The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-04-16
THE CGUDLK CURTAiN LEGrUREs


1
lizards. 'F
"Yon're very late tonight, dear. IT'S
not Ldtes Well then It Isn't, that's all.
OF course a woman can never tell
when it's late. You were late on Tues
day, too; q little late ON the Friday be-
Gore;l on the Wednesday before that
now, you needn't twist about in that
Ismanner; I'm not going to say anything
mo, for see it's no use. Once, I own,
1t used to fretms when You stayed out;
but that's all. over; you've now brought
me to othat state, ,CaudIe-and its your
own fault, entirely-that I don't care
never thought I could be brought 10
fthfnk so little of you; but you've been
tTeading on the worm for these twenty
| years, and its turned at last. :
ts5sstNoW, Pm mot going to- qparrels
that's all over; Idon't feel enough for
you TO quarrel with you, Idon't, Caudle,
as true as Pm in this bed. All ] want
of you is-any other man would speak
to his wife, and not lie there like log
-all want is this: Just tell me where
you were on Tuesday Z You were not
she's not well, and you know she thinks
of leaving the dear children her money;
but you never had any feeling for any
body belonging to me. And you were
not at the Club; no, I know that, And
you were not at any theatre. H0tp do
I kn0iC Ha, Mr.. Caudle! only wish
Ididnit know No, you were not at
any OF these places, but know we'll
enough where you were. Then tIty do
LIdSF u Z kalop3 Hhat's it; just to prove
what a hyPoerfte you are; Justito show
a $50, Mr.. Acknowledgements turned bill
lizard player, siF.4 Only o1tee2 That's
quite enoughi you might as we'll play
thousand times; foryon're a lost man,
Candle. Only once, ipdeedl i wonder
II L was to say only once, what would
you say TO me2 But, of course, a man
can do no wrong In anything.
sAnd you're "a lord of the creation,
Mr.. Candle; and you can stay away
from thecomforts Of your blessed fire.
side, and thessocIety OF your own, wife
EtIeser thought anything Of then-to
push ivory balls. about with a long
stick upon a green table cloth. What
pleasure any, man can take In such
stuff must astonish any sensible wO-
man. pity you, Caudle! IL
"And you can'go and do nothing but
make tcannons'-for that's the gibber-
| ish they talk at bill billiards-When there's
the manly and athletic game of crib
itBakc1 d6 Il1 uSGu 20 CHI
II, at your own hearth. You can go
into a. bilIiard-ro0m-you, fespeeta-
BILE tradesman, or as you set yourself
up for one, for, If the world knew all,
there's very little respectability in you
IEyou Gun go and play billiards with a
set of creatures in moustachois, when
you might take nice, quiet hand with
me at home. But no ] anything but
cribbage with your own wife. o 5'=..a
sCaudle, it's all over now; you've
gone 70 destruction. never knew a
wasn't lost forever: There was my
uncle Wardlei q better man never broke
the bread OF life; he took TO billiards,
ana he did not live with aunt a month
afterwards. a lucky fetLoI0? And
that's what you call man who leaves
his Wlfe--''a lucky felloWF But, to be
sure, what can eXpect2 We shall not
be together long, now: it's been some
time coming, but, at last, we must sep
afate; and the wife I've been 10 you'll
But l know who 1t is; it's that fiand,
Prettymari. L tDiu call him a fiend, and
I'm by no means a foolish woman:
you'd no more have thought of billiards
than gooseif it hadn't been for him.
Now it's no use, CaudIe, your telling
me that you've only been once, and
that you can't hit a ball anyhow
you'll soon get over allthat; and then
you'll never be at home. You'll be a
marked man, Caudle; yes, marked.
There'u be something about you
q billiard.player by his looks, I've no
eyes; that's all. NP6ey all OF 'em look
as yellow as parchment, and wear mus
tachtos. j suppose you'll let yours
grow now; though they'll be q good
deal troubled to come, j know that.
Yes, they've all aiyellOw and sly look,
Just for all as II they were iFst-cousins
to people that picked pockets. And
that Will be your case, Caudle: in six
months the dear children won't know
their own father.
"Well, If I know myself at all,
could have borne anything but bill
lizards. The companions you'll find I
The Captains that will be always bor-
rowing fifty pounds ofyouI I Itell you,
Caudle, billiard rd-room's a place where
ruin of all sorts Is made easy i may
say, to the lowest understanding-so
you can't miss IL. It's a chapel of ease
for the devil to preach htu-don,ttell me
not to be eloquent: i don't know. what
| lust as eloquent as 1 like. But never
can open my nps-and 1t isn't often,
goodness knoWsI-that Pm not In
suited. az
"No, Iwon't be quiet on this matter;
won't, tCaudle; on any other, /
wouldn't say word-and you know
it-if you didn't like It; but on this
matter, / t1iI speak. 1 know you can't
play at billiards; and never could learn
II dare say not; but that makes il all
the worse, for look At the motieY yon'll
lose; see the ruin you'll be brought to.
It's no use your telling me- you'll not
play-noW you can't help 1t. And
nicely you'll be. eaten up, Don't talk
to me; dear aunt told me ALI about 1t.
The lots of fellows that go every day
into billiard-rooms to get their dinners,
Just as fox sneakS into a farmtyard to
Hook about him for a fat goose-And
they'll eat you up, Caudle; 1 know they
will. ssls'7 q ,z.E.-5i-rlj , ~ .555.aI
"Billiard- balls, indeedi Well, in my
time, Pve been over WoolWich Arsenal
you were something like man then,
for IL was just before we were married.
and then, tsaw all sorts Of balls; noun
tains Of 'em, to be shot away at church.
es, and into peoples peaceable habIta-
tfons, breaking the china, and nobody
knows WhRt-I say, I've seen all these
balls-well, i know I've said that be-
fore; butt choose to say It again-and
there's not one of 'em, iron as they are,
that could do half the mischief Of q
billiard ball. That's Q !, ban, Caudle,
that's gone thlough many a wife's
heart, To say nothing for her children.
And that's . ball that night and day
you II be destroying your family with.
Don't tell me you'll not play, When
once q mans given to it-as my poor
aunt used TO say-the DEVILS always
tempting him with ball, as he tempt
ed Eye with an apple. 5s.,t,
ST shall never think Of being happy
any more. No; that's quite out OF, the
question. You'll be there every night
don't deny it-every night over that
wicked green cloth. Green, indeed
It's red !, crimson red, Candle, If you
could only properly see it crimson red,
with the hearts those balls have broken.
DON'T tell me not to be hetic-T shall: