Year: 1873

Hill, auu ILGt0 he would De mac
my second wish gratifed in the course
of time, too, but several things hap.
pened first, I knew he had high
temper, and didn't enjoy being contra
dicted, and though I was not any toe
much given to self-examination, I had
sometimes suspected myself of being a
little bit like him in those respects
but if love doesn't make a man civil,
then nothing ever will, and perhaps ii
toned me down a little, too. At any
rate, you'd have thought to see us, that
neither one of us knew what a temper
was everything went as smooth as
glass, and we we're engaged to be mar
ried before we knew it, almost. No,
I'm not going to tell you what he said,
you parcel of geese, you. Do you sup
pose I remember, when it's thirty-six
years ago to-day Now giggle, do; it's
ladyIike I found an old letter to-
day that posted me as to the date, so
hope you all feel better for that.


Well, the wedding day was fixed, and
father bought me house, not very
large, but pretty and convenient, and
near enough to Georges place of busi-
ness. One day, when father and I were
starting out together to choose some of
the furniture, we met George near the
store, and father, poor dear man, asked
him to come along, and just than re
membered that he had an engagement,
too, though it was a different sort from
ours, so Geor e and I went into the fur
niture store together, laughing and
chatting, and he quite agreed with me
about everything chose, until it came
to one unlucky bureau. It was just
what I wanted, and so, although 1 saw
it was little scratched, I thought that
could be fixed, and said I'd take it.
Stop a minute says George, very
wisely; you didn't see that scratch, my
dear child, did you?' Now, perhaps
was unreasonable, but somehow that
provoked me. I fancied I saw the sales
man grin a little to himself, though he
was as polite as a fsh-hook, and tried
not to look as if he noticed. To be
sure, our engagement was well known,
and nothing to be ashamed of, but I felt
as if George was putting on airs a little
too soon. So I just said, very quietly,
Yes I saw it, but I like the bureau
better than any of the others, and
think that can be fixed. 1t would
show through any amount of fixing,


said George, mimicking my tone ever
so Iittle-he'd corrected me forty times,
if he had once, for saying fix instead
of some other word, so that didn't
soothe me but managed to keep cool
outwardIv, and said, Even if it should
show, I prefer this bureau to any OF
the rest. I'll take this, I added, turn
ing to the salesman, and then 7 pulled
out my watch in a great hurry, and
found I had not time to choose anything
more that day, and walked out of the
store. George strutted after me, as
stiff as poker, and as soon as We were
fairly in the street, he began THAT
fellow must have been edited, should
think. I'm afraid he was, I answer.
ed coolIy You might at least have
pretended to yield, he-went on, even
if you had fought cit out afterward.


I'm not good at pretending I said,
and as to yielding, it's a matter OF
opinion whose place it was to yield.


There's a certain little form of sound
words which will have to be altered al
one point before you can subscribe tc
it, I should imagine, he said, and ther
he laughed Now, when I thought il
over afterwards, it came into my head
that he saw he was unreasonable, an6
was trying to make things pleasant
again without saying so-catch mar
apologizing, if he can help himself-but
was angry, and somehow his laugh
Jared, and before [ thought what
was saying, blurted out, You seem {
great deal surer about my subscribing
to 1t, as you call it, than I do myself


He looked straight in my face, and shut
his lips together tight, then he said


NO, I am sure Of nothing; an hou
age, no earthly power could have made
me believe that you would act anC
speak as you have done this morning.


& If you consider that I have deceived
you as to my true character, I said


there's time enough yet to escape the
consequences, you're a free man, fol
anything shall do to bind you to you


words He turned as white as a sheet
Do you mean that p he asked, yer!
low. I generally mean what I say,
1 answered as indifferently as


could. I comforted myself after
wards with thinking I hadn't told
lie but after that again concluded


that I had. We had come to our gate b,
this time-my gate, mean-and h


opened it for me without aword. Then h


put out his hand, and I thought he wa
| going to make up. you'll at least sa,


good bye, he said, in the same low


strange tOne-and I had Just sens
| enough left to shake hands and say it
/ By that time next day there had bee


an exchange of notes and things, an


he was gone. I never saw him agai


after that morning when I left him q


the gate. I knew, when I Ithought it al


over that night, that he was SOFT


enough then, and that a word from N


would have brought him back, bu


something seemed to tell me that a frs


quarrel is hardly ever last one, and


thought that very likely if I Marie


him he would be hectoring me befor


he knew it, and then I should answe


back, and we should have a cat and do


life of it. And when 1 heard, 81


months after, of his marriage to pref