Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-07-15
Miscellaneous.
A Wife's Jealousy.

wv hat were you reading Wnen
came in upon you just now?" Mrs
Crawford asked her husband. "You
looked uery much interested
Mr.. Crawford looked at her oddly
"Really 1 don't know" he said
"Was l reading anything?
"Tm sure Pm not inquisitive," said
Mrs. Crawford, and sat down the cot
tee-urn with a little hounce; "only
always show you my letters, VIII
iam!"
"Tve only received one letter thu:
morning" said Mr.. Crawford. eli
you'd like to share the pleasure Of
reading it. you can"
He tossed her an envelop within
which lays little folded paper-the
butchers monthly account.
Mrs. Crawford poked the bill back
into the envelop. 1t was a yellow
one. That which she had seen hel
husband reading had, she felt sure, 6
delicate pink tinge.
In all their married life Mrs. Craw-
forl had never felt suspicion OF
her hu:band before, but there wa,
no chat over the breakfast table thai
morning. The children were neg
lected and fretful; the mother scold
ed them. The father gave no good
bye kiss to his wife; and when, hei
carly morning duties over and the
children off to school, Mrs Crawford
a,cended to the little sitting room,
she carried as wretched II heart thither
as could well beat in any woman:
breast.
But it was pale pink note, and q
lady's hand said Mrs. Crawford tc
herself; "aud he hid it from me.
The horror she felt at opening his
desk secretly and as a burglar might,
quite passed away. She wiped hel
eyes, with her handkerchief, and
plunged into a certain box, which
was the receptacle Of odds and ends.
Thence she brought a jingling chain,
with keys strung upon it, little and
big, iron and brass, new and rusty;
keys of closets, and drawers, and
trunks, and boxes, keys her grand
mother had had for her store room
keys that belonged to her old dolP.
bureau. Gathering them up in her
hands, she sat down before the desk,
and began to try one after another IL
The lock. At last she found one that
fitted. She lifted the lid, and hel
eyes, red with tears, saw the interior
OF the desk. There was a book, one
her husband had been reading the
night before. from the edges of which
protruded something pink. Mrs
Crawford pounced upon this with s
low cry. 1t was a little envelope
from it she tore note. This is wha
she read:
"MY DEAR WfLMAM:-Tve long
ed so to see you all day, Be sure tina
YOU come tonight"
with Kiss, yours always"
Mrs. Crawford gave little scream
but she thought of the servents, anC
restrained herself. White as dealt
she put the note back INTO the book
locked the desk, and dropped th'
great chain of KEYS into its box
Then she sat down in her rocking chai
and swayed herself backward anc
forward, and asked herself what sh'
should do. What, indeedl Fifteel
years she had been married, and al
this while she had been so happy
And now trouble worse than deati
had come. There was no explain
ing this away. Her husband had 1T
sisters, no mother, no female friend D
relative who could write such thing
No, there was no explanation bu
this dreadful one-he had been max
inc love to some one. Perhaps h,
had even two wives When men be
gan to be bad no one could tell where
thev would stop.
When her husband came home h'
had no suspicion ofthe discovery she
had made. He looked at her mucf
as usual, and he spoke first.
Whats the matter, En-? The
children are pot threatened with the
small pox?"
"If they were dead oft, William
and | too, | should be glad" said til,
wife. Il had rather be dead thar
feel as | feel tonight"
"My dear, | never saw You thi;
way BEFORE" he said. "Are you i'll
I'm afraid you are"
He came to her side and bent over
her. She repulsed him. Then he,
astonished and angry, stood looking
at her.
What am | to understand from
this? ?" he said.
"You knor William, she answered
Look into your heart and ask your
self. All. William, | have been q
true wife to you, and a good mother
to your children tor ID years, and
now you turn from me for some
younger and prettier woman. You
see | know all, William. That note
excited my suspicion this morning