The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-18
NY WIFE AND I.

ecQuaiDtanco with young married people
we'll at any rate, women considerably
younger than herself. She viii have it
that the effect of this is to make her more
juvenile, which may have a sOupcon Of
truth in it. but it is for all that, a trife
inconvenient at times. 1t was 90, for ex-
ample, week ago.
OF course since Julia's second was born
she has too much to do at home to spend
great deal of time at our house, and as
Maria has no Sne to talk to but Susan,
and she has lately grown grumpy-as all
old servants do at times, especially those
who brood over the fact of their never hav-
ing had square offer of Neutrality-suspicious.
IS a loneliness about the life which makes
Maria s eyes light up when she sees Harold
or myself come back from business.
This has made me give up the club
good deal for her sake. It is of course
more or less Of a sacrifice and one that I
take care to remind her Of every evening
in some sly way Indeed Maria some
times suggests that I'd better go to the
club as my absence would be better than
my eternal song of sacrifice.
But / am forgetting Mrs. Shotter and
Mrs Crawley, both Of whom have some-
how crept INFO Aaria's life of late and look
like even cutting Mrs Starleigh out.
Wen, they both came up to our place
last Saturday morning, and they asked
her if she remem bered that divine lady,
Bedford square. Mr.. Crook, it seems, had
become consul at Cardiff for the Malacca
isles, where he has large interests, and
Mrs Crook, who is not overhead and ears
in love with the Welsh seaport had writ
ten to her two feminine friends to come
down at all cost and help her to stave of
the mOnotony.
And we are going said Mrs. Shotter
and Mrs Crawley in one breath. There's
a Sunday league train starts from Pad
dington at midnight on Saturday for
shillings return. Think of it, dear, $50
miles for shillings, and Mr.. Shotter and
Mr.. Crawley are both coming to Padding
ton station to see us off. Do say whether
you can come, and write and ask Mrs
Starleigh; it would be such & splendid
quartet, auntie, added Mrs. ShOtter. She
always calls Maria auntie, and this is the
only token of the difference in age that
ever leaks out in the course Of their eau
serie, and without consulting me in any
shape Maria consented, and when I re-
turned home in the afternoon 1 was mad
and demonstrated, but of no avail
Mrs Crook has wired to say she will
be in her husbands carriage waiting for
us at 8 a. m. at Cardiff station. -
simply insanity" I remarked and
argued the point for nearly half an hour,
but all to no purpose
Yet at midnight I am on PaddingtOn
platform, and manage, thanks to a most
urbane representative of the league, to get
them a oomforta BILE carriage to themselves.
Shotter and CraWley were both there, but
Starlight was too i'll, yet seemed glad,
from what we could gather, to be left by
his wife at home.
We al sympathized deeply with Mrs.
Starlight and promised to go up and see
him on the morrow, and then, amid many
handshakes, the train steamed out OF the
station.
Then Shooter said we had better adjourn
to his club, which was a Bohemian show
somewhere just out Of the Strand, and we
went and heard beautiful songs by profess
sional singers and drank Scotch whisky,
was breaking, but Crawley, who is in the
wine trade, said If we would. only drop in
at his place on the way home he would
give us a drop of rare 1884 Gung'l, brand
that only emperors could afford to buy,
and we all three got into a cab, and Craw
ley, who lives near Portland Road station,
brought out his champagne, which was
certainly very good. 1 honestly believe
we should have staid there till church
time if it hadn't been for noise in the
street.
'what rowP' said Crawley, putting
out his head.
''Only some one wanting to fight a cab
man, T observed Shotter Lets go out
and see the fun.
Which we did, just as the oabman gave
his antagonist one, two and downed him
in the gutter. We helped to lift him up
very much disheveled, and, to our horror,
found it was-Starleigh, who, despite all
our circumstances, was taken into GUS
tody