Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-08-30

-IIoN Nll yOu siUOut NOIluc
if folks generally know it? How did yo
hear about it I'll like to .know:''
"Well, I'D as lief tell you as not. Mis-
Tautog. but then you must promise not t.
tell anybody else about it,
"Oh, to be sure not. What should
want t be gaddin' about the ne;ghborhoo'
for, tellin' hard stories about lespectabl
folks. Who did tell you. thOugh:'
"NObOdy told NE. exactly; but happel
to know it come, in the first place. from
the minister
You don't say so!'
Mrs. jenkins nodded in silence.
swell. do declare. now. Who'd ever
thought Of sllcha thing of Mr.. Jones! Blu
I've seemed to take notice back along. tina
his wife was Il good deal down-hcarted ant
sort o melancholy, like. And that mus
be the reason; that explains it ALL
YES said Mrs. jenkins. that's it, p
The latter lady did not stay very long
after unbosoming herself OF her heavy So
cret. when off posted Mrs. Tautog. armed
and equipped for the brave business 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, ''haye 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-s,yii'g nothing about
the embellishments she laid on in the course
of her story.
Mrs. Mallory was astonished, of course.
And rs soon as her visitor had withdrawn
she donned her bonnet and shawl. and
whips across to MIS-. Dinks'. There the
story was repeated, with variations and
considerable additions. Then Mrs. Dinks
took it up. And then Mrs. Murray got in
terested 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
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 60 somewhere else. The cler-
gyman was good deal troubled about it.
and sent his wife oHet to sea It she could
discover the cause. Mrs. Jones received
seemed hardly civil. Unable to endure it
any longer. Mrs. Capers asked the az
grieved lady frankly what the trouble was.
Mrs. Jones as frankly told her: that was
well. for now the latter 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 as
much establishment as she. lie sat and
thought it over while. in order the better
to collect himself before taking single
step. and then started off direct for Mr..
Jones himself. He told Mr.. Jones what
he had just heard, and declared it an un-
truth from beginning to end. Mr.. Jones
went on with the minutest particulars con-
nected with the affair, and making the
most of the case in his power against the
minister. Still the latter positively denied
his guilt. and declared his determination to
ferret out the author Of SO base 4 SANDER.
if it was within lt.nlan probability. And
he hurried back and set about it.
For some weeks it was a mystery still;
he could get no clue to anything. 1t per-
picked him beyond conception. Finally,
his wife come running down stairs one
day, her face flushed and excited. and said
to him under her unsteady breath:
''Mr. Capers, have you ever noticed that
knot-hole in your study-floor?'
"Why. no." said he; ''where is it-aad
what of it:''
'::Come up stairs and sec.'
And up they went together. She pointed
to the tell-tale spot, and remarked in
whisper:
Il caught Mrs. jenkins with her ear to |
that very hole"
That was the first step to the unravel-
ment of the mystery. In few days more
the whole of it began to colne out. He
had sent his wife ont to make further in
quiries, and she brought back just such
intelligence as he expected and required.
And putting this and that together, 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.
"Come," said he; ''if you will consent to
90 home with me for short time. l think
| can explain some things that have hith-
erto stood in the way Of our friendship"
Mr.. Jones did not happen 70 love malice
well enough to refuse, and accordingly
took walk with the minister over TO his
residence. The latter at once took him
into his study and shut the door.
.sIn the first place." said he, Il suppose
you know that Mrs. jenkins lives in the
L?'
':Yes."
'Well, and you observe the knot-holeg'
SO, certainly
''And this is my stidyT'
"Yes."
"whers pass most Of my my timer
'Yes.r'
''And where my::wisiis 6fter takes the ILL
erty to come and sit with me?''
Mr.. Jones said he understood that.
snow, then,' continued the clergyman,
Il am in the habit Of frequently reading
loud to her. And, once upon = time. l
to be reading from this very
,ook" (picking up avolume of fiction from
he table,, land here is something from
hat same book that am going to read to
'ou." And he went on to read to Mr..
Iones several paragraphs, in which oc-