The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-05-03
THE WRONG COAT.

would wear another and leave that at
home, and so, as he had left it, she took
it from the hall and carried it into her
sewing-room. Mrs. Wilton had been
married five years and never during that
time had had one unhappy moment.
Mr.. Wilton had been very attentive,
very kind, very generous, and never
made her jealous. She often said she
was the happiest woman living.
Now, as she looked at the lining and
compared the silk with which she was
about to replace the torn portion, she
was thinking these thoughts.
They had never had any children, but
when people are oil in all to each other,
that is no very great grief; all her care
was for him-all his for her.
"And he is just the dearest, best, tru-
est fellow in the world" said Eve VIII
ton to herself. elm not half good
enough for him. I wonder what this is
in his pocket; it bulges it all out OF
shape"
She put her hand into the breast
pocket as she spoke, and drew out lit
tie package, wrapped up in silver paper,
and tied with blue ribbon.
Something he has bought for me, l
expect" said Eve. "I wonder what it
is. I think I won't open it until he
comes home"
Then she laid the silk across the hole
and cut it out and basted it down.
CT wonder what it is, said she. cit
doesn't seem like book. 1t might be
lace wound on card-real lace -
She looked at the package again.
CT do wonder what it is" said she,
hemming the patch down.
"There wasn't much to mend, after
ALL" she said; "I thought the tear much
longer. He caught it on nail at the
Office, I know. Now I do wonder what
there can be in that package"
Eve put the coat over a chair and took
up the little parcel.
"Tom wouldn't mind" she said; II
will Just take peep. I'm sure it is for
me-"
Then she undid the ribbon, unfolded
the paper, and saw letters.
"Dear Tom," said she. "He must
keep my old letters next his heart, and
he e'never has told me-.
But the writing was not hers; she saw
that at glance.
"His mothers letters" she said.
"He lov, ! his mother So.
Then s. began to tremble a little, for
the letters did not begin My dear son,
nor anything like it. She cast her eyes
over them.
They we're love letters,
"Tom has loved some other woman
before he met me-" she said, beginning
to cry. "Ob, what shall I do ?"
Then she cried out:
"Oh, foolish, foolish creature that /
ami Of course she died, and he only
loves me now. It was all over before
we met. I must not mind -
But there she paused, gave scream,
and threw the letter from her as though
it had been a serpent and had bitten her.
1t was dated the past week.
It was not four days old.
"Oh !" cried Eve, sob. what shall
do2 Oh, where shall I go?"
At every CRY thought pierced her
breast like an actual stab.
"Tom-my Tom! What shall I dol
Tom to be false-Tom Oh, I have
gone mad No, there they are; they
are really there, those letters. Why do
I not die ?-why do I not die? Do peo-
pie live through such things as these p
Then she knelt down on the fosr 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 as
are always produced in court in cases Of
breach of promise, and they were all
signed "Your own Nellie.
cit is all true" said poor Eve, wiring,
ing her hands; "and it is worse than
anything I ever heard of. trusted him
so; believed in him so.
Then she wiped her eyes, gathered uI
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 overcoat, and
hung it in the hall again.
''Tom shall never know" she said
"I'll not reproach him. I will never
see him again. When he comes home
I shall be dead. I will not live to beal
this"
Then she sat down to think over the
best means of suicide.
She could hang herself to the chan
deler with q window blind cord, bu
then she would be black in the face an6
hideous.
She could drown herself, but then he
body would go floating down the rive,
O the sea, and drowned people loekef
sYen worse than strsngled ones,