Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-12-25
Gbeits SliseeIIangg.
The Herring Pie, or a Cure for,
Jealousy.
A TALE OF AMSTERDAM.

A TALE OF AMSTERDAM.
II was a cold winters evening. The rich
banker Bronker, had drawn his easy chair
close to the corner of the stove, and sat
smoking his ,ong clay pipe with grea, COM
placency; his intimate friend. Van Grote,
employed in exactly the same manner, oc-
cupied the opposite corner. All was quiet
in the house; for Bronker's wife and child
rem had gone to masked ball; ard, secure
frcm fear of interruption, the two friends
indu lged in conversation.
Il cannot Think saio Van Grote, 'whJ
you should refuse your consent to the mar
risge. Berkenrode can give his daughter 4
good fortune, and you may say that your son
is desperately in love with her.
Il don't object to it, said Bronker. 1T is
nv wife who will not hear of it,
And what reason has she for refusingp
sOne which l cannot tell YOU said his
friend, sinking his voice.
sOh! mystery! Come out with it! You
know have always been frank and open
with you, even giving you nv opinion of
your absurd jealousy of your wife,
Jealousy of my wife! Nonsense! Have
/ not Just sent her to a masked balir
Il don't wonder you boast of it. | should
ike to have seen YOU DO as much when you
were first married. To be sure, you had rea-
sons to look sharply after her, for she was
the prettiest woman in Amsterdam. Un-
fortunately she has become the better horse,
and you refuse an advar tageous m itch for
your son, 10 crafty her capricep
You are wrong, nv friend. | never al
low anv one to master here but myself; and
in the present instance | cannot blame
Clotilda! The secret Of her refusal lies in
q herring pie
"A herring per exclaimed Van Grote.
sYes, herring pie. You may remember
it was favorie dainty of Llne, and that
my wife tould not endure even the smell of
it. Wei, during the first year Of my mar
riage, was a li;tIe--a very little-jealous
of C1otida Nv situation obliged me toj
keep open house, and among the young
sparks who visited US, ncne gpve me such
uneas mess as the hands me Col. Berken
rode. The reputation that he mad already
acquired for gallantry, was enough to create
alarm, and the marked attention he paiG nv
wife convinced me it was well founded
What could do! 1t was impossible to
forbid MIN the house, for he had 1t in his |
power to deprive NE OF The Government
contracts; in other words to ruin me.
After ponderine deeply upon the tubject,
decided on doing nothing until the danger
should become imminent; ali that was ne
cessary was to know how things really stood.
Having just purchased :hs house, caused
a secre. closet to be made behind the stove
here. 1t communicates with my private
room, and from it could overhear everything
that passed in this apartment without risk
of being discovered. Thank God | have
had no use for it the last twenty Years. and
indeed do not even know what has become |
of the key. Satisfied with this precaution,
| did not hesitate to leave Clolilda when
any of her admirers paid her visit, though
promise you some of the gallant speech.
es made vince.
Upon my word interrupted his friend,
syou showed most commendable patience
In your place should have delighted myself
with !orbidding my vile TO receive his visits
There spoke the bachelor As | didn't
want to drive her headlong into his arms, |
went different way to work. Day after
day | was forced to listen to the in.idious
arguments of the seducer. My wife, must
own, made stout defense, at one time tried
to ridi6ule, at another entreaty, to deter him
from the pursuit of her.
He began to lose hope IN proportion as |
gained it, till one day he bethought himself
of threatening to blow out his brains if she
would not STOW him some compassion.-
Moved at this rroof of the strength of his
passion, she burst into tears, and pleaded
that she was not free-in short, she gave
him to understand that | was the obstacle
of her happiness. Berkenrode was too well
skilled in the art OF seduction not to see
that he had gained a point He raveJ.
cursed me as the cause of his misery, ana
tried to obtain promise from her in case
she should become a widow She stopped
him perempto:ily: but never closed an
eye that night, and Clotilda, though she did
not know watched her, was as uneasy as
myself.
- On the following day circums tance oc-
Cured that increased her agitation. While
at breakfast a messaea came from the cook
asking to see me alone. | desired him to
come in (as was not in the habit of inter
ferng with domestic affairs and fcommuni-
cate his business in my wFe's presence
When the man entered he las as pale as
gSost, and scarcely seemed to know what
ae was about Al last he told me he had
received packet containing SIN IL bottle,
three hundred gnilders, and note, in which
he was requested to put the contents of the
former into the first herring pie he should
prepare for me. He was assured he might
do so without fear, as the contents of the
pottle were quite harmless, and would give
a delicious flavor to the pie An additional
reward was promised if he complied with
the request and kept mis- own counsel. The
honest fellow, who was much attached to
me, said he was convinced there must be
something wrong in the affair, and should
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