Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-09-15
NETTIE PALMER'S CURE.

pretty little gueSt-roOm; the latest ca
Ter had gone; and now the smile fade
from her face, and she sat penSiy
awhile; then big tears guShed in he
eyes, which she wiped away with he
lace handkerchief. And yet she hat
been married only six months, and t
such a nice, handsome man." as al
the young ladies declared, that sllrel,
she ought to have been happy witt
him. And so she had been, until, t
tell the truth, Mr.. Bob Palmer forget
ting, or seeming TO forget, that he wa
a married man, had recently taken t,
flirting with all the young ladies at al
the parties in Middleton, leaving hi.
wife to take care of herself. Surely
it was enough to make any six month!
wife cry, especially one as sensitive as
| Nettie.
Not that Mr.. Robert Palmer loved
his little wife a bit less than on the day
of his marriage, neither that Nettie sus
pected him of it, or for moment
doubted his cOnstancy. But Mr.. Pal
mer was a gay young man, and loved
to amuse himself and be amused.
Hello! Been crying again, I de-
clare!' exclaimed Mr.. Bob Palmer
suddenly ceasing his little whistle as he
| entering the room on returning from
his office, and took seat beside her in
the cool manner that had so quickly re-
placed the ardOr of the lover.
whats the matter now, Nettie
Canary refused to sing, or Nine. Wig
lini not put flowers enough in your
bonnet?"
"Ohg Bob! how can yOu?" sobbed
Nettie, raising her head and turning
her tear-stained face toward him. IF
you knew how much a wife thinks Of
her husbands love-
Here poor Nettie broke down. Mr..
Palmer's eyes opened very wide.
'WheW!' Whistled he IF this
isn't really absurd. SO she's jealousr'
Indeed, no, dear Bob. But-but-''
She could hardly speak for the choking
in the throat. You can't understand
the pride a woman takes in having her
husband treat her with affection and
respect before everyone, or how it
humbles and mOrtifies her to be
neglected by him, and have other wo-
men consider themselves her rivals
like Isabel Baden"
Mr.. Palmer laughed outright and
then grew angry.
You're an absurd little fool, Net
tie he said. LAS if Isabel Baden
We're anything to me beyond a pleasant
and agreeable young woman to anluse
ones self With at party. Nonsense!'
'She doesn't think So" said Nettie
"and-and the others don't think so.
They all think you are getting tired Of
your wife, and Isabel flatters herself
that she has cut me out, and is irving
to let people see it,
'Fiddlesticksr' said Bob, rising i'm
patiently from his seat. I'm astonfsh-
ed at you, Nettie, and has really given
you credit for more sense as well as
temper" he added, severely. Il wish
you'd amuse yourself in society as l
do, instead of mOping about in this
fashion. You can't expect to have me
tied to your apron strings; and I'd
much rather see you flirting a little
yourself than skulzing away in holes
and corners like a spider, watching
your butterfly of a husband to see if
you can't detect him in doing wrong.
You make me quite ashamed of you.
DECLARE
Mr.. Palmer took off his hat and
walked out Of the room with an air of
mingled dignity and injured innocence.
His wife sat up and wiped away her
tears and unused a while, with eyes
flashing and cheeks flushed with
wounded and indignant feeling.
YES" she said to herself, "since he
has requested it I will amuse myself
as he does and see how he likes it.
Ashamed of me, is he? And he did not
used to be so when I was gay and
happy. Oh, Bob, if you only knew how
I loved your
And once more despite her resolute-
~ closing her eyes and pressing her
fingers upon them, the tears would
come.
There was within a few days a party
at Col JohnSOn'S, and Nettie took par
dcular pains in dressing herself for it.
She had been Of late rather careless
on this point, and was now rewarded
for her extra care by her husbands
glance of approval and his remark that
pink silk was becoming to her In con-
sequence her eyes and cheeks were
brighter and her spirits more buoyant
as she entered Mrs. Johnson's crowd
ed drawing rooms. Scarcely had they
paid their respects to the host when
Mr.. Palmer accosted, or rather was
accOSted by, Miss Baden, a brilliant
confident girl, who tried to ensnare him
before his marriage, and at the same
moment a gentleman addressed Mrs.
Palmer.
She answered mechanically, unable
to withdraw her attention from her
husband and his companion, until. see
ing something in Miss Badens glance
at herself that she did not like, her
pride again aWOke, and she turned, as
with sudden determination, to the
gentleman at her side. He was a re
cent conner to the town, very pleasant
and handsome, and Nettie Palmer
forthwith began to try and make her.
self agreeable to him. He looked sc
pleased and was himself SO agreeable
that it soon cost her no effort to con
verse; and then her old lively spirits re-
turned and, to her surprise, she found
! that she was enjoying herself.
Her husband didn't much notice this
but Miss Baden did, and her Irritation
with Mr.. Palmer lost much of it,
! charms now that his wife did not ap