The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-05-06

she was troubled, but / repeated IA,
lady's request. She replied that tn
article was not at home. / inquired q
her whom she had lent it to. She re
piled that she had not lent it; and he
lips trembled, and her cheek burned. a
she said it. The ladies saw that some
thing was wrong, and ilnmediatel,
turned attention from tie subject.
But / was aroused. In nv excite,
and suspicious state of mind, / fan
cied a hundred things, and somehow
they all associated on Benton. / de
termined to ascertain where that articl,
had gone. First / t.4nlz z-oe4eaS;;an, a.,
rlng my WIGS absence from home one
afternoon, to ascertain that there wa.
not q single article of her bridal attire
lin the house. | knew that the whole
would make a formidable package
which she could never, or would never
have carried away. Who did carry it:
Somebody, probably, who belonged in
the house. | called the girl whom YOU
met at the door, and asked her whether
she had carried from the house lately a
package or bandbox belonging to Mrs.
Kennedy. She colored deeply, and
acknowledged that she had. / inquired
as to where she had carried it. She
was very humble, and deprecated my
displeasure, but very positively refused
to tell me. | coaxed her, undertook to
bribe her, and then threatened her. but
all to no purpose. Now if / were to
cut her IN pieces she would not tell me.
Mysuspicions were thoroughly aroused,
and L believed from the bottom of
my soul that the detestable Benton
was somehow connected with the
matter. Itnow became me to put ON a
smooth and affectionate exterior. for 7
had secret to fathom. / received
Jane, on her return, with the old fond
ness, and we passed an evening full of
misery to me, but overifowing with
happiness for her. Where to be9in. in
my investigations, l could not tell I
was afraid that the servant would tell
Jane OF our conversation; but, as she
thoroughly loved her mistress, she
promised that # | made no difficulty
about it, she would not tell her.
L had no resource now but to watch.
The next day, instead of going to nv
office, | took cigar in the re,slinc
room Of the - Hotel, and seatfsg
TIIySei4f window that gave me "a
view OF my residence, L kept my eve
on the door. had sat there perhaps
half an hour, Whoss. Jane's most int;
mate lady friend (AIiss Kate Stepbens)
went tripping down the street and en-
tered the house. a few minutes passed
ara,s--wfrrn ssae-n2d Jaaa emerged !;
both were cloaked and bonneted. |
slipped out and followed them, at a
distance, through half a dozen streets,
until at last they turned in at an open
doorway. / marked the number and
then went to my Office. / was in a
fever of excitement. That was evi-
IDENTIFY no place for ladies to call. That
door opened into "A little blind-looking
stairway. There was no name on the
door.
The next thing for me to ascertain
was the name and character of the
persons occupying the rooms above. /
went to my dinner as usual, and played
the careless and happy to the best Of
my ability. My wife was in gay
mood, and seemed almost hatefully
charming and brilliant. l kissed her,
and bade her good evening, pleading
business as my excuse for leaving her
alone. My steps almost invollntarily
took the direction of the morning walk
l was moving briskly along when !
discovered a familiar figure before poe.
/ knew it was Benton the momeAt L
fixed my eyes upon it. | unconsslously
took his pace, keeping at safe dis
tance, and followed streetoyer street by
the same path upon which | had fol
lowed my wife. AS We approached the
suspected door, l fairy held my breath.
My blood curdled, gnd every hair on
my head seemed tcrise with apprehen-
sion. | was not mistaken. He mounted
the steps, and trning ON his heel,
coolly paused to pick his teeth as ]
ground mine together and passed by.
could not yet bling myself to the
humiliation of doubling my wife's truth
TO me. The fact that her friend ac-
companied her CERTAINLY did not tend
to this conclusion; but the conscious
ness that she sill retained warm re-
spect for Benton, and that she had met
him in an obscure room for any purpose,
distracted re. But / had prudence
enough to determine to wait for the
denouenaett, and IN the meantime to
.maintainas strict surveillance of both
parties IS was possible without endan-
gering detection.
Three days passed away and nothing
occurred to prove that the visit had
been repeated. In the meantime Jane
was as happy as lark. / watched her
sometimes while she sat at her needle
work, and frequently saw a peculiar
smile on her face. On one of those
occasions / abruptly asked hor what
she was thinking OF, andthough l mn
portmed her with svnle degree of Sc
verify. I co..fd get no satisfactory
reply.
Tne matter very soon began to wear
upon my spirits. was frightened by
NV haggard aspect whenever looked
in a mirror. Jane noticed the fact, and
became extremely anxious for me. Her
affectionate attertions were more assid-
uous than ever, and was made asham-
ed of my suspicious, for could moi
doubt the genuineness of her solicitous