The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-01-03
IN HIS
T y OWN COIN


y Bowers enough in your bonnetW
"Oh. Bob, how can your sobbed Mel
n lie. beginning afresh.
"I.ook here Ellen" said her husband,
Sitting down upon the lounge and speak
ing more seriously. 81 don't like TINS at
r all. | never come home that your eyes
are not red and swollen with crying
Nhat have you to cry about, l should
ike to know? It's an insult TO me to go
= eniyeling about the house after this fash
Ion and mopng away in corners, looking
sulen and miserable. as you did last night
al Mrs. Macklin's. Why, people will
think me a perfect domestic tyrant"
"Ah, Bob don't speak SO! | can't help
ii indeed. | do feel so miserable. You
make me so, Bob"
M 81! Well, that is richl Perhaps you'll
be good enough to let me know of what
enormity I've been guilty that has turned
Il you into modern Niobe?
M Nothing really wrong, dear; but, oh, if
you knew how much a wife thinks of her
husbands love and Here poor Nellie
broke down again. Mr. Palmer's eyes
opened very wide.
"Whew!" whistled he. IF this isn't
really absurd, SO she's jealous"
"lndeed, no. dear Bob, But-but'-
4 She could hardly speak for the choking in
her throat-"you can't understand the
pride a woman takes in having her hus-
s band treat her with affection and respect
before every one, or how it humbles or
mortifes her to be neglected by him and
have other women consider themselves
rivals, like Isabel Baden"
Mr.. Bob Palmer laughed outright, and
then he grew angry.
you're an absurd little fool, Nellie"
he said. AS if Isabel Baden were any
thing to me beyond pleasant and agree
able young woman to amuse oneself with
at Il party Nonsense
"She doesn't think So" said Nellie,
"and-and the others don't think so
They all think you are getting tired Of
your wife, and Isabel tlatters herself
tfat he has cut me out and is trying to
M tople see it." 10
~ Gddlesticks." said Bob, rising impa
" lily from the lounge I'm astonlshed
//you. Nellie, and had really given you
yeredit for more sense as well as temper /"
4 he added severely. Il wish you'd amuse
yourself in society, as | do, instead of GO
ing moping about in this fashion. You
can't expect to have me tied to your
you flirting little yourself than skulk-
ing away in holes and corners like a spi-
der, watching your butterfly of a hus-
band, to see if you can detect him in do
ing wrong. You make me quite ashamed
OF you, declare"
MIR Palmer took his hat and walkd
out of the room with an air of mingled
dignity and injured innocence His wife
uof 4
awhile with eyes flashing and checks
flushed with wounded and indignant feel
ing.
N "1es," she said to herself. "since he
has requested it, / will amuse myself as
he does and see how he likes it, Asian
ed of me- is he? And he did not used to
be so when | was gay and happy. Oh,
Bob, If you only knew how ! loved you
And once more, despite her resolutely
closing her eyes and pressing her fingers
upon them, the tears would come.
There was to be that very evening a
party at Colonel Johnson's, and Nellie
took particular pains in dressing herself
for It. She had been of late rather care
less on this point and was now rewarded
for her extra care by her husbands
glance of approval and his remark that
consequence her eyes and cheeks were
brighter and her spirits more buoyant as
she entered Mrs. Johnson's crowded
drawing room.
Scarcely had they paid their respects
to the hostess when Mr.. Palmer aecost
ed, or, Father, was accosted, by Miss Ba.
den, a brilliant, confident girl, who tried
Y to ensnare him before his marriage, and
,e dressed Mrs. Palmer. She answered
mechanically. unable to withdraw her at
tention entirely from her husband and
MS companion until seeing something in
Miss Baden's glance at herself which she
did not like, her pride again awoke, and
she turned as with sudden determination
20 the gentleman at her side He was
recent conner to the town, very pleasant
and handsome. and Nellie Palmer forth
with began to try and make herself agree.
able to him. He looked so pleased and
was himself so agreeable that it soon cost
ner no effort to converse, and then her
old lively spirits returned and, to her
surprise. she found that she was enjoy
ing herself. Her husband didn't much
notice this, but Miss Baden did, and her
Irritation with Mr.. Palmer lost much of
ats charm now that his wife did not ap.
pear mortified and jealous and that people
couldn't see that she was so.
Wherefore Miss Baden grew indiffer.
ent, and Mr.. Palmer bethought himself
to look after his wife. Not finding her
looking over the photograph albums moi
Walking to deaf old Mr.. Brown, nor in
any OF the "holes and corners" which she
was wont of late to frequent, he became
rather puzzled.
At that instant a little laugh at his ell.
DOW startled him, and. turning, he saw
Nellie. bright and flushed, talking to a
very handsome man, who appeared to be
quite absorbed in her. Mr.. Palmer stared
amoment at the unconscious couple.
! "Why the deucer' was his thought.
What on earth can they have been
talking about all this while?" Then sud
denly. meeting his wifes eye, he smiled
and whispered, Enjoying yourself, Nell?"
"0h. YES. dear. delightfully."-! Don't trou
bic yourself about me- pray"
6 Nellie Palmer had never sung more
upon this evening
Don't you think, Nell, you've danced
enough for one night?" said her husband
toward the close of the evening. "For a
married woman?" he added
perhaps So" she answered cheerfully.
ssBpt I've enjoyed myself so much! Real
ly,G almost forget that l was married
woman and felt like a girl again."
"And behaved like one," he said, rather
coolly. "Who is that fellow that has
been In attendance upon you all the even
inQY, be injured as they walked down ,