The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-08-04

this minute. Bella. Bella Come in p she
cried, running to the window, tapping 1t
and nodding and beckoning.
Miss Disbrow's sense. OF outraged propriety
was SO much shocked by the scandal Of
Moraretta's story that she permitted this
breach of decorum and insult to the dignity
of her windows without a word, though the
window itself shook all over under the NOR
LITIGATION. But Bella came in, as like Mo-
raretta in girlish Lille and hoydenism as one
bramble- bush is like another And then out
of the mouth of two witnesses Miss Dlsbrow
was forced to believe.
"Did you ever see that man before? How
did he look, and how did he appear?"
"Oli, he was perfectly splendid, and he
was dressed elegantly" cried the cnthusi-
astic school girls.
but never saw him before; neither did
Retta don't think he lives herc-hc came
from the Cincinnati cas-. Yon saw him,
didn't you, Retta 2" said Bella Mosier.
Eyes, of course, did And then he look
ed around as though he expected to see
somebody, till he saw Mrs. Whiting; and
she was Just standing like as if she was walt
ing, wasn't she, Bella 2"
"Well there, Benjamin, what do you
make of that 2" said Miss Disbrow after the
girls had chartered themselves out OF the
room and out of the house. Don't you re-
collect suspected all was not right when
saw those two immense trunks, and little
Mrs. Whiting herself dressed up like doll?
l do wish l only knew what to think y
All day long Mss Disbrow sat putting
this and that together, until the opposite
house grew fairly hideous under the shadow
of evil, and all night long she lay awake
upon the great old fashioned mahogony
bedstead, still putting this and that to-
gether.
BY day dawn the next morning Miss Dis
brow was looking out to see it 1t had Jared
with the gray mansion over night as with
the cities of the plain. But no sentence
against the reddining eastern sky. And at
that very moment she saw MIR. Whiting
with the general lack of unkempt haggard-
ness belonging to a traveller just out OF
sleeping Car, going in through the stately
but dishonored doorway.
"Beniamin," cried Miss Disbrow nervous
", "he has come home! Perhaps she has
left him note. Prrhaps-oh, perhaps, he
is reading it now Oh, Benjamin ought |
to 90 over and tell him what we know
Ought II"
Benjamin did not reply, but he looked
thoughtful, which was more satisfactory to
the inquirer. and Miss Disbrow sat down
and rocked with her face towards the church,
as the Jews in their exile turned faces toward
Jerusalem.
Benjamin" said she presently, 4 will 60.
1t is my duty. The next train to Cleveland
r. A l., =
lose"
So she went.
Mr.. Whiting answered her ring this morn
ing as before, and though he looked sur
prised at the untimely call, he seemed no
wise agitated or under cloud.
Mrs. Whiting has not returned?" began
the spinster.
mo. ma'am I do not expect her before
the last of the week. Is there anything l
can do for you in her absence. Miss Dis
brow" returned the wronged husband.
''Nothing. Mr.. Whiting, nothing for me.
Where did understand you to say Mrs.
Whiting has gone? Could it be Clcve-
land9"
mo, Cincinnati. She has gone to her
sisters Mrs. Gaegon; perhaps you know
her replied the unconscious man, wonder
ing to the tips of his boots why Miss Dis
brow was there another pillow gone
over, maybe, or perhaps she has..seen Bridget
giving cold pieces to beggar at the back
gate" unused he. listening with hungry
ear to the supper bell.
But his wonders and musing were cut
painfully short.
'Mr. Whiting" said Miss Disbrow solemn
ly, II am afraid have had news for you.
Your wife did not go to Cincinnati, as you
you supposed; she went to Cleaveland.
And she did not 60 alone"
Mr.. Whiting stared helplessly at the
speaker, unable TO take in such dreadful til
dings on the instant.
"What l say is true, Mr.. Whiting. Ihave
it from parties who saw her go. She has
gone to Cleveland, and she did not go alone"
repeated Miss Disbrow, nodding so wisely,
she might have been an own aunt of Solo
mons.
Mr.. Whiting was as innocent as new
cup of milk but he had as many nerves as
IL woman and if he had not been born a
man he certainly would have been blue
bottlcfy, humping about, restless and dis
tracted. Therefore as soon as lac had fairly
comprchended Miss Disbrow's disyraceful
story he was fairly wild.
"He took it harder than I could wish Ben
jamln-harder than l could wish Poor
man don't know when l had pitied any
body so before, and truly, Benjamin, am
afraid l shall have no appetite for my
breakfast; and you know it is fish halls to-
day, and l am more partial to fsh-balls
than anything else. 1t is too bad So it
isl"
And Miss Disbrow sighed. partly for her
own loss. and partly for the loss of her
nelghbor.
Eyes Benjamin There he goes. Yes
going to find her; and when he finds her
what then What then, ask you, Benja-
min p
Benjamin did not know-he had no means
of knowing and so he did not tell
And after smelling of bottle of camphor
Miss Disbrow went on:
1t does seem to me and always has that
if Mr.. Whiting had not been born fool he
might have known better than to marry
such pretty bunch of lace and feathers.
But a man is always a fool about woman
till he marres herr
While Miss Dsbrow, full of wisdom and
sympathy for him, talked thus behind her
glasses and her window curtains, Mr.. Whit
ing went down the avenue to the depot. half
frantic with haste and horrible fances, blam-
ing himself miserably as he went on his mis-
cradle way, for his blindness and carelessness
while thousand things, overlooked and for
gotten heretofore, Strengthened and explain
ed themselves in the light of this shameful
flight.
Once in the car, the train, at its swiftest,
seemed to crawl like a sick caterpillar; and
oh, how tediously often and long they stoop-
ed at every wood pile aud hamlet of shan
tics. Suddenly they stopped not much of
anywhere and never started auain l.