The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-01-03

| ner neSrb aS Qeeply HS tulS luIeIVleh
wounded her pride.
She sat down and shed tears Of NOR
tification.
She was aroused from that condition
by letter in well known hand She
opened it, all in hutter:
"MY DEAR SoPnY-You are nice
wife, you arel Here I have been slsv.
ing my Life out for you, and shipwreck.
ed, and nearly dead with fever, and
coming home rich again, and I asked
you Just to come from Chicago to New
York to meet me, that have come all the
way from China and San Francisco, and
it is too much trouble. Did you ever
hear of Lunham's dog that was 80 lazy
he leaned against the wall to barka 1t
is very disheartening to poor fellow
that has played mans part for you and
the children. Now be good girl, and
meet me at Chicago tomorrow evening
at six P. NJ. For if you don't, by thun-
der I'll take the children and absquat-
ulete with them to Paris, or somewhere.
find the drafts on New York I sent
from China have never been presented.
Reckon by that you never got them.
Has that raised your dander7 Well, it
is not my fault; so put on your bonnet
end come and meet
"Your afectionate husband,
JONATHAN CLARKE.
81 sent my first letter to your fathers
house. send this to your friend, Mrs.
K"
Mrs. Clarke read this in such tu-
multi of emotions that her mind could
not settle moment on one thing. But
when she had read it, the blood in her
beating veins begun to run cold.
What on earth could she do2 fall to
the ground between two stoo1s3 =, No;
that was a mans trick, and she Was a
woman, every inch.
She had not any time to lose, 80 she
can.e to a rapid conclusion. Her acts
will explain better than comments. S1e
dressed, packed up one box, drove to
the branch station, and got to Chicago.
She bought an exquisite bonnet, took
private apartments at hotel, and en-
ployed an intelligent person to wait OF
the station for her husband, and call out
his name. and give him card, on
which was written:
"AErs. Jonathan Clarke,
at the u Hotel"
This done. she gave her mind entirely
to the decoration OF her person.
The ancients, when they had done
anything wrong, and wanted to be for
given, used to approach their judges
with dishevelled hair and shabby clothes
-sordidis ueshbus.
This poor, shallow WON al, unenlight-
ened by tho wisdom of the ancients,
thought tle nicer woman looked, the
likeGer man would be to forgive her,
no matter what. So she put on her best
silk dress, and her new French hat
bought on purpose, and made her hair
very neat, and gave her face q wash and
rub that added color. She did not
rouge, because she calculated she would
have to cry before the end Of the play,
and crying hard over rouge makes chan
rels.
When she was as nice as she could be,
she sat down to wait for her divorce;
she might be compared to fair spider
which had spread her web to catch a
wasp, but is sorely afraid that, when he
does come, he will dash it pll to rib.
bons.
at last there was murmur on the
stairs; then loud, hearty voice; then q
blow at tue docr-you could not call it q
tap-and in burst Jonathan Clarke,
brown as q berry, beard o foot long,
genial and loud, open heart, California
manners.
AT sight of her he gave hearty
"Ahl" and came at her with rush to
clasp her to bis manly bosom, and
knocked over little cane chair gilt.
The lady, quaking internally, and
trembling from head to foot, received
him like the awful Sidions, with one
hand n0kly extended, forbidding Lis
profane advance. GA word first, if
you please, SIR"
Then Clarke stood transti,ea, with
ono foot advanced, Il ID his arms in the
air, like Ixion, when Juno turned cloud.
"You have ordered me to come here,
sir, and you have no longer any right to
order me; but am come, you see, to
tell you my mind. What do You really
think q wife is to be deserted and aban-
doned, most likely for somo other
woman, and tn n be whistled back into
her place like dog No man shall use
me so /"
"Why, what is the row? has q mad
dog bitten you, ye cantarkerous critter2"
Not letter for ten months, that is
tho matterr' cried Mrs. Clarke, loud
and aggressive.
"That is not my fault. I wrote three
from China, and sent you two drafts on
New York"
cit is easy to say so don't believe
it," Uouder and aggressiver.)
Clarke (bawlipg i'll his turr). 81
don't care whether you believe it or not.
Not ody bnt you calls Jony Clarke a
liar"
Mrs. Clarke competing in violence).
Il believe ono thing, that you were
seer all abont San Francisco with lady.
Twas to her you directed my letters
and drafts: that is how lost them. It
is always the husband that is in fault,
and not tho post" (Very amicably ell
of sudden.) "How long were you in
California after you came back from
Chira3"
"Two months"
Chow often did you write in that
time'" (Sharply.)
Well, you see, was always expect
ing to start for home"
"You never wrote oncc." Very loud.
"That was tho reason"
That and tho lady" (Screaming
aloud.)
"stuff Give me kiss, and no more
nonsense.
>(Solemnly.) "That I shall never do
again. Husbands must be taught not to
triae with their wives affections in this
cruel way" (Tenderly) ooh, iona.
than, how could you abandon me /
What could you expect3 am not old,
I am not ugly
Thunder if you have been playing
any games l"-and he felt at the back OF
his neck for a Observation-Disclosures
instincts1
"Sir !" said the lady, in an awful tone,
that suhjugated the monster directly.
"Wel, then," said he, sullenly,
" don't talk nonsense. Please remem-
ber we are man and WIFE"
Mrs. Clarke (very gravely). "Jona-
than, We are notl'
'sGraciousl what do you means"
elf you are going into O passion,