American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-15
VOL. XIII.

her manner she had caught an idea
knew that her husband sometimes break.
tasted at Delm0nicO's. She owned the
carriage and horses, and she paid the
coachman. and SO the coachnaa would
obey her orders implicitly.
And the irate Mrs. T. was right. Her
husband thought more of his breakfast
than his dinner, and, under Mrs. It's do
nestle management, he had breakfasted
cumstances.
And he did not ride down town he
he went out from the house, re-lighted a
cigar at the drug i1Pre at the corner,
ten minutes in the operation, and then
started straight down the avenue, where
the >coachman overlook him a couple OF
minutes before he went in to give his or
der, while faithful Richard waited out.
side.
But there was nothing but the chops,
coffee, rolls, and the newspaper; no dis
cOvery whatever, and would not have
been but that Mr.. Thistledown sent for q
sheet Of paper, and an envelope, wrote a
note with q lead pencil, and sent it to the
restaurant office.
Richards eyes sparkled at the discovery;
he had something to tell at last, and he
watched the anglo-Francaise clerk as he
gave his directions to the hall-boy, and
the hall-boy started on with the note, to-
ward Sixth avenue.
The boy took an ugward-bomd car-so
did Richard, and after q few moments
seated himself beside the messenger,
whom he knew from the frequent waitings
which had been imposed upon him upon
opera nights, and sidewalk acQuaint-
ance SO contracted.
"Ye're bound for uptown in the early
mornin' Frank" ventured Richard, by
~ tu.wxr nk HI
Yes, with note"
"Ye're to get an anserr'
No; only to leave it." And the limo
cent messenger, who knew Richard to be
q good fellow, handed out the note, which
was addressed to lady living in
street, and marked 50 In haste"
"Ye won't get back for an hour, away
up there" said the coachman. "Pm
Unwilling at ffst, the messenger finally
consented. He had been paid half q dol
lar for the service, anu It suited him to
earn 1t more easily than riding about In
the cold 20 he gave the note to Richard,
sprang from the car, and Richard fol-
lowed his example ct the next corner, go
Ing direct to Mrs. Thfstledown with the
note and bursting into her presence with
the air Of military commander who had
captured citadel and Just reached head
quarters to make his report.
To say that Mrs. +. was still more
angry would be far too little in words to
do her Justice. Marital inlldelity she al
ready suspected, but she did not suspect
an appointment at an uptown picture
gallery ct two O'Clock that very day-as
made In Mr.. Thistledown's rnote-with .
pretty widow who was one Of her best
friends and constant visitor at the
house.
Mr.. Thistledown had named the hour
the plsce-she knew the lady and now
that the dreadful secret was discovered
Its bttterest end and denOuement.
An hour later Richard had delivered the
note by proxy of the butchers boy at the
corner, and Mrs. Thistledown was prepar-
ing to 20 out and to visit the pictures gal
lefy about O'Clock.
A red dress which she would have de-
spised to have worn upon an ordinary
husband would not recognize, the Dor
rowing of cloak trimmed with sable fur
from q friendly neighbor, and a thick
black veil, were SO effective that she sal
lied into tile picture gallery a few mo-
ments before time, with the air of a count
ess, and was secure in the consciousness
of her marital dignity and her unsuspect-
ed presence.
The pictures were fine, but Mrs. T. had
no immediate interest in pictures; she
watched the door and the stairway, and
turned her back rs the widow, whom she
had not before suspected, came into the
room and warmed her neat little boots
and the feet within them at the hotair
register.
clock and her own watch, and so did Mrs.
Thistledown; the pretty widow was i'm
patient, and so was Mrs. T.; and the i'm
patience of both the ladies In waiting was
soon ended by the appearance of Mr.. T..
In light doeskin gloves, well brushed over
coat, shining hat, and his favorite cane,
just asa gay deceiver would probably be
early In the afternoon at picture gal
lery:
The meeting was not ahectionate- they
were wary and discreet, thought Mrs. T.
There was no whispered Conversation
between them; they. were up in the bust
ness Of such meetngs-an old story,
"Are you readys' asked Mr.. r., to
which the lady answered: Eyes, but 1
must be back to dinner" and Mrs. T..
was thoroughly satisfied that the faithless-
ness Of her husband was an old matter,
and it took all the possible control Of her
actions to prevent an Interruption of the
interview and the scene which would be
the consequence, as she nervously follow
ed the quiet couple over to Broadway,
where they took an omnibus bound down
tOwn-and 80 did Mrs. T., but of another
line and, with the window down, and
the cold air reddening her nose and blow
ing In upon her aching forehead, she
watched.
To Maiden lane she followed them, and
then to the store Of well-known furrier
where she saw them enter; and she had
the very unpleas ant alternative of waiting
outside for a whole hour, till she felt that
she must be discovered and then went
hOme-heme, which to her seemed the
charnel house of her affections, and where
she clasped her children to her motherly
bosom, and, while she allowed her tears
Of agony to fall upon their dear little in
nocent heads, she waited and watched for
their father, who had deceived her SO cru
ely.
But Mr.. Timothy Thistledown did not
come punctually at the dinner hour the
clock which stood upon the mantel in the
library was sepulchral in its tones, and
sounded like the knell of her affections as
1t telled the hours away, and dinner was
cold upon the table, when the sound d
wheels at the door aroused her, and the
slamming ola carriage door caused her to
start.
True enough, it was her husband with
the light gloves, the shiny hat, and the
pet cane, and he came directly into the
library where the light was burning, and
where there was no drop-light, for It had
been demonstrated by the sofa pillow at
their morning encounter.
Mr.. Thistledown kissed the children
threw down his newspaper and a small
brown paper bundle and said nothing te
| his wife