The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-12-20

llduilcu NE place was burglar.
That evening | told Emma and John
breathlessly, of my discovery. Emm;
looked little nervous, but her husband
only laughed as he turned over the pace,
Of the Herald
:" always thought, Katie, that YOU
would make a clever detective, you've
such a knack for ferreting out things
and seeing more than other people. Ma
ture certainly intended you for one OF
the strong minded sex
but, John, if you had only seen the
mans face-the expression, | mean-sC
sharp and-and searching. I can't find
the right word, but as if he were ever SC
eagerly looking for something
= For yourself perhaps Emma, YOU
had better keep sharp eye on her 1t
isn't right TO have unknown and myste-
rious admirers hanging around the place.
The nelghbors will talk, you know"
But, John" suggested his wife, ''this
mans conduct Is rather singular"
"Well if he annoys you again, prom
/ lSe to look into the matter. and find out
who he is
He had not long to wait for an oppor-
tunlty, which presented itself on the day
following.
There he is, john - the very same
man I" | exclaimed, bursting into the
room where John, just returned from the
city, was preparing for quiet Saturday
evening at home in the bosom of his
family.
"Ah, indeed Well, let us have look
at this mysterious admirer of yours"
And he approached the window as the
stranger, crossing the common from the
road, turned into the lane at the back of
the garden.
''Why, it is Mr. Delaney" he said,
laughing. ''ls that your boasteI pene-
tlation and shrewdness. Katie, to take a
rich, handsome gentleman for common
burglar"
"Who is Mr.. Delaney" | asked.
"a geNHcMal, Katie, as far as | know
He IS from the South, partly French,
believe, and used to live here in this
house, answered John furthermore soberly
"Do You know him ,"
"Slightly."
"Where does he live 2"
"-\t the new villa that you see on the
heights yonder."
THAT beautiful place Is his wife with
him ?"
II believe not. Here, child, take Dot :;
she wants her supper and to 90 to bed
early, like Il wise good little girl aS she is"
Emma came up to nurse the baby, while
put Dot in bed: and from her learned
something more about Mr.. Delaney than
John had been willing to tell me-
"fle had been very unfortunate, poor
man =. said Emma. "SOme years ago he
had come from the South with his Young
creole wife, and engaged i'll some banking
business in New York. John had known
him about that time Slightly, and remeln-
bered what Il beautiful woman Mrs De
laney had been. Then they had come
into this neighborhood, and commenced
building the elegant villa that we all ad-
mired so much, residing meanwhile in the
house which we now occupy. They had
many visitors from the city, principally
gentlemen; and at length there began to
be rumOrs with regard to Mrs. Delaney's
intimacy With one of these-;I very hand
some young man of the name of Duval,
Southerner like themselves The end Of
it was, said Emma. ''that one morning
Mr.. Delaney, returning home from short
business trip, found his wife gone. and
on her dressing table a note, addressed
to himself, informing him that she had
left him, in company with the only man
she had ever loved, she having married
himself for money alone"
"And what did Mr. Delaney do }" | in
quired.
He acted, John says" Emma was
always quoting john ''as few other men
would have done. With the greatest in
difference, or the greatest forbearance-
it must have been the latter, for he had
appeared devoted to his wife he said to
them out. Let her 90, and be happy if
she can. have always known that she
Was never happy with me-"
HAS he ever since heard from her ?" |
inquired, with feeling of growing sym
pathy for Mr. Delaney.
''l don't know. Something has been
recently said about their having been seen
and recognized somewhere in France and
Italy. Mr.. DuVal was wealthy, and they
may be travelling about ENJOYING them
selves if such people cnt experience
anything like enjoyment" added Emma
severely: thus concluding her story with
a moral designed for my OWE especial
benefit.
| never, after this, complained of Mr..
DelaneY's intrusiVeness. Indeed, | began
rather to feel a sort OF sympathiZing in
terest i'll a man who had been thus de
ceyed and Wrongeu in his dearest rea-
ti0nS, and who had shown himself so for
bearing under 50 great a provocation
He had loved and trusted his wife, and
it was doubtless the influence Of associa-
tions connected with her, and with the
memory Of happier days, that brought
him so frequently around the spot where
they had lived together, SO now. when
ever | saw the lonely looking man, with
his pale, classic face, and cold, almost
stern immObility OF expression, walking
slowly down our lane, or Stealthly glanc-
ing into the garden gate as he passed,
would affect not to observe him. Once
when we We're all in the lane watching
the children at game of romps, Mr.. De
laney made his appearances, and would
have retreated had not John spoken to
him, introducing Emma and myself, and
inviting him to enter the house which,
however, he politely declined. AS John
had remarked, he appeared Il perfect
gentleman; and, yet, despite this, and
the feeling of a sympathy toward him,
could not help feeling that | did not like
the man. 1t might be his cold expression,
or his reserved manner, but did not like
Mr.. Delaney.
1t was about week after this that
John, on returning home one evening,
surprised us with the information that
he had purchased the place which we
were now occupying. He had been one
of the first to know OF its being offered
for sale; and, considering it a good spec
ulation on account of the rapidly increas-
ing value OF property in this vicinity, had
immediately purchased it.
| was delighted with the arrangement.
Now that the place was our own, we could
90 as we pleased in the way OF improve
ment; and the first thing was, undoubt-
edly, considered, to remove the rubbish
of the old spring house, clear the spring
itself, and erect above it sort of grotto
of loose stones lying around. This we
could finish off with shells from the
beach, and parasitic plants above the
entrance, and so make quite charming