The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-03-14
MATE in THREE MOVES.
Why Mrs. Dickson Should Have
Learned to Play Chess.


Two ladies were sitting together over
the fire in the twilight of a winter
afternoon. The younger of the two
with her face resting on her hands,
leaned forward and stared moodily at
the glowing Goals. The other was re
posing in the luxurious depths Of an
armchair, with that ill-disguised eX-
preston of citation on her hard features
which the best of us assumeon learning
Of oar neighbors misfortunes.
You will dc me the justice. Camilla"
she remarked, in hard and metallic
tones, Ito remember that l foretold
this"
Very likely you did, said the other,
plaintivcly. You have prophesied
every kind of disaster for me at one
time or another. That's your nature,
and can't help it, 1 suppose. But Fred
seemed so good and so true, and we
have only been married six months,
and"
Her voice faltered, and the freight
showed that there were tears in her
eyes
when I first heard of your mad en-
gagement," continued Miss Singleton,
rising from her chair, and thereby re-
vealing the fact that she wore divided
skirt, Il did my very best to save you.
J sent you the most striking pamphlets
of the Mans Suppression league. and a
COPY of my own lecture entitled. Mat
rimony or Slavery? proving conclusive
ly. as You will remember, that seventy
nine per cent. of the marriages made
each year turn out unhappily; so
that, if you read these papers. you
rushed into misfortune with your eyes
open. And now. when you have
been married for about half a
year, You tell me that you are nearly
sure that your husband is ill-using
you. This much you admit, though
you refuse to give me the particulars,
and it is not much use your asking me
TO help you unless | know everything.
Tell me" with CLEAN of inspiration,
''does he throw plates at you?"
A smile fic!1ered over Camilla Dick
sons face at hissuggestion. Thanks
for your kind inquiry, but the crock
cry is still whole, believe"
All" responded Miss Singleton,
slightly disappointed. Then he doesn't
belong to class two, subsection b. We
have all kinds of faults, you know,
classified in the Handbook of Bad Hus-
bands If he only threw plates-but
never mind. Does he dine at the club
every day."
Really, Miss Singleton remarked
Camilla, becoming Justly irritated,
''you have no right whatever to ask
these questions. which are not only
rude, but wholly wide of the mark
Fred is-outwardly at least-just as af-
fectionate as ever; that's the bitterest
part of 1t. 1t was foolish of me to say
anything at all about my troubles to
yor. Let's talk about something else,
please
Camilla Dickson" said the other.
solemnly, standing over the girl, and
eying her sternly through her pince-
nez, you know very well that am
not going 70 be put off like that. Not
so much for your own sake as for the
bai,e of the cause--for the sake of Our
Emancipation from Male Tyranny
Miss Singleton spoke in large capitals
~ feel bound to learn in what way
your husband has illtreated you? Is it
cruelty? Is it neglect? Is it clandes-
tine correspondence with
Yes flashed out Camilla, IF you
must know, it is. And ! do think you
might try to be little more sym
pathetic and feeling, wnen | am so
miserable, and her words ended with
something very like a sob.
"Ho!' said Miss Singleton. quite I'M
moved, "a clandestine correspondence,
lis it? And do you know who the other
is? And how did You find it out?"
''Why, Fred has lately seemed so
anxious and absent-minded at break
fast, and directly it is over he shuts
himself up in the study for hours.
Also, l could not help noticing that he
got a letter, or more often a post
card, in writing which | did not
know. almost every day. Sometimes