Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-03

celved the assurance that was the cho-
sen man.
Well, Benton continued to call. I do
not think he knew Of the new position Of
affairs, but it made no difference. | de-
termined to cut him, and [ did. I met
him in the street in broad day, and cut
him dead. Who should | find that very
night with Jane but this contemplate
Benton? He had risen to leave the room
with agony depicted upon every feature
of his face. | saw it all at a glance-he
had proposed and been rejected. All the
devil in me rejoiced. I have no doubt
that | grinned %lmaliciously upon him as
he passed out. | could have heartily adj
ded a kick to the repalse he had received.
But Jane was distressed. She was sorry
for him! She wouldn't have had it happen
for the world! She respected Mr.. Benton
so much
Mr.. Benton is q fool" said /. Don't
waste your precious sympathies on such a
creature as he.n
Mr.. Benton is a gentleman replied
Jane, and then the poor girl Gurnea 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 eowardly-that my
word and bearing had been hateful and
colntemptible-that there was not the
slightest ground for my feelings, but /
was to proud to confess it, SO | approach
ed and kissed her forehead, and asked
her to6arget the matter.
/ met Benton in the street frequently
after this, and was wicked enough to re-
ljelce III his woe begcne appearance. [
Twas stirred to this partly by the fact that
The had once or b@iee called upon the fam
FLY and had been treated with the most
considerable cordially. The fact was, |
loved Jane almost madly, and somehow |
could not bear to have any other man
think Of her.
Cards were distributed for the wedding,
and one was sent to Mr.. Benton. But
this gratifed my malice. 1t seemed cru.
oil to invite a man to witness the consum-
nation Of the ruin Of his hopes; so | was
pleased | doubted whether he would
come, but he was there, SO calm and gen
tlemanly that | could not help feeling how
mean ! was in his presence, and this, Of
course, did not help the matter. / was
new more offended with him than ever.
l could almost have quarreled with my
wife even OF the wedding night, because
she treated him with such marked atten-
tons. | determined at any rate that /
woald 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 in her
new home.
A few weeks passed away, and he call
ed at my house-at my housed And
Jane very coolly informed me Of it. al
hope you had a pleasant time with the
gentleman" | said drily. | saw the Ere
flash in James eye as she replied, Mr..
Benton is dkoays pleasant" There was
an emphasis on the word always" that
foolish scene. Enough that | was thor
oughly discounted, and came out of it ha-
ting Benton the more. as | was convinced
that ne was a better mar than myself. |
could not bring myself to command my
wife not to see him, withouta single reas.
on, so | took my satisfaction in behaving
like a bear, and making her miserable for
a week.
Some days had passed away, when one
evening a party Of merry friends came in,
and James bridal array became the sub
ject Of conversation. A lady of the par
ty expressed a wish to see SEINE article of
ornament belonging to the bridal dress.
Jane endeavored to change the converse
ton. ] saw that she was troubled, but |
repeated the lady's request. She replied
that the article vas not at home. | in
quired OF her whom she had lent it to-
She replied that she had not lent it; and
her lips trembled, and her cheeks burned
as she said it. The ladies saw that some
thing vas wrong, and Immediately turned
attention from the subject.
But | was aroused. In my excited and
suspicious state Of mind, | fancied a hun
bred things, and somehow they we're all
associated with Benton. | determined to
ascertain where that article had gone.-
First, | took occasion during NY wife's
absence from the house one afternoon, to
ascertain that there was not a single arti-
Gle of her bridal attire in the house. |
knew that they would make q formidable
package, which she could never, or would
never have carried away. Who did car.
ry it? Somebody, probably, who belong,
ed in the house. I called the girl whom
you met at the door, and asked her wheth
err she had carried from the house lately
a package or a 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 displeas
ure, but very positively declined to tel
me. | coaxed her, undertook to bride
her, and then threatened her, but all tt
70 purpose. Not if | were to cut her il
pieces would she tell me.
/ My suspicious were thoroughly arous
(, ed, and | believe from the bottom Of ny
soul, that the detestable Benton was some