Litchfield enquirer., 1872-11-07

 z bbons in her bonnet, and calls her hus-' A h6nd ssmy pet" before hundred persons. Excellent in reality, she will not trouble you Mir. and Mrs. Jenkins pass six n1hths of the year in Berkshire. The htheF is county magistrate and has an gre to seat in Parliament.
 The collateral branches ? EeW, or ] may say nOne. What there are, are honest and insignificant. You may advance with confidence"
 In face of such an assurance could no longer hesitate.
 It was agreed that the first interview should take place at Covent Garden The atre in the following week. In case of as- sent on my part was to be introduced after the opera. The day was fixed by letter which received the following day. I went to the theatre accordingly. :,
 It was night when Titiens sang, and the house was full; every box was occupi- ed by ladies in brilliant toilets. My first look was directed to Miss Clara Jenkins
 She was 8 tall brunette, admirably made, and who seemed to have none of the hashful awkEardness of girls of her age, when their marriage is looked for 1 ward to- Our eyes met, she turned hers away without embarrassment, and I con timed to regard her.
 Ishan not speak to you of the mother. She offered nothing more remarkable than all those women who have never been pretty and who grow old without preceiv- ingit Age deprives them of nothing.
 Mrs. Jenkins devoured her daughter with her eyes, which gave me 8 good opin- ion of her.
 As to MT. Jenkins, he was stout, for i'd man, somewhat bald, and whose high colored face expressed the satisfaction of 1 a man who had determined to become rich and took just pride in having ac- complished his aim.
 He was dressed in the night of fashion, with diamonds in his shirt bosom, and 8 gold chain of almost fabulous value mean dering across his waisteoat l noticed him laugh boisterously sever 1 al times, . circumstance which gave me sort of irritation hastened to overcome
 How could be angry with that good fellow for being SO happy? | His hearty laugh attested both the tran 1 quility of his conscience and the soundness l of his health.
 1 Everything seemed to me satisfactory, and consented to be introduced. I was most graciously received. Mir. Jenkins could hadly restrain him. self from calling me sOn-in-law. I had not been misinformed; during a quarter of an hour that the interview lasted, he l spoke to me ten times about his self-made fortune. He had come to London in ragsi He had made himself! Then he changed the cOyersatiOn to speak of me, my ylabors, and my success, in terms of excessive cor diality.
 need hardly say that along with every eulogium I received fresh shake of the hand.
 We parted the best friends possible. I dined the next day at his house in Russell Square.
 'Be sure you come early," were his parting words.
 In spite of his recommendation, I did not arrive before six o'clock, and half an hour before dinner would be served.
 As on the previous evening, I was re- ceived with the utmost cordiality. said few words to my intended, and paid a compliment to my future mother in-law. who, I fancy, found me charming. As to Mir. Jenkins, he was in q state of ecstacy; he spoke, walked ran, laughed all it once. He was evidently the happiest I man on earth.
 His gaiety proved catching; found myself laughing, at hardly know what. He laughed at every word said.
 We sat down to table
 "Well, my pet" said Mrs. Jenkins, '.you are not going to laugh in that way all dinner time, I hope; it will spoil your appetite"
 ''Ha, ha! Let me laugh, slnce it does me good"
 ''But, my pet, it does not improve your looks. especially when you open your mouth; at this moment you quite resem- ble your Bacchus."
 The look cast at Mir. Jenkins was equivalent to a question.
 My cameo" said he. At the same mo- ment he drew me to a window and pre- sented his left hand to me.
 My looks fell, terrified, on the cameo. It was the same open mouth, the same half-closed eyes, the Bacchus of my dream! I stopped down to see it better, and I felt the precipitation on my forehead. At one corner of the mouth the Bacchus had a small red scratch. looked hard and but the whole fat, sinewy hand, with the lines in the skin, the hair and all. It was re- ally the hand had seen that night in the bed room of my cottage at Hampstead.
 "You examine my ring like q connois- seur," said my host.
 I raised my head I looked so pale that Mr. Jenkins exclaimed, "Good heavens
 He called his wife and daughter. They gave me some tea. I excused myself as well as could and sat down to table, but still quite upset.
 The remembrance of the apparition, which had so profoundly struck me, mix ed itself up, in spite of me, with the mur- der committed on the same day and dis covered the day after.
 I wish to banish the painful impression. l must certainly be insane. What possi- ble connection could there be between MT. Jenkins, the banker, enjoying gener- al respect and consideration, and the old lady murdered at Hampstead?
 MT. Jenkins possessed cameo, head of Bacchus. Out of hundred cameos, ten bear the head of Bacchus. But that scratch at the corner of the mouth * <
 When they spoke to me I scarcely an- swered. They hastened to serve me- I accepted their attentions abstractedly. I trembled least was really mad. | The dinner over, I made of my indis- position the pretext to withdraw. They made me promise to come again ! soon.
 | ran in all haste to Mrs. Bernard
 sWhat is MT. Jenkins, I excaimed.
 r said she smiling, ''what crotchet have you got in your head now? You come here like thunderbolt to say to I me, What is Mir. Jenkins ? Why, have told you twenty times p
 Is he an honest man ?'
 Are you mad? Charles, recover your self. You seem totally upset. What is it? What is it ?"
 'sWell, you are right; nothing I am dreaming still !" and I left as abruptly as I had entered. A | I passed very bad night; but the next morning had recovered sufficient con- trol over myself not to attribute to chance circumstance, so unsubstantial in reality, more importance than it merited.
 The aifectionate cordiality with which I was treated ought decidedly to prevail over conceived idea for which I had no E--~~ T. T ff@