The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-01
JOE GRANTS MISTAKE.

at the commencement exercises a Elm ooC
Academy. She was as pretty as most grad
yates are, in dainty white muslin and azuTt
ribbons, and the position she filed on the
days programme spoke well for the interior
of the little golden head; yet at the frs
wave of Joe Grants hand she became hi;
willing slave.
1t is one OF the problems Of life that
have neither time nor ability TO solve, why
q woman Of average Intelligence three times
out of five marTies 4 man several degrees
below her mentally, and then attempts the
Impossible feat of looking MP to him,
accepting his decisions on all matters as
infallible.
Within three months OF that bright June
day, MilIy has become Mrs. Joseph Grant,
No 2-for Joe was a widOweT, who had lost
bis wife two years beforehand found
house ready furnished according 10 the taste
of Mrs Grant No. /. AS she WAS q sensible
little body, the fact Of RnotheTs having Sc
lected her furniture did not render il worth
less 10 her. so long as the articles them
selves were not Objectionable.
Milly had fallen so irretrlevably in love
that il was long time before she reganed
her mental equilibrium sufficiently 10 really
know lust what kind Of a bargain she had
made m8tTimOnialy. The Tact was. like
most schoolgirls, she had an ideal in her
foolish little head-fO0hsh in spite Of her
proficiency in language and Mathematics
and. that ideal she biindiy wOTshlped under
the guise of Joe Grant.
Now Joe was narrow and mean, but
handsome as a Greek god Is supposed TO
have been, and Miily gave him devotion
that better men would give their lives Tor
but eldom receive for your really good
men are rarely mated with women who aD-
l.
form ate, for If very good men mated with
the very good, and the very bad with the
very bad, the next generation would stand
fair chance of being angels or dem Ms
instead. of average human beings, as they
are at present
Arly found her greatest annoyance in
J0e's propensity 10 hab4tually refer 10 his
. first vile, No matter how earnestly she
tgied 10 please him bis lost Alice had In
varlabiy done better, and poor Mlily cried
herself 10 sleep many a. night because she
felt that sire could never fill the place in
Joe's heart that his first wife had filed.
j oe was by nature tyTannical, and finding
that q reference to the dear departed
wOnld gOad Mliy 70 almost superiuman
effort 10 please him, he rarely let an 0ppOr-
1unity pass, until the child learned TO hate
the name Of Alice:
Occasionally the idea would suggest itself
TO her that it was anything but manly to so
family praise her best efforts and Qusnch
all the light and hope in her heart. Yet,
Though size began to dimiy perceive that not
only the feet of her idol but the most Of
lis ANATOMY was clay, she remained very
faithful II her allegiance.
Stiu. any one who had known MilIy in her
glrihocd would hardly have recognized her
after she had been Joe Grants wife for FIVE
years. Not that he had ever struck or
starved her, but she had lived SO long in an
atmosphere Of chill and repression that a
rrn ont haA fnl- ~.
place Of the bright gentle girl who had so
trq~tinGly laid her hand in Joe's aud prom
ised 10 love, honor and obey.
Right faithfully had she kept her VOW,
and but fer enc little mistake on Joe's part
would probably have continued his AFFECT
slave tlll Der body, as well as soul, was
worn Gu. 10 the unequal contest, when she
would have lain dewUquietly in the church
yard and left him 70 sing her praises 30
number three. But fate had a rod in pickle
for Joe, and MlllY's emancipation was at
hand.
She was going one morning 10 a village
some three miles away to DO some trading,
she intended to be absent for several hours
and visit some friends; but that day Toe, as
If gTudging her even that pleasure, said:
Don't go 70 Lamar's and stay half day
9ossipiDg. You can just as well get your
groceries al Hamlin's. at the end Of the
village My poor lost Alice thought Il sin
ful 10 waste tine IN idle gossip"
Mbly was buying sugar and coffee with
as much care as if her life depended Oh the
selection, for # the favor was not TO her
IoTd's taste she would hear how careful
Alice had been to suit his fastidious palate.
Suddenly she heard the sound OF JOe's
name, and inyoluntarily raised her head.
does not Joe Grant live somewhere
GesT here2' queried tall man Of Mr..
Hamlin.
About three miles west, on Oakdale
farm. DO you know him p
'"Oh slightly; ! met him quite often In
NJ when he was getting his divorce.
Bp the way, l saw his wife last week in
Chicago. She was cutting a swell, tell
you"
There must be some mistake. Joe
Grants wife is dead, not divoreed-that is,
, the hTsf one; lie has another now. His first
vile went east on a visit and was taken
sick while there and died"
ENot much! She went with another
Though hardly haudsomer, man, and Joe
WAS 50 confoundedly proud that be gave
ont that she was dead. | know, for he told
me at the time that DO one knew she had
deserted him."
Ailly listened with a white face, nearly
shocked out OF her five senses; but she raj
lied, and instantly threw of the old Incubus
from her brain when she heard the strange
story; Stepping to the gentleman she said
quietly:
Give NE your name and address. please. 4"
de looked astonished, but seeing her
white. determined face, answered:
James Gordon. attorney and counselor
at law. Chicago"
"You are prepared to substantiate your
assertion just made ?" she asked steadily.
Why, yes; but what"
1 am the present Mrs. Joseph Grant. 81
answered Ml,ly, With a flushed face. and
said no more, though Mr.. Gordon was pro.
iuse IN apologies for his earelessness.
She drove home slower than usual too
busy thinking over the event Of the day "a
care To hurry, and not in the least afraid of
Joes fault hnding now He met her with
an aggrieyed air. -
You were gone much longer than neces-
saTY my poor lost Alice"
But he proceeded no further: she turned
on him Ike small tornado
:, Suppose you go and find her. She was
down at Hamlin's and will put YOU on her
track, Ii she thinks more Of you than She
o'd Wnen she left you she may return.
VIII aodlcate In her favor. You need moi
weep Tor your poor lost Alice again"
Joe was not ordinarily a profane man
but he now cursed Hamlin, every one .bn
himself. and asked angrily why she wen
there.
Because you told me TO, and I obeyet
yon as usual" fired Milly. you made
little mistake this time, think, Mr.. Grant
Joe protested that 1t was lie, but " her
Milly threatened to investigate the matter
he sncenmbed.
No, she did not leave him. She nevei
WOuio nave married divorced man had sb.
known 1t. but having innocentlv done so
the remained her comfortable home
where she is mistress in truth Joe is y,r,