The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-04
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
By ANNIE ROBERTSON NoxoN.

BY ANNIE ROBERTSON NOXON,
eff there is anything in the world
distasteful to me, it is a sudden railroad
Journey" says Jasper Longworthy, con-
fdential clerk in the house of Lemon
Bros, cutters, Bradbury street, to his
wife, who very carefully packed his
pOrtmanteau with a charge of linen,
one extra pair of grey tweed trousers, a
fancy checked waistcoat, box of fine
paper collars, a neck-tie made of a
piece of Mrs. Longworthy's wedding
dress. made the night before stealthily,
and designed by the good lady as a sort
of talisman or amulet by which her hus-
band might, or ought to be preserved
through untold, undreampt-of dangers.
That Mr.. Longworthy failed to evince
sudden emotions at sight of the ever to-
aforementioned puce-colored silk, with
its white diamond fig ure, was simply an
evidence of the utter heartlessness of
men, for it is not to be presumed that
any man could forget the dress in which
his wife was married. The packing con-
tinued until six tiers and a small flask
of brandy and peppermint had been
squeezed in and the lid screwed down,
whereon a maiden in a scarlet riding
habit with yellow buttons pranced gaily
over an orange meadow on a purple
horse, and Mrs. Longworthy came for
ward to procure Jasper's assistance
about strapping the portmanteau, her
hands trembled so.
"Shan't / put up a nice lunch, dear
a half of cold chicken, two or three
slices of ham, some tongue, pickles, and
a quarter CT whortleberry pie"
"Mercy, woman" says Mr.. Longwor-
thy with fine disdain of this wifely So
icitude, &c as if there were nothing eat
able between this and Tibury! Lunch,
certainly not. What a figure should
cut, like that troublesome man of Dick
ems, always going about with huge
e-brown parcel in a chronic state of
falling to pieces. Now if I were going
for pleasure, my dear Harriet-but it is
a nasty piece of business my love, and
1 shall have plenty to think of besides
whortleberry pie"
Snatching a mouthful of cake, gulp
of coffee, and hasty kiss, Mr.. Jasper
LoDgworthy and his portmanteau went
down the front steps two at bound,
and Mrs. Longworthy was left in very
desolate house, with odds and ends to
pick up, soiled linen to count and put
up for the wash, the day before's NUT
ton to hash and-oh yes-Jasper's cast
off pockets to go through.
This is a business at which every
woman goes with expectancy at half
cock-a kind of sickening dread that
she will find that which the pitying gods
should snatch from her by a sudden
alarm of fire, or the tumbling of a
neighbours child into the cistern-any-
thing to take her mind off the inter
dicted and forbidden regions of the
waistcoat and coat, where men insist
only duns and disagreeable mems are
kept, kilograms. life insurance policies
and price records.
"PoOr Jasper he does hate to be
sent off in this way, without hardly a
moments warning, and the cars make
him so sick. remember the summer
we were married, when we went down
to Woodstock to visit Aunt Calimy
Ann"
The investigation had been briskly
going onward, and with deadly palor
in her cheeks, and her heart beating
like a trip-hammer, Mrs. Longworthy
turned over and over, before daring to
unfold it, delicate looking letter, ruled
in water-lines and smelling of hedyos-
mia.
"They never scent price-lists nor
policies, I'm sure, swinging the ahject
semblance of the deceitful Jasper under
her left arm by the skirts, and sitting
down on a couple of tomato cans.
Slowly the reading began, every let
ter seemed Keeling away in a mad sort
of jig, until the little woman's eyes
burnt in their sockets as if they had
been roasted peanuts. If dear Jasper
conld have seen her then:
"NIY OwN DARLING: In spite of everything,
my dearest, think 1 shall be able t. quit
town early Monday, and will meet you at the
little station on the E. and B. road, Paxton,
where will wait for you, if you are not there
when l arrive. Soon, my own, we shall be be-
yond them all. Ever yours until death,
'SUsE"
sob, the deeply-dyed villain % said
little Mrs. Jasper, feeling at first that
the proper thing would be to faint dead
away on the sitting-room floor, with this
evidence of perfdy locked in her hand.
Visions of having died in this state,
with her cruel and heartless husband
chatting her clay-cold hands, repenting
of his misdeeds, alas too late, and wet
ting the white futed frock they would,
of course, lay her out with his tears,
passed through her mind with other
agreeable reflections, such as that he
would lose the confidence of his fellow
men, and become prematurely bald.
But what was the use of fainting, or
dying? She was all alone in that dread
full house the house maid had gone
bone with the toothache, and the cook
had gone to the green rocer's for the
tomatoes to can, and if she came back
and found her mistress insensible, she
would perhaps douce her with nasty
cold water, or take the color cut of her
new morning gown with ammonia.
FEnging the hateful letter from her
as if it smelled of birthstone instead of
hedyosmia, Mrs. Longworthy, who was
a practical little body, albeit a trife
romantic, got up from her uncomforta-
BILE position and wished that Jasper
LOngworthy were there so that she
might SCI atch his eyes out. But he
should see she was not to be trampled
on. Was she not Wimbledon? And |
were they not characterized by animal
courage and noted for spirit?
81 shall go back to mothers this very
night, and never look on his deceitful |
face again. Brother Tom shall make |
him repent of the way he has used me.
Susie indeed ! The artful minx-calls |
him her own darling Well, she can
have him now, Tn sure" And at this |
dreadful signing over, mentally, of all |
right to Mr.. Jasper Longworthy, five |
feet seven in his stockings, thinking of
his general appearance as if called on |
to make out a passport, Mrs. Jasper |
staggered to her big cane-seat rocking |
chair, fell into it, and burst into a vio-
lent fit of weeping, sobbing as if her |
heart would break.
"HallOo halloo" says big bass
voice in the sitting-room, and sure
enough there was brother Tom, in his |
nsnnl craakv hnnts nnrninnr in 1,rnnr- |