Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-12-26
THE UNEXPECTED
BY MARY A. SAWYER.
Dear mel"

Dear mel"
Mrs. Hamilton rose swiftly from
her seat at the sewingmachine and
! hurried into the hall to answer the
| telephone bell. A few moments later
she came back and resumed her work.
Dear mel" she said, again. at is so
veXatious, when l told him this morn
! ing that we had plenty of cold meat.
Partridges are dear now, too, for they
are out of season. And l did want to
! get this dress of Gracie's done before
! dark"
She stitched for a few moments long
er. Then gathering up her work she
| folded it away in her large work bas
| ket.
'If am to cook partrdges for sup
! per, must have coal fire. So,"glanc-
ing at the clock, 81 must get it under
way at once. William is always pune
tual when he is bringing home any
thing he especially likes for his sup
per"
She reproached herself for this re-
mark almost instantly. "Of course he
! likes a variety; why shouldn't he have
! 1t when he works hard to supply all
our need? He grudges me nothing
| why should | be vexed over this little
extra cooking?"
Her annoyance was but temporary,
therefore, and when she heard her
husbands step in the hall she ran to
the foot of the stairs and called to him
cheerfully:
Bring your partriuges down here,
| William. I'm all ready for them, and
the fire is burning splendidly."
Receiving no reply she went back into
the kitchen. He had not heard her, but
he would be down directly, she said to
herself. She went into the diningroom
and turned the gas higher. He might
come through it, and it would not do
for him 10 stumble against the table.
A few moments later her husband
! Joined her. His voice was cold.
"Why are you down here?" he said,
in displeased tone.
81 wanted to be all ready for your
partridges. Where are they?"
"My partridges? What do you mean?
When did say anything about par
tridges?"
mot two hours ago. You called me
up, and said you would bring home
partridges for supper. And so l came
down to have everything in readiness.
They can't be cooked in a moment"
you will not be troubled by them to-
night. l said nothing about par
tridges"
"You certainly did"
"You are mistaken"
81 heard you distinctly. You said"
81 said l intended to bring home
Partridge, George Partridge. And l
must say | expected to find you up
stairs instead of pottering around
down here"
"You must explain my mistake to
him. He is a sensible man. He will un-
derstand why l was not there to re-
ceive him."
Mr.. Hamilton's face relaxed little.
"Partridges! Partridges! l can't
! think how you could confound the
two!" he said.
81 thought I understood you, but
never mind now. You must go back up
stairs at once. Send the children down
in few moments, please. I'm afraid
! they are not quite tidy"
"Tidy!" in a voice which brought
swift color into his wife's checks
"tidy! Well" moving toward the door,
sri send them down and you must get
off that calico dress"
I'll change it before I see him. Go
up and stay with him, do! l must al
ter the table and get up a different
meal altogether"
"It seems as if man never could
bring home his friends and find things
as they ought to be-" muttered Mr..
Hamilton, leaving the room in evident
ill-temper.
AT the close of the evening, after the
departure of the guest, it became plain
to Mrs. Hamilton that his displeasure
had not been materially lessened by
the appetizing supper she had pre-.
| pared, nor by the pains she had taken
with her own personal appearance. He
stopped suddenly before her, after
pacing up and down the room.
'When | bring home man like
Partridge, a man of brains and educa-
| ton, it is strange you can't appear as
| if you knew what he was talking bout!
If you don't know anything about his
tory, for PHYS sake, need you say SO?
I'd read until | did know mething if
l were in your place!''
The tone, the words seemed brutal