Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-09
A PERSONAL MATTER.

idea of that atmosphere of blissful tran
guilty which settled down on their early
married life. Husband and wife were
scrRpul0usly c0nsiderate of each others
comfort. Cadwsllader never brought any
of his business annoyances home with
him; they were carefully locked up over
night in the iron safe at his office. He in
no wise lost his reward. His wardrobe
fairly bristled with buttons and shone
with salutary stitches; tardy meals and
lad coffee were things foreign and un-
.Elsazd of; Cynthia mended her gloves and
made ner own bonnets, evinced marvellous
tact IN managing servants, arranged her
hair without resort to curl-papers, and
never appeared in her lords presence
minus a collar. In short, the coniugal
felicity of this model couple was as nearly
perfect as anything earthly could be;
days came ard went, and were nodded
into weeks; weeks gliding by in their
turn became months, and the months
were already fast approaching twelve be-
fore q cloud rose above the marital ho-
rizou.
The Tapscotts seemed so entirely and
5udissolubly unit that their friends had
dubbed them the Siamese twins. They
g}0rIed in having no separate secrets; each
being blessed with a rather inquisitive
and Jealous disposition, it had been
deemed advisable on their wedding day
to arrange this matter on an equitable
basis, and to their resolution then formed
they boosted they had rigidly adhered. At
fiEGT, in an excess of frankness, they were
won't to exchange condolences respecting
the most trivial circumstances of their
daily lives, but soon began to omit sun
dry annoying details of business transac-
Gions or domestic economy; these Omis-
sians were followed by others and still
others, till at length their conversation
assumed some resemblance to that ordi-
nsriLy INDUCED in by married persons
The anniversary of their wedding was
fast approaching when Mrs. TapScott's
acute sense disCerned-Or she fancied it
did-a singular change in her husbands
manner. II had crept over him so grad
uaIy SIS almost to have escaped her obser-
walton. He grew distracted and thought
full over his newspaper; and sometimes,
when she had come suddenly upon him,
she had found him chuckling mysterious
ly 20 himself. Mr.. TapscOtt, with sensi-
biEtSes less refined and delicate, had no
Gfced few peculiarities in his wife's be-
haviOr, but had attached no particular
Significance thereto. He once had occa.
sion, for instance, to use something which
she kept locked up in her escritoire; and,
instead of giving him the key as of old,
ind telling him to go and rummage to his
hearts content, she took the responsible
IGy Of the search ON her own shoulders,
and exhibited unusual caution in lock-
7ng aEnrything after her.
Entering the library before breakfast
one April morning, Mrs Tapscott found
her husband absorbed in the perusal of
the supplement Of the metropolitan Messen-
ger AS the page was entirely devoted to
advertisements, his occupation struck her
SIS rather remarkable.
:" What do you find so interesting on
1dhaC page, my dear ?" she inquired.
All, Cynthia, that's you, is it?" he re-
sponded, looking up with a start, and lay
ing She paper hastily aside. Breakfast
GlmoSt geady?"
clock" answered Cynthia
So it does; so it does," said Mr.. Tap
scott in an absent tone al wonder
whether [ shall need an umbrella to-day
She sky is clouded over" He strolled to
The window, looked out, and drummed
gne&sily on the sill.
Bat Cynthia was not disposed of thus
easily: her husbands attempt at evasion
was too apparent.
: | don't think you answered my first
question, dear, did your" she asked
quietly
= DidR't y l beg your pardon. Let
me sec-yoU wanted to know"
What you found so interesting in the
newspaper that you did not observe my
entrance"
s@h, yes; so you did Important dis
patkaleG from China, my love. The Khe-
dive
"Of Egypt?"
No, no; 1 don't mean the Khedive
The Shah"
:" The Shah reigns in Persia, Caddy."
HIM, you're quite right; | don't mean
The Shah, either, do [? Fact is, | am in
somewhat of a hurry this morning, and
my ideas are little bewildered."
At this moment relief appeared in the
person OF Bridget, who announced that
7 3-e2kfG asst was on the table. Her hus-
aGzd speedily intrenching himself
1ehind coffee cup, Mrs. Tapscott raised
the siege. There was no use, however, in
telling her such nonsense about Chinese
dispatches; she knew very well that if
SIae Khedive, or the Shah, or his Celestial
gEHUlgence the Emperor of all the Chinas
dgUreG anywhere in that mornings Hes
sanger it was in the capacity neither
If advertiser or of advertised The story
was merely a ruse of her husbands-de-
pend upon ito hide something from
her Recalling all the trifling peculiar
tiles in his recent conduct, and putting
this and that together her curiosity re-
.ceived a sudden impetus. 1t was the
fest time mystery had ever thrust itself
between them; and to probe it she was
determined.
In due season breakfast was concluded,
and AR Tapscott started for his office
His wife had no sooner said, Good-by,
G'addy; come up carly" and kissed him,
aRd shut the door behind him with the
most bewitching reluctance, than her
whole appearance was altered in an in
slant, and she strobe back to the library
like a woman bent on some desperate
mission. Selling the Messenger, she
swept its advertising columns with a pen
etr&ting glance. Presently her fingers
relaxed their hold; the sheet fell TO the
60Or, and she sank back into chair with
asfiEied moan. The following " Personal"
had caught her eye:
&C. It. Meet me at the old place on
Saturday, two p. m.
The sickening horror that had at first
overwhelmed her now gave way to very
different emotion-that of Jealous indig-
nation.
Saturday, two p. M? Not if | can
prevent it" She procured pair OF scis-
Scws and cut the paragraph out
Then she proceeded to her own room,
.ySauad ber psrritoire and lifted a num her