Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-27

uoC loi iIO w e0ny ~ So''0o ~
ceive myself, nor You, by SO doing.
But my duty is to stay with my hus-
band. I loathe him-I despise him;
he is tyrant-but, he is my husband,
and as such, | suppose he has claim
upon me, in the eyes of the world, that
you have not. But, my darling, loue
you, and / have come to the conclusion
to cast my lot with yours. will do
as you wish me to. l will meet you at
the oak tree tonight at ten o'clock. |
hope I shall"
And here, at the bottom Of the page,
the letter broke off very abruptly.
The other side of the page was
blank.
"Great Jehosophat!" That was the
awful word that broke from Mr. Jones
lips, when he had finished reading. 1t
was the nearest to swearing of any
word he INDUCED in. If eyer he felt
justif, ID in using it, he did now. His
face was a sight to behold. 1t was
full of anger and surprise, and complete
bewilderment.
''She loves him, does she" he ejac-
ulated, family. ':And I'm tyrant,
am l? The wretched creature! She
loathes me, and despises me, does she :
I'll show her thing or two. Let me
see-ten o'clock, at the oak tree; I'll
be there, my dear, and Ill learn your
''dear Edward something he won't
forget III go out this blessed minute
and get couple of officers, and we'll
wait for you. I fancy we'll surprise
you little. Great Jehosophat! and
she's actually been deceiving ME all the
time, and letting some other man talk
love to her, and coax her to elope with
him can't believe it, and yet can't
doubt it, for here it is in her own
writing. / wouldn't have believed it,
if | hadn't seen it in black and white.
Dear me | wonder if can bear up
under the awful blows What will
folks say? I shall be ashamed to meet
anybody. It's awful-awful! !" and Mr..
Jones wiped bis face with his handker.
chief, and looked the complete picture
of grief
Mr.. Jones was so 'sstruck all Of a
heap to use his own expression, by
the terrible intelligence that he didn't
stop to reason over the matter. He
never once thought that "Dear Ed
ward couldn't by any possibility have
received this letter, since it hadn't been
sent. He only realized that his wife
WIS going to run away, and that she
was going to meet her lover at ten
o'clock.
"I'll be there, my LADY," said Mr..
Jones, significantly, putting on his
overcoat, preparatory to setting out in
search of the proper officers. "rll be
there, and I'll give your Dear Edward
something he didn't bargain for. I'll
Dear Edward him"
About nine o'clock Mr.. Jones and a
couple of officers came up the road
stealthily, and secreted themselves be-
hind clump of bushes near the place
where the two mainroads crossed each
other.
"Now you MIND what I say" said
Mr. Jones. "1U go for him, and you
keep out of the way, till l am done
with him. III make him wish he'd
never thought of such thing as MAXI
ing love to other mems wives, see if |
don't. I'll pommel him! 'I'll trounce
him within an inch of his life, the con-
temptiblo ruppy!" and Mr. Jones
struck out right and left at his visionary
rival in way that made the officers
litter.
They waited, and waited and kept
waiting The ten o'clock train came
in, whistllng shrilly. And still no sign
of either woman or man for whom they
were waiting.
Presently Mr.. Jones babe them
listen; he heard steps down the
road.
The night was dark, and they could
not see rod Off But he was right in
thinking he heard steps. Some one
was. coming.
"It's him, curse him. muttered Mr..
Jones. "Now you lay low, and mind
what I say, Don't come till tell You
to. / dare say shall halfkill him,
but you keep off, and let me be. 'Ill
take the consequences, if | do kill him
completely Great Jehosophat! l
just yearn to get my hands on the
wretch
"IIe's close by now" whispered one
of the men.
81 see him." answered Mr.. Jones, an
awful whisper: 'Here, hold my hat, l
am going for him, and may the Lord
have mercy on his soul.
Accordingly, Mr. Jones event for
him." He made a rush at the tall black
figure coming leisurely up the road. He
gave it punch in the stomach with