The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-02-04

L STOOD ana stoDDeQ DcIOTc III uOOis RaO 90"
get out and secure the horse to a post, and. the door
opening on the instant, a food Of light from within
revealed to her gaze the false man whose heart she
had deemed her own exclusive property. An, wat
kins, She saw him trip up the steps that led 70 the
front door, and in a moment more her ears were as
sailed by a volley of sounds denoting a welcome more
warm than platonic feeling would prompt.
She was concealed from their view by the shrub
berry. and the surprise was such that she was ire
solute for a moment as to how she should act. She
| had failed to provide herself with a dagger or any
other murderous weapon, and hence a tragedy was
out OF the question. There was, amid the whirl OF
emotion that filed her, strange to say, no feeling OF
hatred for the false Watkins. The ~reproach intended
for him she had already transferred to the woman
whom she felt had drawn him from his allegiance,
but she could not be brought to hate the man she had
loved so ell-tha she felt she still loved maugre all
his ~duplicity. The closing door left her standing in
the shadow-in mind as well as body.
Mrs. Watkins brought her body from out the
shadow, but, she thought, the shadow from her
heart, like the beak of the Raven in Mr.. Poe's poem,
would be lifted nevermore. As she stood gazing upon
the window, where she supposed her infamous lord
was sitting in guilty daliance with his Dalilah, a
white hand reached outside the curtain and raised
the sash. As the bee pounces upon a rose in June,
as a hen-hawk dashes among a flock Of chickens, as
a horsehy darts upon his prey, as a mosquito with
angry Importantly thrusts in his bill, so did Mrs.
Watkins avail herself of the opportunity Of listening,
afforded by that open sash, and she crouched by it as
a cat might be supposed to watch by a mouse hole.
There was n sound of tinkling glasses within, and
other indications Of an agreeable evening, while soft
voices mOdulated to a whisper, said many tender and
unintenigible things, a word here and there of which
alone she was able to make out.
"What if my partner knew OF this 20 she heard
him say. d
Now that partner she knew meant her, and
that moment she would have given all the world not
to know what she did, and all the world to have
known it provided she had not.
"No matter about your p~artner.'' she heard the
female voice say, a little pettishly; "think of me
now"
"Think Of you 2" he replied; 'you are always
present in my thoughts by night and day"
"Do you love me better than anybody else?' the
female voice asked.
by those lips I VOW you IRE the one of all others
that I can love"
And then followed sounds as though, to seal the
VOW he had made, he had kissed the book he swore
by. This was too much for the nerves Of the Widow
Watkins. She went to the front door, turned the
handle, which made no noise, and stood in the entry.
The lighs streamed through the key hole of the door
in which the guilty ones were seated. She hesitated
not n moment but bursting open the door violently she
stood IN the snug little illuminated plrlor.
"Oh, James, James - cried she in a tone of
anguish as she saw the two sitting on a sofa, he with
his arm around the woman's waist and a table before
them set with a luxurious regard for good cheer.
She sunk into a chair, buried her face in her hands
and INDUCED in another meal of grief
Mrs Watkins! - crie1 the gentleman starting to
his feet.
AT the sound Of his voice. Mrs. Watkins lifted up
her face, illuminated with a glad surprise, and met
the gaze Of Mr.. wilkins, who with n perplexed air
stood gazing upon her.
"To what are we indebted for this visit, Mrs. Wat
kins; 80 asked he in = manner far from delighted,
and turning to the lady, he introduced 9" Mrs. Green
to Mrs. Watkins very formally.
At once the shame of her position broke in on the
mind of Mrs. Watkins How could she account sat
isfactorily for her being there, how for the violence
of her entrance' how for her excitement? But the
honesty of her nature would not allow her to excuse
herself by + ~falsehood, and she told them with many
tears the whole sfOry. not cOncPaliDp even the fact
of the letter that she had found in her husbands
pocket. A light at this seemed 10 break upon Will
kins, who stepped to the corner where his coat
reposed, and holding il up to the light felt in its
pockets and drew out several papers, on opening one
of which it proved TO be n bill of groceries against
James Watkins, and the others OF a kindred charac-
ter against that peaceful individual.
"A slight mistake here" said he, smiling; $ Wat
kins and [ have changed coats, by which means YOU
have become possessed of my letter, and I of his bills;
and since you have become acquainted with part of
my secret. | may as we'll tell you the whole, that on
Tuesday next | am to become the proprietor Of this
little cottage and its charming occupant-the widow
The widow blushed, but did not deny the state
ment.
Poor little Mrs. Watkins overioyed at finding nil |
her surmises blown to atoms, now seriously thought
of her deserted home, and wondered what Watkins
would think on coming home and finding her absent.
wilkins horse was at the door, and wilkins, good
natured soul, left the widow with a promise of coming
back soon, and placing Mrs. Watkins in the chaise,
he drove away towards the Watkins home.
"What ,ciH he say? what tciH he say?' sobbed
the poor little woman as they drew near.
"Be easy, my dear madam, said he, "about
that; he shall never learn from me the secret. Allow
me to put you down here, when you can 90 home,
and things may go On as before, and he be none the
wiser for it"
She got out of the chaise and moved towards her
own door, wondering whether her husband had come
home, and whether he wouldn't be alarmed at her
absence, or scold her for her desertion. She trembled
violently as she placed her little hand on the bell |
handle, and the thought, " Shall I tell him - passed
ike lightning through her mind, and the response
came as quickly.
The bell rang, and tripping lightly down the stairs
she heard her husbands feet, who, opening the door,
received her in his arms.
"where has my little wife been - he asked, as.
weaving his arm around her, he led her into the
parlor.
A cheerful fire burned upon the hearth, and sit
ting down by his side, she looked up in his face, and
told him the whole story-of her curiosity that had
prompted her to read n letter which was not her own,
and the consequent jealousy, her resolution and its
result-keeping nothing back, except the secret
which wilkins had conhied to her. Watkins listened
gravely, bat kindly, and when she had concluded,
he drew her towards him with n fonder love than he
had felt for her before she was tempted, for he felt
how much she needed his aid in her weakness.
And this should be the manner OF receiving the
confidence reposed in us. We shonld not receive it
IN q spirit of harshness, and repel the loving impulse
that draws the erring spirit towards our own. Did
we properly understand and practice this, there
would be far less double dealing in the world, and
more candor. Mrs watkins decided rightly, and he,
like a true man, received the confession rightfully.
Next morning he entered his counting room with
a letter in his hand, addressed to his partner. 1t
contained the mischievous letter, and the words,
My dear sir, your secret is safe, but mine has
become my husbands" wilkins showed the lines
to Watkins, and in order to remove the impression of
mystery that environed the matter in the mind of his
partner, he confessed the widow, and received the
congratulations of the happy Watkins.
The next weeks "Watch-Tower Of Freedom and
Palladium Of Liberty made the following announce
ment - Married, on Tuesday last, at Elm Cottage,
G. w. wilkins. Esq, of the firm OF wilkins & Wat
kins, to Mrs. Anna Green, relict Of the late Capt.
Invisible Green. o. s. N. The happy couple imme-
diately started on q bridal tour. Sat. Ere.
Gazette.
DOCTORS SHOP.