The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-28


Bagley ferociously of all of us, whom
he surprised grinning covertly at each
other.
We FASTENED to explain that nobody
meant anything in the least and stuck
TO the lie till it saved us, but neverthe-
less we held privately to the opinion
that Bagley was just the man to vent
upon a wife and family all those petty
brutalitics of temper and speech that
good manners obliged him to veneer in
society.
That summer he spent a month in the
mountains at "a third-rate hotel kept by
a miserable little Frenchman We
couldn't discover any attractions about
the place, but Baglcy assured us that
the fishing was good. In the fall he
went up there again, and on his return
to the city he announced that he was
married. He married the innkeeper's S
daughter, brought her to the city, and
went promptly into housekeeping.
If | confess that we We're simply
wild to see what sort of a woman he
had married | state the case mildly.
our fever Of expectation was aggra-
waited by Il fear that she might be such
a dowdy ignorant that very pride would
keep him from inviting us to his house.
But we didn't know him. Matrimony.
the first month of it, brought all his
good points to the surface and he one
day invited Groevenor and me up to
dinner with such honest hospitality
and enjoyment that very shame
prompted us to refuse. But we went.
The house was a cozy little box, pret-
. I'll. i l.. y
and Mrs, BaGley fairly captivated us.
Not that she was ravingly beautiful
for she was not; but she was very
2wect-loOking and slim, and shy, and
appallingly young. She couldn't have
been over seventeen she hardly spoke
Il word Of English, either. but she did
the honors of the house so charmingly,
and showed herself so infatuated with
everything julius said, or did. or
thought, that we went away that night
actually pleased with julius ourselves.
OF course we called again and again;
but bit by bit, as always happens, we
began 10 see behind the scenes a great
deal. As the newness Of the situation
wore off traces of Julius real self
showed through. and began TO make af-
fairs lively.
For one thing, he shamefully took ad
vantage of her ignorance of English tn
badger her INTO making exciting mis-
takes, at which he would roar loudly.
and the poor little thing would laugh
too and pretend to be as pleased as
pigs herself, In spite of the tell-talc
Hood of color that would rise up TO her
hair roots.
1, II
was too "a big n muuthful and called her
Sarah for short She smilingly beg
gcd him to call her Daisy if he object
ed to Desiree, but Sarah he stuck to,
and Sarah it was. except when an ey-
ira stress of bad temper provoked him
10 sal"
Dcsiree for 50 we got to calling her
in defiance of BaGley) was indeed ig
nOTant. She scarcely could do more
than sign her own name, but her ig-
nOranCe had been forced upon her for
she was the most intelligent little lady
| ever met. The way she began to pick
up information from the papers and
The QuiCllnrsS with which she mastered
the language was simply marvellous.
We used to play cards up at Bagley's
until Il and / o'clock ana little Desiree
would get 50 sleepy that she would al
most tumble out of her chair, but Bag
ley would not let her go to bed. He
must have represented to her that It
would De an insult to her guests. or So
we judged from chance remark Of
the little womans, and we made up our
minds to clear out at 10. We did it
once but on the occasion of our follow
t.1,. 4
thetically ana cast such imploring
glances toward her husband that we
felt sure he had blown her up for driv-
ing us away. So. of course, we stayed.
After a few months Bagley got tired
of showing off his wife and began TO
train her The first public exhibition
of his method occurred on Independ-
enCe Day. GrOsvenor and ! had gone
up to Bagley's to take him and Mrs.
b. to an officers dinner at Preside
Dcsiree came into the room all smiles
ana bushes. She wore brand new
dress, and her hair. which was ordin-
arily combcd straight back from her
forehead, was banged and banged pro-
fusely. She looked radiantly pretty.
and knew it, and turned her glowing
face to Bagley for appreciation. He
scowled, and replied:
The next time you saw off your
hair consult me. When you have gone
into that room and brushed that fuZz
off your face I'll take you out with
me- not before"
1t was her first act Of independence,
i'm honor of the day perchance, and he
resolved to nip it at once.
Tho pn1Ap that lAgnpta1 nngfpans- 90
must have crept into mine. for felt it
sting me.
Don't you like it julius" she asked,
with a catch in her voice, but smiling
bravely at us, as If she enjoyed her
lords little eccentricities.
NO! | don't like it. Let me know If
you are going to do as / ask or not,
because time presses"
II am afraid eet will look vairy funny
cOmDed back, ii ees SO short. Just to-
day julius, please" She looked at him
anXiously, with a nervous dread of his
refusal, which made Grosvenor and
me want to kick ourselves for seeing.
Bagley hung up his hat, sat down os-
tentatiously, ana opened a paper. The
courageous little woman stood ner-
VOusly in the middle Of the floor and
tried 1t again
"Will you not let me go out wiz you
onless / comb it my hair back, Julius
dear?"
Either do as l tell YOU, or don't do
it," answered he angrily, turning upon
her fercely, but not toe do you go
looking as you do! Understand that"
A look OF outraged dignity displaced
the entreaty on her face, and l was
filled for moment with unholy joy,
expecting she would rebel, but she did
the wisest thing, perhaps, in turning
to Grosvenor and me, and saying
sweetly;
wait for me moment, please: eet