Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-01-21

yeDnRe proud and extravagant wife
The ~ q Aiohsh said this, showed
that her request had startled him. II
know it will. But what are two hun
drsd dollars for diamond pint" Mrs.
Blakely's voice was half contemptuous.
ND R1gAf's diamonds cost over b
thousand dollars.''
sJust one thousand dollars more
than her husband could afford to pay
for then" said Mr.. Blakely. s- -
Hes tho best Judge of that, I pre-
ssme," replied his wife.
''But that doesn't signify can't,
Anna" '~''-''
"What do you do with your money,
pr.y!"
The young wife turned sharply up
on her husband, and her words and
tone stung him into harsh reply. But
this only aroused her anger and made
her more unreasonably persistent.
"Oh, very we'll" said her too yield
ing husband at last, ego to Camfeld's
tomorrow and get the pin. Tell him
TO send in the account on the first Of
January and it will be paid"
Mrs. Blakely was in earnest. There
was not one of her fashionable acquaint-
snces but had q diamond ring or breast
pin, and until she was the owner Of one
or both, she could no longer hold up
her head in society. Her husband was
receiving teller in bank, at q salary
Of fifteen hundred dollars per annum,
when he was married, which was about
. year before, and he still occupied the
same post, and at the same income
For q young man in his position, he
had not married wisely. The ham,
some face and captivating manners Of
8 dashiAg belle bewildered his fancy.
He proposed in haste, was promptly
accepted, and led to the marriage altar,
not true woman, to be transformed
into true wife, but weak, capricious,
vain creature, incapable of genuine
love, and too selfish and narrow mind
ed to feel the influence Of honorable
principle.
An extravagant love of dress and
ornament characterized her from the
beginning, and she would hearken to
none of her husbands gently offered
circumstances. Nearly half his income
she spent during the first year of their
marriage, in dress and jewelry.
The demand for two hundred dol.
lar breastpin, coming on young Blake
" as it did, at a time when he had Just
made the unpleasant discovery of de-
ficit in his income, when compared with
his expenses, of several hundred dol
lars, sadly dishearsened him. But he
was not brave enough to meet the ext
.ency, and, therefore, weakly yielded
to demand that should have been met
by IN undinching refusal.
The first Of January found Blakely
short of funds by considerably more
than the price to be paid for the dia-
mond pin. Camfeld's bill came, and
must be settled. 1t would not do for
him to hold back in the matter of pay
ment, for the jeweller was an acquaint-
ance of more than one Of the directors
Of the bank, and questions might be
bked, apd differences drawn prejudi-
cial to his standing. In an evil hour,
under distress of mind and strong
temptation, the young man made false
entry which enabled him to abstrac, two
hundspd dollars from the funds Of the
baIk.
This was only the beginning of a
series Of defalcations, which ran on
through many years, before the expo
sure came which always follows such a
crime. Itsa easier now to supply
the extraxagant demands of his wife,
whose annual wardrobe, and bills for
iewelry, for which she had that passion
whichssis characteristic Of weak minds,
almost reached the full amount Of his
salary. :. =. 9--S1~ss :
But the end came at last. One eve
ming, MIR. and Mrs. Blakely were about
leaving for the opera, when the bell
was rung violently. Mr.. Blakcly start
ed and turned pale with sudden pre-
sentiment Of evil.
"What's the matter :" ask cd his wife,
who saw the singular change in his
countenanoc.
Mr.. Blakely did net answer, but
stood listening at the door. Mems voic-
es were now heard, and the tread of
heavy feet along the passage. There
was a start and hurried movement by
Blakely then he stood still, as if riv-
eted to the spot.
s'Who are they ?-what is the mean
ing Of this 3" asked Mrs. Blal ely. in
alarm. At the same moment two men
entered the room.
"You are arrested" said ole OF
them, con a charge Of defalcation."
Mrs. Blakely shrieked, but her hus-
band stood still and statue-like, his face
of an ashen hue.
George. George! This is false,''
exclaimed Mrs. Blakely, recovering her
self. "You could not stoop to crime =.
lit is true," he answered, in a low
despairing voice. Then laying one Of
his fingers on the dian ond in thai
glistened on her bosom, he added
speaking to her alone
"You gained that at the price Of your
husbands dishonor! You demanded it.
I demonstrated, and said l could no
afford so cost y an ornament. You re.
peated the demand, and weak foo
as I was-permitted the contracting o.
debt that could only be cancelled by
dishonest means. thought, when
married you, that | had obtained a wife
who az virtues might helm me inward Il