Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-05-21
OLD SERIES,

1H' lNslfNf'A shIs b'HtbH ~ mhNH
"Mr Benton Is fool said |. "Don't
waste your precious sympathics on such a
creature as be.
mir. Benton isN gentleman" replied
Jane and then the poor girl turned pale.
thetears swan In her eyes, aud she bad
her face in her handkerchief and sobbcd
hystrricilly.
saw that had been unjusi-thatl bad
been mean and cowardIy-that my words
and bearing bad been hateful and contemp-
ublc-ihat there was not the slightest
ground for my feelings. but | was too
proud to confess il, - | approached and
kissed her forehead and asked her to forget
the matter.
met Benton in the stree, frequently AZ.
ter this and wa. wicked enough ,orcj,ice in
his wo.begone appearance ! was stirred
to this partly by the Tact that he had once
or twice called On the iamiiy, aud had heen
treated with the most consider,te cordiali.
ty. The fact was loved Jane almost mad.
". and 'omchow could no, bear To have
any other man think Of her.
Cards we're distributed for tic wedding
and one WIS sent 10 Mr. Benton. But this
gratiGcI my malice IL seemed cruel to
invite a man To witness the contamination "
the ruin of his hopc-; 50 was p!rasfI (!
| doubted whether ho would come, but 10
wa, there. - calm and genilemanly tha. |
cluld not help feeling bow mean | was IN
hrs presence. and this of course dii not help
the matter. was now more offended with
him than ever. could almost have quar-.
relied with my wife even on the wedding
night because she treated him with marked
attentions determined at any rate tn
cure her ol her liking ipr him, 'nd was AT
most madlenel to hear her express the hop,
that he would MT forget her when she
should bccome ssttIeI In her new bone.
\ few week. passed away. and be- called
at my hou..-af nv hoDs And Jane very
co,lly informed me Of il. IL hup' y,u
had pleasant time with the g,n'Irmtu."
aid. drily Islw tie fire h,sh m JAMS
eve -. she rcrl.d. " Mr.. Benton - alWay.
pleasant" There NJ. an emphasis nn ti"
word always. that oand j ms vii
not t,ll moro NJ that Foolish .rrnr. Enough
that ~, thoroughly ii.c,mG'ri, nni rlo"
out of il hating Bsnton the mor'. d. ! Wa
more convinced that he was - better man
than my-rlf could not bring myself to
command my wlie not tn see him without a
single r,-,un, - took my satisfaction in
behaving like bear, and making her mis-
cradle fora week
Some day. had passed away, when ono
,y,nins party OF merry friends came in.
and Jane. bridal array became the subj Ct
of couycratlon. \ lady Of the party cz.
pressed wish t1 50, some article OF orna-
mrnt belonging to the bridal dryc'. Jauo
end,a,orri to change tLs conversation. |
nw she va. troubled, Tut | repeated the
lady. request. She replied tia, the article
was not nt homo. | inquired of her whom
.ho had lent /, to. She replied that sic
had MT lent i, and her llp. ,rrmhlei. and
her check. burned. a- .hc ,,ii H. The h-
die. aw that something wa- wrong and
Immediately turned the conversation from
the subject.
But | was aroused. In my excited and
suspicious state Of mind. | anced hun.
drsd things. and somehow they were all
associated With Benton. determined 10
ascertain where that article had gone
First, | took occasion, during my wlfe's ~
seenco from home one afternoon. tn asc,r.
tain that there was no, single article of
her hrilll attire in the house. knew that
the whole woall make = formidable package
which she could never or would never have
carried away. Who did carry il? Some
body. probably, who belonged in the housc
called the girl whom you met AZ the door,
and asked her whether she had carried from
the house lately package or bandboH b.
longing to Mrs Kennedy. She c'lored deep
". and acknowledged that she had | in
auired a. u where she lad carried IL. She
was very humble. and deprecated NV d..
pleasure bat very positively declined TO ''ll
mo. rcoix,d her, undertook to brbc her.
and then. threatened her, bat all to no pur-
pose. Not IL it were to cut her in pieces
woJli che tell mo.
Ny suspicious were thoroughly aroused
and | believed from the bottom Of my soul
that the Geiestabe Benton was somehow
connected with the matter. |, now became
me To put on a smooth and Rfreiiona'e ex.
terror, Tor bad a secret To hthom. re-
criyed Jane. on her return, with the old
fonunc.s, and We passed an e'enlns full OF
misery To me. hut oycrlowing with mppi-
mes. for her Where 10 lr;in in my in''s-
tigatious. could not tell. was afraid
,hn, the servant would tell Jane Of oar con-
yrr,ation: but, a. .he thoroughly loved her
mistress, she promised that il ! made no
dllhculty abou, it she would not tell her.
! | had no resource now bat to watch. The
next day, instead Of going to my Office. |
took a cigar in the reading room OF the
- Hotel, and seating myself by win.
dow that gave me yiew of my residence, |
kept my eye on the door. ! had sat there
T perhaps half an hour, when James most in.
innate lady friend (lli's Kate stcphrn')
went tripping down the street and entered