He Fell In Love With His Wife by Edward Payson Roe (best books to read for students TXT) đ
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could understand.
She now displayed, however, more sense than her mother. The habit of close
scrutiny had made it clear that Holcroft would not long endure genteel airs
and inefficiency, and that something must be done to keep this shelter. She
did her best to get supper, with the aid given from the rocking chair, and at
last broke out sharply, âYou must get up and help me. Heâll turn us out of
doors if we donât have supper ready when he comes in.â
Spurred by fear of such a dire possibility, Mrs. Mumpson was bustling around
when Holcroft entered. âWeâll soon be ready,â she gushed, âweâll soon place
our evening repast upon the table.â
âVery well,â was the brief reply, as he passed up the stairs with the small
hair trunk on his shoulder.
Chapter IV. Domestic Bliss
Holcroft had been given a foretaste of the phase of torment which he was
destined to endure in his domestic relations, and was planning to secure a
refuge into which he could not be pursued. He had made himself a little more
presentable for supper, instinctively aware that nothing would escape the
lynx-eyed widow, and was taking some measurements from the floor to a
stovepipe hole leading into the chimney flue, when he became aware that
someone was in the doorway. Turning, he saw Jane with her small catlike eyes
fixed intently upon him. Instantly he had the feeling that he was being
watched and would be watched.
âSupperâs ready,â said the girl, disappearing.
Mrs. Mumpson smiled upon himâif certain contortions of her thin, sharp face
could be termed a smileâfrom that side of the table at which his wife had sat
so many years, and he saw that the low rocking chair, which he had preserved
jealously from his former âhelp,â had been brought from the parlor and
established in the old familiar place. Mrs. Mumpson folded her hands and
assumed a look of deep solemnity; Jane, as instructed, also lowered her head,
and they waited for him to say âgrace.â He was in far too bitter a mood for
any such pious farce, and stolidly began to help them to the ham and eggs,
which viands had been as nearly spoiled as was possible in their preparation.
The widow raised her head with a profound sigh which set Holcroftâs teeth on
edge, but he proceeded silently with his supper. The biscuits were heavy
enough to burden the lightest conscience; and the coffee, simply grounds
swimming around in lukewarm water. He took a sip, then put down his cup and
said, quietly, âGuess Iâll take a glass of milk tonight. Mrs. Mumpson, if you
donât know how to make coffee, I can soon show you.â
âWhy! Isnât it right? How strange! Perhaps it would be well for you to show
me just exactly how you like it, for it will afford me much pleasure to make
it to your taste. Menâs tastes differ so! Iâve heard that no two menâs
tastes were alike; and, after all, everything is a matter of taste. Now
Cousin Abiram doesnât believe in coffee at all. He thinks it is unwholesome.
Have YOU ever thought that it might be unwholesome?â
âIâm used to it, and would like it good when I have it at all.â
âWhy, of course, of course! You must have it exactly to your taste. Jane, my
dear, we must put our minds on coffee and learn precisely how Mr. Holcroft
likes it, and when the hired girl comes we must carefully superintend her when
she makes it. By the way, I suppose you will employ my assistant tomorrow,
Mr. Holcroft.â
âI canât get a girl short of town,â was the reply, âand there is so much cream
in the dairy that ought to be churned at once that Iâll wait till next Monday
and take down the butter.â
Mrs. Mumpson put on a grave, injured air, and said, âWell,â so disapprovingly
that it was virtually saying that it was not well at all. Then, suddenly
remembering that this was not good policy, she was soon all smiles and chatter
again. âHow cozy this is!â she cried, âand how soon one acquires the home
feeling! Why, anyone looking in at the window would think that we were an old
established family, and yet this is but our first meal together. But it wonât
be the last, Mr. Holcroft. I cannot make it known to you how your loneliness,
which Cousin Lemuel has so feelingly described to me, has affected my
feelings. Cousin Nancy said but this very day that you have had desperate
times with all kinds of dreadful creatures. But all thatâs past. Jane and me
will give a look of stability and respecterbility to every comer.â
âWell, really, Mrs. Mumpson, I donât know whoâs to come.â
âOh, youâll see!â she replied, wrinkling her thin, blue lips into what was
meant for a smile, and nodding her head at him encouragingly. âYou wonât be so
isolated no more. Now that Iâm here, with my offspring, your neighbors will
feel that they can show you their sympathy. The most respecterble people in
town will call, and your life will grow brighter and brighter; clouds will
roll away, andââ
âI hope the neighbors will not be so ill-mannered as to come without being
invited,â remarked Mr. Holcroft grimly. âItâs too late in the day for them to
begin now.â
âMy being here with Jane will make all the difference in the world,â resumed
Mrs. Mumpson, with as saccharine an expression as she could assume. âThey will
come out of pure kindness and friendly interest, with the wish to encourageââ
âMrs. Mumpson,â said Holcroft, half desperately, âif anyone comes itâll be out
of pure curiosity, and I donât want such company. Selling enough butter,
eggs, and produce to pay expenses will encourage me more than all the people
of Oakville, if they should come in a body. Whatâs the use of talking in this
way? Iâve done without the neighbors so far, and Iâm sure theyâve been very
careful to do without me. I shall have nothing to do with them except in the
way of business, and as I said to you down at Lemuel Weeksâs, business must be
the first consideration with us all,â and he rose from the table.
