The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-12-12


letter to his address. His wife examined /
the writing on the envelope, which was
in n bold, masculine hand, and said to |
herself, as she did so: "I wonder who /.
this can be from 2"
Something more than curiosity
moved her. There intruded on her
mind vague feeling of disquiet, as if
the missive bore unpleasant news for
her husband. The stamp showed it to
be a city letter. A few times, of late
| such letters had come to his address,
and she had noticed that he had read
them hurriedly, thrust them without re-
mark into his pocket, and become silent
and sober-faced.
Mrs, Whitman turned the letter over
and over again in her hand, in Thought
full way, and as she did SO, the image of
her husband, sober-faced and silent as
he had become for the most of the time,
of late, presented himself with unusual
vividness. Sympathy stole into her
heart.
"Poor Charles ~ she said, as the
feeling increased "Tm afraid some
thing is going wrong with him"
Placing the letter on the mantel-piece,
where he could see it when he came in,
Mrs. Whitman entered upon some house
hold duties but a strange impression,
as OF weight, lay upon her heart-a
sense of impending evil = q vague,
troubled disturbance of her usual in
ward self-satisfaction.
II the thought of Mrs. Whitman re-
Cured, as was natural, to the elegant
silk dress of which she was to become
the owner on that day, she did not
feel the proud satisfaction her vain
heart experienced a little while before
Something of its beauty had faded.
eff only knew what that letter con-
tanned, she said, half an hour after it
had come in, her mind still feeling the
pressure which had come down upon it
so strangely, as it seemed to her.
She went to the mantel-piece, took up
the letter, and examined the superscrip-
ton. 1t gave her no light Steadily it
kept growing upon her that its contents
were of a nature to trouble her husband.
"He's been q little mysterious of
late" she said to herself. This idea af-
;ected her very unpleasantly. "He
grows more silent and reserved" she
added, as thought, under kind of
.everish excitement, became active i'll q
new direction. "More indrawn, as it
we're, and less interested in what goes
on around him. His coldness chills me
at times, and his irritation hurts me-"
She drew long, deep sigh. Then,
with an almost startling vividness, came
before her mind, i'll contrast, her tender,
loving, cheerful husband of three years
before, and her quiet, sober-faced hus-
band of to-day.
Something has gone wrong with
him." she said aloud, as feeling grew
stror ger "What can it be ?"
The letter was in her hand.
"This may give me light" And with
careful fingers she opened the envelope,
not breaking the paper, SO that she
could seal it again if she desired so to
do. There was bill for sixty dollars,
and a communication from the person
sending the bill. He was a jeweler.
"If this is not settled at once, he
wrote, Il shall put the account in suit.
1t has been standing for over year,
and am tired of getting excuses instead
of my money
The bill was for lady's watch, which
Mrs. Whitman had almost compelled her
husband to purchase.
Not paid for ! Is it possible ?" ex-
claimed the little woman, in blank as
tonishment, while the blood mounted
to her forehead.
Then she sat down to think. Light
began to come into her mind. As she
sat thus thinking, a second letter came
} in for her husband from the postman.
J Sle opened it without hesitation.
Another bill and another dunning letter!
"Not paid Is it possible ?" She re-
peated the ejaculation. 1t was bill of
twenty-five dollars for CATERS and slip
pers, which had been standing for three
or four months.
"This will never do |" said the awak-
J ening wife" never-no, never !" And
she thrust the two letters into her pocket
in resolute way. From that hour until
J the return of her husband atdinner time,
Mrs. Whitman did an unusual amount
, of thinking, fer her little brain. She
saw, the moment he entered, that the
morning cloud had not passed from his
brow.
= "Here is the money for that new
dress, he said, taking a small roll of
bills from his vest pocket, and handing
3 them 70 Ada, as he came in. He did
not kiss her, nor smile in the old bright
way. But his voice was calm. if not
cheerful. A kiss and smile would have
been more precious to the young wife
> than hundred silk dresses. She took
the money, saying:
= "Thank you, dear 1t is kind of you
' to regard my wishes"
3 Something in Adas voice and manner
: caused Mr.. Whitman to lift his eyes,
with a look of inquiry, to her face. But
5 she turned aside, so that he could not
= read its expression.
S He was graver and more silent than
usual. and ate with scarcely an appear
/. ance of appetite.
"Oome home early, dear, said Mrs.