The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-09-03
MRS. HICKS-BROWN.
How q Lesson Of Mutual For
hearance Was Learned.

eNSSoSAA =
hearance Was Learned.
There is always beginning to an
end What il was in the case of Mr..
and Mrs Hicks Brown, do not pre-.
tend to know. What l know most
about is the end and the appendix. Of
course all the differences leading up to
the last act were thoroughly aired in
court and in the newspapers, but it was
the final act of brutality on Mr.. Hicks
Browns part that was especially
dilated ulon. and for weeks this ''fiend
in human form" was execrated by
danes and damsels all over this broad
land, and Mrs. Hiclss-B Brown was an
object of heartfelt commiseration on all
sides.
i am inclined to think that If Mr..
Hicks-Brown had been more like the
men who are held up as model husbands
by the knowing members of certain
ladies' societies, he and Mrs. Hicks
Brown-she whom only two short
years since he had promised to love and
cherish-would be living in peace and
amlty, to say nothing of coniugal
happiness, even unto this day; and if
Mrs. Hicks Brown had been ANYTHING
but the only child of very rich and
foolishly indulgent papa, things might
have been different. But Mr. Hicks
Brown was just as much used to having
his own way as was his pretty spouse;
and the natural result was family
rows, more or less insignificant in
character. At first, Mr.. Hicks Brown
was inclined to give in, just as all
dutiful bubbles are; but he saw the
shoals of trouble on to which this
course was causing him to drift, and
concluded, after mature consideration.
that it was his will that should domin-
ate in the Hicks-Brown family, and he
fixed his plan of procedure and gov
erned his actions accordingly. Mrs.
Hlcks-Brown, with feminine insight,
perceived, at an early stage of the
game, what her lords intentions were;
and, as she had always been accus-
toned to have her way, she decided
that 1t was too late to begin knocking
under-and there you have what was
presumably the beginning of the end.
1t was dog that ca used the climax.
II there was any creature on earth that
MIR. Hicks-Brown loathed and despised,
1t was pug, and his better half, aware
OF this antipathy, had with character
lstlc feminine perversity, availed her.
self OF the first opportunity to possess
herself of one of those interesting ami
mails, which speedily won, it seemed,
frst place in her affections, aud made
Mr.. Hicks-Brown's life miserable.
! He stood it, however, as long as he
could, but the end had TO come.
MIR. Hicks-Brown was an architect,
and it came to pass that he had, on one
occasion, been invited to prepare the
plans for public building. The plans
We're drawn and accepted by the COM
mittee, which, however, returned them
to him for certain important altera-
tlons; and they were laid on the table
in his den, to be attended to when he
returned home in the late afternoon of
certain day.
Now, it SO happened that Vic, the aug
aforementioned, was of an inquiring
turn OF mind, and she chose this very
Afternoon for an exploi ing tour in the
upper part of the house.
When Mr.. Hicks Brown entered his
den, about five o'clock, he saw at once
that portions of his plans were missing,
and, supposing that his wife had taken
them to show to some visitor, he hur-
ried downstairs
Where are those plans?' he asked.
What plans, dear?" softly inquired
Mrs. Hicks-Brown, sliding her caramel
into one cheek, and still keeping one
eye on particularly thrilling page of
the yellow back novel in her lap.
"What-what plans! Do you mean
to say you didn't take those Calumet
building. plans from my table?" asked
Mr. Hicks-Brown, in some agitation.
"Oh-h.' S az his spouse, mildly sur
prised. why, it must have been
those that Vic had"
"That-Vic-had.' howled Mr. Hicks
Brown. "And, pray, where are they
now?'
Don't get excited, dear. Were
they anything in particular? Vic had
some old, soiled pieces of cloth, playing
with them awhile ago; but supposed
they were some you had thrown into
the waste basket, so / burned-Henry!
What are you going to do?"
But Henry did not answer. He strobe
over to the cushion whereon the offend
ing Vic was taking her afternoon ST.
esta, gripped her firmly by the nape of
the neck, and, despite his wife's hyteri-
cal protests, opened the door and kicked
the bowling animal into the street,
Ind not satisfied with this, when Mrs.