âOh, certainly, certainly!â the widow hastened to say, âbut then business is
like a cloud, and the meetings and greetings of friends is a sort of silver
lining, you know. What would the world be without friendsâthe society of
those who take an abiding interest? Believe me, Mr. Holcroft,â she continued,
bringing her long, skinny finger impressively down on the table, âyou have
lived alone so long that you are unable to see the crying needs of your own
constitution. As a Christian man, you require human sympathy andââ
Poor Holcroft knew little of centrifugal force; but at that moment he was a
living embodiment of it, feeling that if he did not escape he would fly into a
thousand atoms. Saying nervously, âIâve a few chores to do,â he seized his
hat, and hastening out, wandered disconsolately around the barn. âIâm never
going to be able to stand her,â he groaned. âI know now why my poor wife shook
her head whenever this woman was mentioned. The clack of her tongue would
drive any man living crazy, and the gimlet eyes of that girl Jane would bore
holes through a saintâs patience. Well, well! Iâll put a stove up in my
room, then plowing and planting time will soon be here, and I guess I can
stand it at mealtimes for three months, for unless she stops her foolishness
she shanât stay any longer.â
Jane had not spoken during the meal, but kept her eyes on Holcroft, except
when he looked toward her, and then she instantly averted her gaze. When she
was alone with her mother, she said abruptly, âWe aint a-goinâ to stay here
long, nuther.â
âWhy not?â was the sharp, responsive query.
ââCause the same lookâs cominâ into his face that was in Cousin Lemuelâs and
Cousin Abiramâs and all the rest of âem. âFiâs you Iâd keep still now.
âPears to me they all want you to keep still and you wonât.â
âJane,â said Mrs. Mumpson in severe tones, âyouâre an ignorant child. Donât
presume to instruct ME! Besides, this case is entirely different. Mr.
Holcroft must be made to understand from the start that Iâm not a common
womanâthat Iâm his equal, and in most respects his superior. If he aint made
to feel this, itâll never enter his headâbut law! Thereâs things which you
canât and oughtnât to understand.â
âBut I do,â said the girl shortly, âand he wonât marry you, nor keep you, if
you talk him to death.â
âJane!â gasped Mrs. Mumpson, as she sank into the chair and rocked violently.
The night air was keen and soon drove Holcroft into the house. As he passed
the kitchen window, he saw that Mrs. Mumpson was in his wifeâs rocking chair
and that Jane was clearing up the table.
He kindled a fire on the parlor hearth, hoping, but scarcely expecting, that
he would be left alone.
Nor was he very long, for the widow soon opened the door and entered, carrying
the chair. âOh, you are here,â she said sweetly. âI heard the fire crackling,
and I do so love open wood fires. Theyâre company in themselves, and they
make those who bask in the flickering blaze inclined to be sociable. To think
of how many long, lonely evenings you have sat here when you had persons in
your employ with whom you could have no affinity whatever! I donât see how
you stood it. Under such circumstances life must cloud up into a dreary
burden.â It never occurred to Mrs. Mumpson that her figures of speech were
often mixed. She merely felt that the sentimental phase of conversation must
be very flowery. But during the first evening she had resolved on prudence.
âMr. Holcroft shall have time,â she thought, âfor the hope to steal into his
heart that his housekeeper may become something more to him than
housekeeperâthat there is a nearer and loftier relation.â
Meanwhile she was consumed with curiosity to know something about the
âpersonsâ previously employed and his experiences with them. With a
momentary, and, as she felt, a proper pause before descending to ordinary
topics, she resumed, âMy dear Mr. Holcroft, no doubt it will be a relief to
your overfraught mind to pour into a symperthetic ear the story of your
troubles with thoseâerâthose peculiar females thatâerâthatââ
âMrs. Mumpson, it would be a much greater relief to my mind to forget all
about âem,â he replied briefly.
âINDEED!â exclaimed the widow. âWas they as bad as that? Whoâd âaâ thought
it! Well, well, well; what people there is in the world! And you couldnât
abide âem, then?â
âNo, I couldnât.â
âWell now; what hussies they must have been! And to think you were here all
alone, with no better company! It makes my heart bleed. They DO say that
Bridget Malony is equal to anything, and Iâve no doubt but that she took
things and did things.â
âWell, sheâs taken herself off, and thatâs enough.â Then he groaned inwardly,
âGood Lord! I could stand her and all her tribe betternân this one.â
âYes, Mr. Holcroft,â pursued Mrs. Mumpson, sinking her voice to a loud,
confidential whisper, âand I donât believe youâve any idea how much she took
with her. I fear youâve been robbed in all these vicissitudes. Men never
know whatâs in a house. They
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