The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-02-08
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 8, 1907
Seleet Story.
HIS SECOND WIFE

loelS across the Hall lTOm Vic lloldly W
the sitting room, bang went "a door, and
Kittie Harlan threw herself in disordered
heap on sofa.
81 declare to goodness, May Harlan, |
am completely worn out. Was there ever
such another man born? I'd rather 60
through the measels or the whooping
cough than through this interview with our
respected father one time, not to mention
once week or oftener for lifetime. How
did our poor mother ever stand 1t? l wish
to gracious he marry again!
'.Why, Kittie Harlan Papa marry
againr' and the sweet blue eyes on the
other side of the CRATE opened wide in sur
prise as May looked up at her sister.
ssThere are no little children to be
sbossed around, as Aunt Tilda says by
stepmother and do want him to marry
somebody with force Of character. Some
body that will, figuratively 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. -
ssOh, Kittier' said the elder but invalid
sister, gently drawing the excited girl down
to her side, ''you mustn't use such Ian
guage! And you know you don't want
poor papa to be unhappy"
'sHe wouldn't be unhappy if it was man
aged rightly" said Kittie.
"Well, dear, l 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 attentive to
Young widow, and since he came they have
been corresponding She told me nothing
of her character, though perhaps you know
her. Her name is Harcourt. -
Kitty sprang to her feet with ripping
laugh.
''Ah, goody! [ should think did
Why, she used to be, and still Is, one OF
nv dearest friends. You have heard me
speak of Belle Armstead? She is the very
one would have chosen. She has had
enough of one stingy man. Rob Harcourt
had but one fault, and that was, he would
NEEDLE in the household affairs, and it was
like drawing a tooth to get dollar out of
his pocket [ wish you knew Belle. You
would see at once that she was the right
woman in the right place. y
"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
81 bor
looking contemporary 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, painstaking labor, and
often boosted that he ''knew how every
dollar came, and meant to know how 1t
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 1t
wisely and we'll Mr.. Harlan had evil
IDENTIFY thought he couldn't, for his gentle,
lily wife's life had been continual strug-
gle to make the few dollars he gave her
stretch from one week to the next, with
out asking for more. Indeed, he very
seldom gave it to her onl just as it Was
absolutely 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 mis-
two fair daughters, in spite of "worrying
the very life out, as she expressed it, of
the youngest, who acted as housekeeper.
He was very handsome man, too, in
spite of his fifty years, and very popular,
with his afable, genial ways, in society
and among his fellow lawyers.
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 although 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 daugh-
tiers. And that night an equally lengthy
answer was written, in which ''dear Belle
was assured that she would be most warmly
welcomed by the sisters and taken at once
to their hearts.
Two months later the house was lighted
from garnet to basement to receive the new
wife, who was dark, stately brunette of
hardly thirty years with brilliant black eyes
that looked pleasantly at the world, but
.l1,-,d bo1o,e low, -, Il, ~, Joo1b.
more frmness of character than was shown
elsewhere in the face unless it was in the
decided little chin. And Judge Harlan,
as he had now become, looked proud and
happy as the possessor of such wife and
two such daughters as fitted thro' the
pleasant parlors, here, there and every
where-May with her sweet, pale face and
earnest blue eyes, and Kittie with her
saucy, piquant face, mischievous brown
eyes, and ringing laugh. 1t was a pleas
ant family scene, thought the guests, and
who was to known how much planning and
had undergone to obtain their pretty cos
tunes, and even the refreshments set be-
fore the guests? Not the bride, certainly.
But one month later occurred the fol-
lowing conversation, which showed that her
eyes were opened:
''Girls, she said, entering their room
with an annoyed expression on her usually
bright face, lis it really true that your
father, with his fortune, has never made
you an allowance for dress and one for house
keeping? It is not possible that you have
to 30 to him for every article you need p
cit is just that way, mamma Belle, )"
said Kittie, winding her arm about and
drawing her to a seat on the sofa aAnd
1 am awfully glad you found it out. y
"Why, it is perfectly ridiculous, !" said
Mrs. Harlan, for man to be concerned
about butter and eggs and shoe strings and