Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-07-26

than mans certainty-that he had
meant to go from the first, and with
Mrs. Hauksbee. She sat down to think,
and the outcome Of her thoughts was
that the memory of dead child was
worth considerably less than the affec-
tions Of a living husband She made
her plan and staked her all upon it. In
that hour she discovered that she knew
Tom Bremmil thoroughly, and this
knowledge she acted on
"Tom." said she. 81 shall be dining
out at the Longmores' on the evening
Of the 28th. You'd better dine at the
club. )"
This saved Bremmil from making an
excuse to get away and dine with Mrs.
Hauksbee; 80 he was grateful and felt
small and mean at the same time,
which was wholesome. Bremmil left
the house at for ride About half
past 8 in the evening large leather
covered basket came in from Phelps
for Mrs. Bremmil She was a woman
who knew how to dress. and she had
not spent week on designing that
dress and having it gored and hemmed
and herringboned and tucked and
rucked Tor whatever the terms are) for
nothing 1t was a gorgeous dress, slight
mourning. can't describe it. but ii
was what The Queen calls "a creation"
"a thing that hit you straight between
the eyes and made you gasp She had
not much heart for what she was going
to do, but as she glanced at the long
mirror she had the satisfaction Of know
ing that she had never looked so we'll
in her life. She was a, large blond, and
when she chose carried herself superbly.
After the dinner at the Longmores'
she went on to the dance-a little late
and encountered Bremmil with Mrs
Hauksbee b his arm. That made her
flush, and as the men crowded round
her for dances she looked magnificent
She filled up all her dances except three,
and those she left blank. Mrs. Hanks
bee caught her eye once, and she knew
1t was war-real war; between them.
She started handicapped in the strug-
gle. for she had ordered Bsemmil about
just the least little bit in the world too
much, and he was beginning to resent
1t. Moreover. he had never seen his
wife look so lovely. He stared at her
from doorways and glared at her from
passages as she went about with her
partners. and the more he stared the
more taken was he. He could scarcely
believe that this was the woman with
the red eyes and the black stuff gown
who used to weep over the eggs at
breakfast
Mrs. Hauksbee did her best to hold
him In play; but, after two dances, he
crossed over to his wife and asked for
dance
.'I'm afraid you've come too late,
Mr.. Bremmil. !" she said, with her eyes
twinkling.
Then he begged her to give him a
dance, and as great favor she allowed
him the fifth waltz. Luckily FIVE stood
vacant on his programme. They danced
it together. and there was little fut-
ter round the room. Bremmil had a
sort Of notion that his wife could
dance, but he never knew she danced
so diyinely. At the end of that waltz
he asked for another-as favor, not
as right-and Mrs Bremmil said,
"Show me your programme. dearl"
He showed 1t as naughty little school
boy hands up contraband sweets to a
master. There was fair sprinkling of
"H' on it besides "a" at supper Mrs.
Bremmil said nothing, but she smiled
contemptuously, ran her pencil through
seven and nine-two 's'-and re-
turned the card with her own name
written above, pet name that only
she and her husband used. Then sine
shook her finger at him and said. laugh
ing, "Oh. you silly silly boyi"
Mrs. Hauksbee heard that, and-she
owned as much-felt she had the worst
of it. Bremmil accepted seven and nine
gratefully. They danced seven and sat
out nine in one of the little tents What
Bremmil said and what Mrs. Bremmil
did is no concern Of any one.
When the band struck up 1.-The Roast
Beef Of Old England" the two went
out into the veranda. and Bremmil be-
gan looking for his wife's dandy (this
was before rickshaw days) while she
went into the cloakroom. Mrs. Hanks
bee came up and said. "You take me
in to supper, I think. Mr.. Bremmil"
Bremmil turned red and looked fool.
ish. "Ah'ml I'm going home with my
wife, Mrs. Hauksbee. think there has
been II little mistakel'' Being man,
he spoke as though Mrs. Hauksbee were
entirely responsible.
Mrs. Bremmil came ont of the cloak
room in swans down cloak with
white "cloud" round her head. She
looked radiant. and she had a right to-
The couple went off into the darkness
together. Bremmil riding very close to
the dandy.
Then says Mrs. Hauksbee to me-she
looked trife faded and faded in the
lamplight-"Take my word for it, the
silliest woman can manage clever
man, but 1t needs very clever woman
to manage fool"
Then we went In to supper.