The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-05-10
THE WRONG COAT.

mend the huluE Oi hlS uNCncOat, n he
would wear another and leave that az
home, and So, as he had left il. she took
il from the hall and carried il into her
sewing room. Mrs. Wilton had been
married five wears and never during that
time had had ons unhappy moment
Mr.. Wilton had been very attentive,
very kind, very generous, and never
made her Jealous. She often said she
was the happlest woman living.
Now, as she looked az the lining anj
compared the silk with which SHE was
about to replace the torn portion, she
was thinking these thoughts.
They had never hai any children. lint
when people are all IN all 10 each other,
that Is no very great griei; all her care
was for hlm--all his for her.
- And he is Just the dearest, best. trU-
est fellow IN the world, said Eve VII
ton 10 herself. I'm not half guoi
enough for HIM. I wonder what this is
in his pocket; it bulges II all out Of
shape.
She put her hand into the breast
pocket as she spoke, and drew out lit
tie package, wrapped mp In silver paper,
aud tied with blue ribbon.
Something he has bought for me.
expect, " said Eve. Il wonder what il
is | think | won't open il until he
comes home.
Then she laid the silk across the hole
and cut It cut and bastei il down.
Il wonder what 1t is, said she 1T
doesn't seem like a book. Ii might be
lace wound on a carl-real lace -
She looked al the package again.
II do wonder what il Is. said she,
hemming the patch down.
There wasn't much 10 mend, after
all, she said; = / thought the tear much
longer. He caught il on nail II the
office. know. Now l do wonder what
there can be IN that package =
Eve put the coat over chair and took
up the little parcel.
Tom wouldn't mind, she said; Il
VIII lust take q peep. I'm sure It Is for
me"
Then she un3id the ribbon, uufolded
the paper. and saw letters.
Dear Tom, said she. He must
keep my old letters next his heart, and
he never has told me-
But the writing was not hers; she saw
that at glance.
His mothers letters. she said.
Z" he loved his mother 50.
Then she began to tremblea little. for
the letters did not begin " Ny dear son,
nor anything like il She cast her ewes
over them.
They were love letters.
"Tom has loved some other woman
before he met me. she said. beginning
to cry. "Oh. what shall I do @
Then she cried out:
"Oh, foolish, foolish creature that
am! OF course she died, and he only
loves me now. II was all over before
we met must not mind -
But there she paused, gave a scream.
and threw the letter from her as though
1t had been 3 serpent and had bitten her.
It was dated the past week.
1t was not four days old.
Oh :" cried Eve. ''uh, what shall /
dos Oh, where shall go?'
a. every cry a thought pierced her
breast like an actual stab.
Tommy Tom What shall 7 20.
Tom to be false-Tom , Oh, / have
gone mad No, there they are: they
are really there. those letters Why do
not die ?-whv do l not die ? Do peo-
pie live through such things as these"
Then she knelt down on the floor and
gathered up the letters, and steadily
read them through.
There were ten Of them. Such love
letters
No other Interpretation could be put
upon them.
They were absurd love letters, such rs
are always produced in court in cases OF
breach of promise, and they were all
signed Your own Nellie"
at is all true, said poor Eve, wiring
ing her hands: "and it is worse than
anything I ever heard Of. I trusted him
so; believed in him SO.
Then she wiped her ewes, gathered MP
the letters, packed them up, wrapped
the silver paper about them, tied the
blue ribbon, put them back in the breast
pocket OF that dreadful ovcrcoat, and
hung it in the hall again
Tom shall never know, " she said
"I'n not reproach him. l viii never
see him again. When he comes home
] shall be dead. viii not live 10 bear
this. "
Then she sat down TO think over the
best means OF suicide
She could hang herself to the chan
delier with a window blind cord. but
then she would be black in the face and
hideous.
She could drown herself, but then her
body would go floating down the river
o the sea, and drowned people looked
even worse than strangled ones.
She was too much afrld Of firearms 10
shoot herself even in this strait
She would take poison.
Yes, that would be best; aHd though
she would never see Tom again. he
would see her, and remorse would sting
him.
Here she made great mistake.
A man who is cOolly treacherous 10
women never has any remorse.
Remorse in love affairs is purely
feminine quality, and even the worst Of
the sex are not without it.
However, il Is natural to believe that
remorse is possible to a man whom one
has heretofore believed to be an angel
in human form, and Eve took a little
miserable comfort in the thought that .
Tom would kneel beside her coffin, and .
burst into tears and passionate exclama-
tions Of regret, which she, perhaps,
might see from some spiritual post Of .
observation
SO, having put on hat and thick (
veil, Eve betook herself down the street .
and around the corner to the nearest .
druggist.
The druggist was an old man, "a benevo- (
lent-looking one, with red cheeks and
smiling mouth; and when she asked for
''poison for rats" he said-"So !" and
beamed mildly upon her.
81 want it very strong, said Eve.
$50 !" said the druggist
''But not to give more pain than is
necessary" said Eve.
''To the rats p asked the druggist
eyes" said Eve, ''of course; and it
must be quick, and not make one black
in the face"
"So!" said the druggist, slowly
''Well, what shall give you that shall
not make rat black in the face ?"
And with grave countenance he com
pounded powder and handed it across
the counter.
Eve took it, and paid the few pence he
asked, a'3 lied away.
Once home, she went directly to her
room and retired to bed, taking the pow
der with her.
Once or twice she tasted it with the
tip of her tongue, hoping it was not very
disagreeable.
Tbe7 finding it sweet, she bravely
wallowed il,