The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-04-12

DER Lne awful DlOW w nat Will lOlkS
say? i shall be ashamed to meet any
body. It's awful-awful r. and Mr..
Jones wiped his face with his handker-
chief, and looked the complete picture of
grief. r-rs l-.t .e. So
Mr.. Jones was so "struek all of
heap" to use his own expression, by the
terrible intelligence that he didn't stop
to reason over the matter. He never
once. thought that "Dear Edward"
couldn't by any possibility have re-
ceived this letter, since it hadn't been
sent. He only realized that his wife was
going to meet her lover at ten o'clock.
"Pn be there, my lady," said Mr..
Jones significantly, putting on his over
coat, preparatory to going in search of
the proper officers. "I'll be there, and
TIl give your Dear Edward something
he didn't bargain for. Pll Dear Edward
him." ---I
About nine o'clock Mr.. Jones and
couple of officers came up the pOad
stealthily, and secreted themselves be-
hind clEmp of bushes near where the
two main roads crossed each other. /
Now you mind what 1 say, said Mr..
Jones. "I'll go for him and you keep
out of the way till am done with him.
Pll make him wish he'd never thought
of such thing as making love to other
mems wives, see if 1 don't. Pll POM
mel him I'll trounce him within an
inch of hisl life, the contemplate puppy"
and Mr.. Jones struck out right and left
at his visionary rival in way that made
the officers litter. -.t .s
They waited and waited, and kept
waiting. The ten o'clock train came in,
whistling shrilly. And still no signs of
either woman or man for whom they
were waiting.
Presently Mr.. Jones bade them listen;
he heard steps down the road.
The night was dark, and they could
not see a rod off. But he was right in
thinking he heard steps. Some one was
coming. ~ -t---- -sf @
"Iss him, curse him." nuttered Mr..
Jones. "Now you lay low, and mind
what say, don't come till I tell you to.
dare say 1 shall half kill him, but you
keep off and let me be. Pll take the conse-
quences if 1 do kill him completely. Great
Jehosophatl 1 just yearn to get my
hands on the wretch"
"He's close by now," whispered one of
the men.
"I see him." answered Mr.. Jones, in
an awful whisper. "Here, hold my hat.
Pm going for him, and may the Lord
have mercy on his soul !"
Accordingly, Mr.. Jones "went for
him." He made rush at the tall, black
figure coming leisurely up the road. He
gave it punch in the stomach with one
fist, and another in the ribs with the
other fist, snorting like a wild bull. He
was too excited to talk intelligibly at
first. The unsuspecting recipient of
such an extraordinary greeting seemed
half inclined to run at first, but, on
second thought, seemed to think better of
it, and turned upon his assailant.
"Take that, and that, and that" cried
Mr.. Jones, who had got so he could utter
words a trife more coherently by this
time, dealing blows right and left. Run
away with my wife, will you? You old
villain, Pll learn you to sneak around
the Jones family trying to break it up.
Take that-and thatl and-oh, great
Jehosophat!"
Mr.. Jones's tune suddenly changed;
the victim of a husbands righteous
wrath had brought his cane to bear upon
his foe, and was doing good work with
it.
"Smith Dobson help help" shrieked
Jones, as the cane fell upon his head and
shoulders in unmerciful blows. " Muir
der helpp .,..-..
The officers came to his assistance and
succeeded in securing the stranger.
"Pd like to know what this means!
he demanded. az supposed this neigh
borhood was respectable, but l should
think you've all gone crazy, or else
turned highway robbers"
"We'n let you know what it means"
cried Jones. al don't believe you will
want to run away with Samuel Jones's
wife again."
els that you, Samuel Jenes% asked
the prisoner. 81 thought your voice
sounded kind of familiar before, but you
beloved so I couldn't make it out. Are
you insane or idiotic, or what?"
"Lord bless me, if you amt uncle
Joshua!" said Mr.. Jones, family. He
felt small enough just then to crawl
through a knot hole. "Pm awful sorry
that this has happened, but I couldn't
help it, didn't know it was you. You
see Amelia's fell in love with some fel-
low, and 1 came across letter this after
noon that she had written to him, saying
she'd meet him here at ten o'clock, and l
got these men to help me, and we waited
for him, and thought you was the
man."
"Fell in love with another man and
promised to meet him here at ten O. clock
Stuff and nonsense exclaimed uncle
Joshua, Indignantly. "You were always
the biggest fool; you're crazy"
"But tell you 1 saw her own letter"
exclaimed Mr.. Jones. 81 amt crazy
now, but 1 shouldn't wonder if should
be before long"
"You've lost all the sense you used to
have, and that wasn't enough to brag Of"
said uncle Joshua, rather uncompliment-
ary. "Come along 10 the house, and we'll
ask Amelia what it means"
Uncle Joshua led the way with pain
in his stomach, caused by Mr.. Jones's
energetic attempt to teach his supposed
rival not to meddle with the Jones
family, and Mr.. Jones followed in his
wake with q sore head and black eye.
There was light in the sitting-room.