Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-08-01

heavy secret, 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" said she, almost
as soon as she was seated, shave
you heard the news r.
"Why, no." answered the as
tonished lady. "What is it, pray p
And forthwith Mrs. Tautog mar
rated all that Mrs. Jenkins had
been kind enough to tell, and a
deal more--saylng 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had withdrawn, she dons her bon
net and shawl, and whips across to
Mrs. Jinlxs. There the story was re-
peated, with variations, and consid-
cradle additions. Then Mrs. Jinks
took it up. And then Mrs. Muir
ray got interested in it, and then
Mrs. Filpot and so on till every
body had hold of it, and talked it
up, and had passed judgment on
the man who was guilty of mall
practice 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 go
somewhere else. The clergyman
was a good deal troubled about it,
and his wife went over to see if she
could discover the cause. Mrs.
Jones received her with great
deal of coldness and seemed hardly
civil. Unable to endure it any
longer, Mrs. Capers asked the ag-
grieved lady frankly what the
trouble was. Mrs. Jones as frank
ly told her; that was well, for now
the latter knew exactly what the
matter was, and what it was neces-
sary to do.
Going home and imparting the
startling news to her husband,
he manifested quite as much
establishment as she. He sat and
thought it over little while in or
der the better to collect himself be-
fore taking single step, and then
started on direct for Mr.. Jones him
self. He told Mr.. Jones what he
had heard, and declared the whole
of it an untruth from beginning to
end. Mr.. Jones went on with all
the minutest particulars connected
with the affair, and making the
most of the case in his power
against the minister. Still the lat
ter positively denied his guilt, and
declared his determination to ferret
out the author of so base SANDER,
if it was within human possibility.
And he hurried back home and set
about it.
For some weeks it was mystery
still he could get no clue to any
thing. 1t perplexed him beyond
conception. Finally, his wife came
running down stairs one day, her
fice flushed and excited, and said
to him in her unsteady breath:
Mr.. Capers, have you ever no
ticed that knot-hole in your study
foorw
"Why, no." said he. "Where is
what is itg
"Just come up stairs and see."
And up they went together
She pointed to the tell-tale spot,
and remarked in whisper:
~ just caught Mrs. Jenkins with
her ear to that very hole"
That was the first step toward
the unravelment of the mystery.
In few days more the whole of it
began to come out. He had sent
his wife round to make few in
nocent inquiries, and she had
brought back just such intelligence
as he expected and required. And
putting this thing and that togeth-
er, and recalling certain ideas that
mp to that time had passed ont of
his mind altogether, he thought
the matter was 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