half yard long. Why, they cost a dollar
and half apiece"
II don't care If they cost fortune apiece.
Wear his roses, indeed! I'd rather have a
green leaf of Ted's picking. Here, Pinky,
take them away-throw them out, every
onsi"
s'What gorgeous SIS breast knot Pinky
will wear out with her best young man to-
night. hope Mr.. Chipperley will see her
then. Make haste back, Pinky; you must
have the rose-red chiffon out presently
therel declare, what can papa be think.
ing Of. not only to be willing should ac-
cept that old Mormon. but TO want me TO |!
why, might as well 60 out to Utah
where they drive their wives forty abreast.
and be done with itI''
But, Mt any rate, Mr.. Chipperley has
the decency to drive his wives tandem"
mo. he hasn't. The law compels him.
Oh, you make me shiverl' she exclaimed.
with mock shudder. as she turned over
the laces and ribbons in the draw before
her. "The idea of going tandem with
three ghosts! Poor ghosts--poor dead
women! They must have lost all identity
by this time. Mrs. Chipperley-MrT heo-
dore Chipperley--which of them-all of
them-none OF them! And to be fourth,
and put on their name. should feel that
was putting on their shroud! Oh, oh.
OIL hate the ground be walks on -
and love the ground Ted dances on"
"Poor Ted! Poor Ted! On, Maddy,
what does make all the inequality! That
horrid Chipperley man with millions, and
Ted, the delightful. the original, the good,
the brilliant Ted, without a penny to his
hamei"
'Mr. Chirperlcy had been brilliant
enough to make a fortune"
We'll. he may keep it," smoothing out
Honiton flounce. ~ don't want it,.
''As II YOU could do without a fortune.
Honor, you who have always had SO many
Injuries that you don't know what the ne
ccssities are. Look at that fiounce-"
II know IT. | should never have an
other inch of real lace ii | married Ted.
And-weil, will you tell me, Maddy. why
Ted doesn't say anythingf can't so and
ask man to marry me"
II could. Ii need were"
"You. Well, for demure little cat that
darcs to look at n king you would take a
prize in a tabby show" said Honor, fold
round elbows among the rings aud pins
Of the toilet cushions. while she
siren in the glass. Il shall
never forget. Maddv, how you went
and took my mothers necklace off my
mothers neck, think that did papa good
Co the core of his heart. And when
mamma got over being startled she al
ways rather admired you for il. Only she
will be even with you some day" And
then she fell TO tying bows and shipping
ribbons with twinkilng fingers Il
should make a capital mitliner it--oh, if,
Well, Ted does everything except say the
word
"How can he say the word What
would he do with wiie9 Just think
Honor! Why, he'd be Il wretch If he did
speak, A man with no more possibilities
than Ted and with SD many attractions,
ought not To come where you and Helen
and Teresa and tue rest are-you butter
flies who have only fed on the roses and
lain in the lilies Of life"
"Marian, you are just an old maid. q
puritanic. conscientious, cantankerous old
maid. There, don't You think these little
lavender aud mtgnonette bows add 10 the
butterfly appearance of this particular but
sertiyP
Won forget there is u future. Nou lust
dance in the beam today. Your fathers
interest in the Humphreys estate dies
with him. It's blg interest today. but IL
reverts IL the co-residuarles. aud ali that
his children inherit is the nice liItle fam
fly quarrel that has given the General oc-
cupation ever since lawyers and sGrrogates
and the rest ate up the whole oi your
mothers fortune and parcel of most ex-
pensive tastes and habits. And here is
Mr., Chipperly, = nice young man
''old Chipperiys" dropping the scarf
over her hair. while Marian oolored and
eourhed.
Young - all 49, comparatively. STAN