The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-11-10
THE UNEXPECTED.

Dear me
Mrs. Hamilton rose swiftly from
her seat at the sewing-machine and
hurried into the hall to answer the
telephone bell. A few moments la
ter she came back and resumed her
work.
"Dear me P'she said again. "It
is so vexatious, when I told him we
had plenty of cold meat. Partridges
are dear now, too, for they are out of
season. And I did want to get this
dress of Gracie's done before dark"
She stitched for a few moments
longer. Then gathering up her
work she folded it away in her large
work basket.
'If 1 am to cook partridges for
supper must have coal fire. So,"
glancing at the clock, II must get it
under way at once. William is al
ways punctual when he is bringing
home anything he especially likes for
his supper"
She reproached herself almost in
stantly for this remark.
"Of course he likes variety; why
shouldn't he have it when he works
hard to supply all our needs? He
grudges me nothing-why should 1
be vexed over this little extra cook
ing?"
Her annoyance was but temporary,
therefore, and when she heard her
husbands step in the hall sts za;ih zTsh- a. a
tine foot Of the stairs and called up tc
him cheerily:
Bring your partridges 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 dining-room and turned the gas
higher. He might come through it,
and it would not do for him to stun.
bic against the table.
A few moments later her husband
joined her. His voice was cold.
why are you down herel" he
asked in displeased tone.
IT wanted to be all ready for your
partridges. Where are theyl"
"Partridges /! What do you mean
When did I say anything about
partridges1"
''Not two hours ago. You called
me up and said you would bring
home partridges for supper. And SC
I came down to have everything in
readiness. They can't be cooked in
a moment"
"You will not be troubled by them
tonight. said nothing about par.
tridges."
"You certainly did. l heard you
distinctly. You said"
'I said / intended to bring home
Partridge, George Partridge. And
I must say expected to find you up
stairs instead of pottering around
down here"
"You must explain my mistake tc
him. He is a sensible man. He
will understand why I was not there
to receive him."
Mr.. Hamilton's face relaxed q
little. "Partridges? I can't think
how you could confound the two" he
said.
II thought / understood, you, but
never mind now. You must 60 back
up stairs at once. Send the children
down in few moments, please. I'm
afraid they are not quite tidy"
"Tidy p he exclaimed in tone
which brought swift color into his
wife's cheeks-''tidyl Well," NOV
ing toward the door, ''I'll send them
down and you must get off that cali
co dress"
"I'll change it before he sees me.
Go up and stay with him, do. I
must alter 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, F" 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 dis
| pleasure had not been materially less
ened by the appetizing supper she
had prepared nor by the pains she
had taken with her own personal ap-
pearance. He stopped suddenly be-
fore her after pacing up and down
the room:
"When I bring home man like
Partridge, man ofbrains and educa'
ton, it is strange that you can't ap-
pear as if you knew what he was
talking about. If you don't know
anything about history, for PHYS
sake need you say so? I'd read un-
til 1 did know something if l were in
your place p
The tone as we'll as the words
seemed brutal to Mrs. Hamilton. She
controlled herself by great effort.
IT would like to read. would
like to be thoroughly well-read wo'
man. But with the house and the
children and the sewing and the
cooking, really cannot get the