The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-29

to be parted.
"He goes to chapel" said Jane. His
papa ma'am--"
His what, Jane?"
Mr.. Maynard is a Plymouth Brother,
His papa, ma'am, wus church, but
and William thinks It policy, ma'am,
to go there too. Mr.. Maynard comes
and talks to him quite friendly when
they alnt busy, about using up all
the ends of string and about his soul.
He takes a lot of notice. too, do Mr..
Maynard, of William, and the way he
saves strings and his soul ma'am."
Presently we heard that the head
porter at Maynard's had left. and that
William was head porter at % shillings
shillings a week. HE is really kind or
over the man who drives the van,'
said Jane, land him married with
three children" And she promised, in
the pride of her heart, to make inter-
est for us with William to favor us SO
that we might get out parcels of drap-
cry from Maynard's with exceptional
promptitude.
After this promotion q rapidly in
creasing prosperity came upon James
young man.
One Sunday afternoon about that
time was sitting at my writing desk
possibly I was reading q good book
when a something went by the win
dow. / heard a startled exclamation
behind me and saw Mariana with her
eyes dilated. George" she said, in
an awe-stricken whisper, did you
seer"
Then we both spoke to one another
at the same moment, slowly and SOL
emnly: "A silk hat! Yellow gloves!
"A new umbrella
That was the elimination OF James
happiness. When she returned, "Mr.
Maynard has been talking to William,
ma'am," she said, "and he is to serve
customers, just like the young shop
gentlemen, during the next sale. And
IL he gets on he is to be made an
assistant, ma'am. at the first oppor-
tunity. He has got to be as gentle
manly as he can, ma'am, and if he
aints, ma'am, he says it won't be for
want Of trying. Mr.. Maynard has took
a great fancy to him."
He is getting on, Jane" said my
wife.
Yes. ma am" said Jane, thought
fully, 'he is getting on"
And she sighed.
That next Sunday, as I drank my
tea, interrogated my wife. How is
this Sunday different from all other
pened? Have you altered the curtains,
sundays, little woman? What has hap
! or rearranged the furniture, or where
| is the indefinable difference Of it? Are
| you wearing your hair in a new way
without warning me? l clearly per-
| ceive change In my environment, and
l cannot for the life of me say what it
| is"
Then my wife answered in her most
tragic voice: George" she said. that
that William has not come near the
place today! And Jane is crying her
heart out upstairs.
There followed a period of silence.
Jane, as l have said, stopped singing
about the house, and began to care for
our brittle possessions, which struck
my Wife as being a very sad sign, in
deco. The next Sunday, and the next,
Jane asked to go out, ito walk with
William, and my wife, who never at
tempts to eXtort condolences, gave her
permission and asked no questions.
On each occasion Jane had come back
| looking flushed and very determined.
| icative.
William is being led away" she
remarked abruptly, with a catching of
the bdeath, apropos to tablecloths.
"Yes. MN, She is a milliner and she
! can play on the piano"
II thought" said my wife, that you
went out with him on Sunday"
Not out with him, mh--after him.
| H. 4 -. l.
told her he was engaged to me-"
Dear me, Jane, did you? What did
they do?"
Took no more notice of me than If
was dirt. So I told her she should
suffer with it,
| 1T could not have been a very agree
able walk, Jane"
Not for no parties, ma am"
Il WISH" said Jane, Il could play
the piano, maam. But, anyhow, l
don't mean to let her get him away
from me. She's older than him and
her hair amt gold to the roots ma'am. "
1t was or the August bank holiday
that the crisis came. We do not clear
ly know the details of the fray, but
only such fragments as poor Jane let
fall. She came home dusty, excited
and with her heart hot within her.
The milliner's mother, the milliner
and William had made a party to the
Art Museam at South Kensington, !
think. Anyhow, Jane had calmly but
| firmly accosted them somewhere on the
streets and asserted her right to what
| in spite of the consensus Of literature,
she held to be her inalienable property
She did, I think, go so far as to lay
hands on him. They dealt with her In
crushingly superior way. They
called a cab" There was a Scene
William being pulled away into the
four-wheeler by his future wife ant
mother-in-law from the reluctant hands
of our discarded Jane. There were
threats of giving her "in charge"
"My poor Jane'" said my wife, mine
ing veal as though she were mincing
William. IT'S a shame of them.
would think no more of him. He is not
worthy OF YOU"
mo. ma'am," said Jane. HE Is
weak. But it's that woman has done
it," She was never known to bring
herself to pronounce that woman's
name, or to admit her girlishness. 81
can't think what minds some women
must have-tO try and get a girls
young man away from her. But
there, 1t only hurts to talk about it,"
Thereafter our house rested from
William. But there was something in
the manner of James scrubbng the
front doorstep or sweeping out the
rooms, a certain viciousness that per-
suadcd me that the story had not yet
ended.
please, MN, may | go and see a
wedding tomorrow" said lane one