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

uONH. l. GU are TOO muCn excited. il
will be the death of you. have com,
down to see you professionally. Your
/ letter
"Letterl'
It's a clear case of insanity"
continued. If l am favored with an
interview with the original Mrs. Kenn-
edy, shall reprimand her for leaving
you alone. Your letter betrayed the
most distressing symptoms. was
afraid that should find you had COM
mitted suicide, but see there has been
a reaction"
L said this in bantering way. but
n0ticeu mat F'red's countenance cnang-
ed, until its expression was one OF
mingled vexation and pain.
"No more of that am thou lowest me,
Tom-," he replied, and then added,
"after you have had supper l wiz tell
you all about it. Jane is a good
creature, and has gone to the sewing
circle. Those things bore me, and she
insisted upon my stayirg at home. We
shall have good hrir together before
her return"
Fred. sat ALMOST silent with me, in his
snug little dning room,. when / did
Justice to M appetite and his hospital
ity; then @e returned to the parlor,
and | give myself up to slippers,
cigar, ald Fred's story.
6 ssWhen wrote you that letter." said
Ff'rcels 81 was fool, but / was very
miser BE, nevertheless. You see, be-
fore / WIS married, there was young
man inthe city, of the name of Benton.
He loved Jane; | found it out, and /
hated him. He was quiet fellow,
with adark, soft eye, and romantic
air, an&, l can't express the contempt l
felt for hSm. He seemed to me to be
perfect miik-sop. 1t was before / was
engaged, and l used frequently to meet
him with Jane, at her fathers house. /
saw that he WAS in love head and ears:
and what yexed me beyond everything
else was, that Jane always treated him
respectfully. After he had parted from
us on one occasion, and she had treated
him with the usual consideration, / was
determined to bring matters to an end.
| proposed before / left, land received the
assurance that | was the chosen man.
We'll, Benton continued to call. /
do not think he knew of the new DO
sition of affairs, but it nlEie no Ilfffer-
ence. | determined to cut him, and /
did. / met him in the street in broad
d;ry, and cut 'iIiidcad lin dead. " Who hho should
find that very night with Jane, but this
contemplate Benton. He had risen to
leave, with agony depicted upon every
feature of his face. / saw it all at a.
glsHee-i4e had proposed arrd been re-
jected. All the devil there was in me
reioiced. / have no doubt that / grin
ned maliciously upon him as he passed
out. could heartily have added a kick
to the repulse he had already received.
But Jane was distressed. She was
sorry for him. She wouldn't have it
happen for the world! She respected
Mr.. Benton so much!
" Mr.. Benton is fooP' said /.
Don't waste your precious spmpathies
on such creature as he!"
"Mr. Benton is gentleman replied
Jane, and then the poor girl turned
pale, the tears SWAN in her eyes, and
she hid her face in her handkerchief,
and sobbed Historically.
/ saw that had been unjust-that /
had been mean and cowardly-that my
words and bearing had been contempt
ible-that there was not the slightest
ground for my feelings, but was too
proud to confess it, so l approached
and kissed her forehead, and asked her
to forget the matter.
/ met Benton in the street frequently
after this and was wicked enough to
rejoice in his woe-begotten appearance.
| was stirred to this partly by the fact
that he had once been treated with the
most considerate cordiality. The fact
was, / loved Jane almost madly, and
somehow l could not bear to have any
other man to think of her.
Cards were distributed for the we'd
ding, and one was sent to Mr.. Benton.
But this gratifed my malice! Itseemed
cruel to invite man to witness the
consummation of the ruin of his hopes !;
so I was pleased II doubted whether
he would come, but he was there, so
calm and gentlemanly that | could not
help feeling how mean was in his
presence, and this of course, did not
help the matter. / was now more
offended with him than ever. / could
almost have quarreled with my wife
even on the wedding night, because she
treated him with such marked attep-
tions. / determined at any rate that /
would cure her of her liking for him,
and was almost maddened to hear her
express the hope that he would not
forget her when she should become
settled III her new home.
A few weeks passed away, and he
called at my house-qt my house !!
And Jane very coolly Informed me of
it. 81 hope you had a pleasant time
with the gentleman L said drily. /
saw the fire flash in James eye as she
replied, "Mr. Benton is dl,cdys pleas
ant" There was an emphasis on the
word always that offended me. / will
not tell more of that foolish scpa.c:.
Enough that was thoroughly -dlscom-
GGtsd, and came out of it tating Benton
the more, as | was more convinced
that he was better man than myself.
1 could not bring myself to command
my wife not to see him, without a sin
ole reason. so took nv satisfaction in