The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-07


where she can't get out soon. "
"Of all things in the world p
eyes, and more than that he's even
gone and forbid her going to evenin'
meetings. What do you think O. such
man as that 2"
81 think he's a monster p
"And so do I. But that amt quite
all. He jaws her all the time, abuses
her, threatens her, and her in mortal fear
Of her life Only to think of itp'
How did you hear about it? I won
der if folks generally know it? How
did you hear about it I'd like to know ?"
Well, I'd as Lief tell you as not, Miss
Tautog, but then you must promise not
to tell anybody else about it.
sob, to be sure not. What should [
want to be gaddin' about the neighbor-
hood for, tellin' hard stories about re-
spectacle, folks Who did tell you,
Nobody told me, exactly but I hap
pen to know it come, in the first place,
from the minister"
You don't say so! p
Mrs. Jenkins nodded in silence.
"Well, I do declare, now Who'd
ever a thought Of such thing Of Mr..
Jones! But I've seemed to take notice
back along, that his wife was a good
deal down-hearted and sort O. melan-
choly, like And that must be the rea-
son that explains it ALL
eyes, said Mrs. Jenkins, "that's it. :"
The latter lady did not stay very long
after unbosoming herself Of her heavy
secret, when off posted Mrs. Tautog,
armed and equipped for the brave bust
ness she had in hand. The first house
she dropped into was Mrs Mallory's.
Mrs. Mallory" she said, almost as
soon as she was seated, "have you heard
the news %
"Why, no." answered the astonished
lady. "What is it, pray?''
And forthwith Mrs Tautog narrated
all that Mrs. Jenkins had been kind
enough to tell her and more saying
nothing about the embellishments she
laid on in the course of her story.
Mrs. Mallory was astonished, OF
course. And, as soon as her visitor had
withdrawn, she donned her bonnet and
shawl, and whips across to Mrs. Dinks'.
There the story was repeated, with varia-
lions and considerable additions. Then
Mrs. Drinks took it up. And then Mrs.
Murray got interested in it, and Mrs.
Filpot and SO on, till everybody had got
hold of it, and had talked it up, and had
passed judgment on the man who was
guilty Of such gross malpractice toward
his family. IF it had stopped right there,
perhaps it would have answered; but it
didn't. 1t spread like a circle in the
water, till in the end Mrs Jones herself
heard of it; and heard, of course, that
the author of the story was the minister's
own self.
The next thing to be done was for Mr..
Jones and his family to leave Mr.. Capers'
church, and go somewhere else. The
clergyman was a good deal troubled
about it, and sent his wife over to see if
she could discover the cause. Mrs. Jones
received her with a great deal of cold
ness, and seemed hardly civil Unable
to endure it any longer, Mrs. Capers
asked the aggrieved lady frankly what
the trouble was. Mrs Jones as frankly
told her; that was well, for now the lat
ter knew exactly what the matter was,
and what it was necessary to do.
Going home and imparting the intelli-
gence to her husband, he manifested
quite as much astonishment as she. He
sat and thought it over while, in order
the better to collect himself before TAX
ing single step, and then started off
direct for Mr. Jones himself. He told
Mr.. Jones what he had just heard, and
declared the whole of it an untruth from
beginning to end. Mr.. Jones went on
with the minutest particulars connected
with the affair, and making the naost of
the case in his power against the minis
ter. Still the latter positively denied
his guilt, and declared his determination
to ferret out the author of so base a
SANDER, if it was within human posi-
bility. And he hurried back and set
about it.
For some weeks it was a mystery
still; he could get no clue to anything.
1t perplexed him beyond conception.
Finally his wife came running down
stairs one day, her face flushed and ex-
cited, and said to him under her I'M
steady breath:
Mr.. Capers, have you ever noticed
that knot-hole in your study foor?"
why, no, said he. "Where is it
and what Of it ?"
"Come up stairs and see'
And up they went together. She
pointed to the tell-tale' spot, and re-
marked in whisper:
81 caught Mrs. Jenkins with her ear
to that very hole"
That was the first step toward the I'M
ravelment of the mystery. In few
days more the whole of it began to come
out. He had sent his wife out to make
further inquiries, and she brought back
just such intelligence as he expected and
required. And putting this and that to-
gether, and recalling certain ideas that up
to that time had passed out of the mind
altogether, he thought the matter was all
explained at last So he went over to
Mr.. Jones once more.