The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-03-21
Not a lonp time after Mr. Whitman

cred letter to his address. His wife
examined the writing on the envelope,
which was in a bold masculine hand,
and said to herself as she did So
81 wonder who this can be from ?"
Something more than curiosity moved
her. There intruded on her mind a
vague feeling of fdisquiet,a as if the missive
bore unpleasant news for her husband.
The stamp showed it to be city letter.
A few times, of late, such letters had
come to his address, and shehad noticed
that he read them hurriedly, thrust them
without remark into his pocket, and
became silent and sober-faced.
Mrs. Whitman turned the letter over
and over again in her hand, in a
thoughtful way, and as she did so, the
image of her husband, sober-faced and
silent as he had become for most of the
time of late, presented itself with un-
usual vividness. Sympathy stole into
her heart.
"Poor Charles p said she, as the
feeling increased; "I'm afraid some
thing is going wrong with him.
Placing the letter on the mantel-piece,
where he could see it when he came in,
Mrs. Whitman entered upon some
household duties, but strange impress
sion, as of weight, lay upon her heart
"a sense of impending evil-a vague,
troubled disturbance of her usual in
ward self-satisfaction.
If the thought of Mrs. Whitman re-
Cured, as was natural, to the elegant
silk dress of which she was to become
the owner on that day, she did not feel
the proud satisfaction her vain heart
experienced a little while before. Some
thing of its beauty had faded.
''If | only knew what that letter con-
tained," she said, half an honr after it
had come in, her mind still feeling the
pressure which had come down upon it
so strangely, as it seemed to her.
She went to the mantel- piece, took up
the letter, and examined the superserip-
ton. Itgave her no light. Steadily it
kept growing upon her that its contents
were of nature to trouble her husband.
"He's been alittle mysterious of late, "
she said to herself. This idea affected
her very unpleasantly. "He grows more
silent and reserved" she added, as
thought, under kind of feverish ex-
citement became active in new direc-
ton. "More indrawn, as it were, and
less interested in what goes on around
him. His coldness chills me at times,
and his irritation hurts me-"
She drew long, deep sigh. Then
with an almost startling vividness, came
before her mind in contrast, her ten
der, cheerful husband of three years
before, and her quiet, silent, sober-faeed
husband of to-day.
Something has gone wrong with
him!" she said aloud ,as the feeling grew
stronger. "What can it be %
The letter was in her hand.
'This may give me light" And with
careful fingers, she opened the envelope,
not breaking the paper, SO that she could
seal it again if she desired to do so.
There was bill for sixty dollars, and
communication from the person send.
ing the bill. He was a jeweler.
"If this bill is not settled at once,'
he wrote, 81 shall put the account in
suit. 1t has been standing for over a
year; and | am tired of getting excus
es instead of my money"
The bill was for lady's watch, which
Mrs. Whitman had almost compelled
her husband to purchase.
"Not paid for? Is it possible % ex
claimed the little woman in blank as
tonishment, while the blood mounted
to her forehead.
Then she sat down to think. Light
began to come into her mind. AS she
sat thus thinking, a second letter fol-
her husband came in from the penny
postman. She opened it without hesi
ton. Another bill, and another dun
ming letter!
"Not paid! Is it possible?" She
repeated the ejaculation. 1t was bill
of twenty-five dollars for CATERS and
slippers, which had been standing fol
three or four months.
"This will never do !" said the awak
ening wife-''never-no, never!" AND
she thrust the two letters into her pock
ct in a resolute way. From that hour
until the return of her husband at din
ner time, Mrs. Whitman did an unusua
amount of thinking for her little brain
She saw, the moment he entered, thai
the morning cloud had not passed from
his brow.
"Here is the money for that new
DRESS" he said, taking a small roll o
bills from his vest pocket, and handing
them to Ada, as he came in. He die
not kiss her, nor smile in the old bright
way. But his voice was calm, if moi
cheerful. A kiss and smile just ther
would have been more precious to the
young wife than a hundred silk dresses
She took the money, saying
"Thank you, dear! tbs kind of yor
to regard my wishes"
Something in Ada's voice and man
ner caused Mr.. Whitman to lift hi.
eyes, with look of inquiry, to her face
But she turned aside, so that he coulc
not read its expression.
He was graver and more silent than
usual and eat with scarcely an appear
ance of appetite.
"Come home early, DEAR" said Mrs
Whitman, as she walked to the door
with her husband, after dinner.
| care Won impatient TO have me ad