The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-01-19
HIS sE0oND WIFE.

Tap tap went two angry little
boot heels across the hall from the
library to the sitting room, bang |
went door, and Kittie Harlan threw
herself in disordered heap on sofa.
IT declare to goodness, May Har-
Ian, am completely worn out. Was
there ever such another man born?
I'd rather go through the measels or
the whooping cough than through
this interview with our respected
father one time, not to mention once
a week or oftener for a lifetime. How
did our poor mother ever stand it 7
1 wish to gracious he d marry again p
"Why, Kittie Harlan Papa marry
again r and the sweet blue eyes on
the other side of the CRATE opened
wide in surprise as May looked up at
her sister.
"There are no little children to be
'bossed around, as Aunt Tilda says
by stepmother and ! do not want
him to marry somebody with force Of
character. Somebody that will. .fgura-
lively speaking, take him by the throat
and demand money enough to run
this establishment without having to
account for every teaspoonful of sugar
and grain of coffee used"
FOh, Kittie r. said the elder but
invalid sister, gently drawing the ex-
cited girl down to her side. "you
mustn't use such language And
you know you don't want poor papa
to be unhappy
"He wouldn't be unhappy if it was
managed rightly" said Kittie.
well, dear, am inclined to think
part, at least, of your wish is soon to
be realized. Annie wrote me that
when papa was there he was very at
.tentive to young widow, and since
he came back they have been corre-
spending. She told me nothing of
her character, though perhaps you
know her. Her name is Harcourt. T"
Kitty sprang to her feet with a rip
ping laugh.
"Ah, goody I should think did.
Why, she used to be, and still is, one
of my dearest friends. You have
heard me speak of Belle Armstead
She is the very one I would have
chosen. She has had enough of one
stingy man. Rob Harcourt had but
one fault, and that was, lie would
meddle in the household affairs, and
it was like drawing a tooth to get a
dollar out of his pocket. I wish you
knew Belle. You would see at once
that she was the right woman in the
right place."
"But will she be good to papa?"
asked the anxious May.
"Of course she will. If she didn't
love him she wouldn't marry him you
may be sure. But she will be good
to herself, too. But must go now
| to make my purchases with this hard
earned money" looking contempt
uously at the purse in her hand. And
with merry laugh the lively girl
was gone.
Mr.. Harlan was man who had
made his fortune by hard, paiustak-
ing labor, and often boasted that he
"knew how every dollar came, and
meant to know how it went" A
sentiment all very well in its place,
but surely man can trust the wo-
man he has chosen out of all the world
to be his helpmate to spend her part
of it wisely and we'll. Mr.. Harlan
had evidently thought he couldn't,
for his gentle, lily wife's life had been
a continual struggle to make the few
dollars he gave her stretch from one
week to the next, without asking for
more. Indeed, he very seldom gave
it to her only just as it was abso-
lutely necessary, and every article
must be enumerated and its price
stated. And yet Mr.. Harlan was not
a bad man. He had many noble and
good attributes of character. He had
loved his little wife deeply, and
mourned sincerely when she died.
And he loved and was very proud of
his two fair daughters, in spite OF
worrying the very life OUT" as she
expressed it, of the youngest, who
acted as housekeeper.
He was a very handsome man, too,
in spite of his fifty years, and very
popular, with his afable, genial ways,
in society and among his fellow law
yers.
On the very evening of the day our
story begins came long letter from
Mrs. Harcourt to Kitty, in which she
told her that she had received an offer
of marriage from her father, and al
though she liked and respected him
more than any man she had seen
since her widowhood, she would in
no wise accept unless she were sure
such an event would be welcome to
his daughters. And that night ar
equally lengthy answer was written,
in which dear Belle" was assured
that she would be most warmly wei
coined by the sisters and taken at once
to their hearts.
Two months later the house was
lighted from garret to basement to re-
ceive the new wife, who was dark,
stately brunette of hardly thirty years
with brilliant black eyes that looked
pleasantly at the world, but showed,
nevertheless, down in their depths,
more firmness of character was thar
shown elsewhere in the face unless il
woe in fl1e decided little chin. And