The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-03-29
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Thor had been married h7e years, ane
she had begun to think he didn't care TO
her IS in days gone by.
I His many endearing pet names hat
dwindled TO my dear" m occasiona
g darling and very occasional 9. .tootsey
love- He read the morning papers q
breakfast and the evening papers at din
ner. He had gone, several times of late
to business without kissing her. He had
ceased bringing home walnut candy, and
be had even slapped the babyl
"And when . good -natured, even tenn.
pered man like John Margerum, thought
Mrs. Margerum, ssslaps his own innocent
offspring f0r nothing more than throwing
the pudding and butter on the floor and
upsetting the salt cellar Into the ca-pot
there must b. something decidedly
wrong"
Could he be enthralled by the srts and
.wiles of some other woman? He had said
the other day that the highest type oi
beauty was the blonde, and she had brown
skin, brown hair, brown eyes-no one
could have been more brunetty.
He had Joined = club lately-so he
avOwed-apd, stayed out until twelve
O'Clock every Tuesday and Friday even
ing. He had taken 70 whistling love
songs and reading poetry, and when she
asked him for : simple ostrich feather
Zone of those that go all around the hat and
enough left to fall gracefully over the
CROWN, he had grosoledg hat he had no
money. s
Circumstances looked awfully sus-
picious, and, as circumstances generally
do, the more they were looked at the more
suspicious they grew.
But how to find him out III his iniquity
how gather conclusive evidence with
which to confront him and cover him with
confusion as with garment.
His pockets! In the days when she had
trusted him implicitly, and when he used
to remain up long after she retired, read
ing and writing-.(h had taken to going
to bed early for several months past, Civ
ing as an excuse that he wanted to get a
little sleep before the baby awoke him by
sitting upon his head at midnight, where
as the dear child neuer sat upon his head
before two in the morning.l She had
was determined each night to investigate
them. as
ucS0 IuCOLSL6ut uuSO6LuSy SPllC VI
all their precautions, were always sure to
leave something in their pockets to betray
them at last.
She had read of hundred cases, and
heard of hundred more, where lock of
hair, photograph, woman's glove, and,
worst of all, note had led to q divorce,
or at least a separate maintenance.
So night after night, when John Marge-
RUNS musical snore proclaimed that he
his wife stole quietly from his
side, and in fear and trembling, with many
furtive glanccs at the sleeper, it must be
(for John, like most good
natured men, was the maddcst of the mad
when he was mad), she carefully and con-
examined the pockets of
trousers, vest, undercoat and overcoat.
A month went by and she had found
nothing but flask with something more
or less in it, handkerchief smelling
etrongly of beer, pair Of gloves ditto,
some coffee beans, few cloves, piece Of
flag root, q meerschaum, half dozen
cigars, a paper of cigarettes, two or three
cards pertaining to hotels and restaurants,
a night-key and sundry silver and nickel
coins.
At last, just FIVE weeks after she had
her search, she felt that her
patience was about to be rewarded.
In . corner Of the vest, between the
cloth and the lining-it had slipped
through hole in the pocket-made there
on purpose, NO doubt, these men are so
aIrfuIEsnc 1isCOvclva ulU IUU1ips .
registered letter, which letter had been ad-
dressed to Miss Mary-Miss Mary (why
do these Postoffice people write 50 illegi-
bly, ?)-for the life of her she couldn't
make out the surname, but Miss Mary
at the very time he had denied
her, his lawful wife, the simple ostrich
feather.
Dece:tful wretch!" she said, between
her teeth, glancing Indignantly at the bed
where the "wretch" slumbered uncon-
sciously; "but now have one proof Of
his perfidy," and she hid the Postmaster's
receipt in her work basket, and I'll have
more, if it takes me all the rest Of the
winter to find them"
But she didn't have to walt all the rest
of the winter, for the very next night,
when john Margerum was snoring louder
than ever, after the cloves, and the flask,
and the meerschaum. and the hsndker-
chief smelling of beer, and the gloves
OlttO, ana IeW OtHeI dItlClco unu tuL-
bled out, away down at the bottom of the
breast pocket of the husbands evercoat,
Mrs. Margerum found a sealed envelope
directed to nobody. Straight to the gar
ret she carried it, deliberately tore it open
and read as follows:
MY DEAREST Osr. Meet me at the Aquarium
on Wednesday afternoon, and there we Will
spend some happy, happy hours; Together wen
watch the samboi, OF ne ntelngent seal ano
look AZ tne pioao Dac1 Oh tne ln.sresns ~ wllee
r. f.. Me hsr;t TS cpsh .ne nnnt dis.
snno;n. .'', mc s. Re- there It two precisely when
TIE band begins 10 play. Ever thine,
y RUMsn.
Rummy," she repeated, with The
calmuess Of volcano, as she inserted the
billet doux into another envelope, sealed
Il and returned it to the breast pocket.
!. You'll have the pleasure Of seeing Mrs.
Rummv. also. nv dearest One."
And shakinr her little brown fist at the
dreaming sluml,erer, she laid her head on
the pillow beside him and slept restless
sleen.
"wednesday afternoon came. bright and
beautiful.
Mrs. Marrerum arranged her silken
tressea in the most becoming and coquet.
tish styie. perched a pretty, broad
hr;mm:d & b,.ck velvet hat upon them. and,
arrived In her invisible green silk, with
cloth s n nolousise M Is and Kid gloves to match,
prepared to meet the foe.
1.-THE dearest one shall see that I'm
not 70 be despised, II 1 haven't her blue
ewes and br.ssy hair, ,, she said with scorn,
as she perfumcd her best lace handker-