Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-02-06
JoHSS0S's OVERC0AT.

M6Uo lne llnluS vi tllo nV" O'OhNVos, -
he would wear another and leave that
at home. And so he left 1t, and she
took it from the hall-rack and carried ii
into her sewing-room.
She was Mrs. Wilton, and she had
been married five years, and never
never-never during that time had one
unhappy moment. Mr. Wilton had been
very attentive, very kind, very gener-
Gus, and never made her jealous. She
often said she wcs the happlest woman
living. Now, as she looked at the lin-
ing and compared the silk with which
she was about to replace the torn por-
tion, she was thinking these thoughts.
They had never had any children, but
with people all in all to each other, that
is no very great grief. All her care was
for him-all his for her.
And he is just the best, dearest,
truest fellow in the world, said Eva
Wilton to herself. Pm not half good
enough to him. wonder what this is
in his pocket; it bulges it all out OF
shape
She put her hand in the breast pocket
as she spoke and drew out little
package wrapped up in silver paper
aud tied with blue ribbon.
Something he has bought for me, l
expect said Eva. L wonder what it
is. l think won't open it until he
comes home > then she laid the silk
across the hole aud cut it out and bast-
ed it down. Il wonder what it is said
she. Tom did mean to get me an OPP
era glass, l know ; but this is not the
shape Of the parcel. 1t doesn't seem
like book. 1t might be lace on card
real lace"
She looked at the package again.
lido wonder what it is said she,
and hemmed the patch down.
There wasn't much TO mend after
all, she said. 4 thought the tear was
much longer. He caught it on q nail at
the office, l know, Now, l do wonder
what there is in that package
She put the coat over chair and took
up the little parcel.
Tom won't mind-I will just take a
peep. I'm sure ii is for me-
Then she undid the ribbon, unfolded
the paper and saw letters
Dear Tom, said she, he must keep
my old letters next to his heart, as he
has told me-
But the writing was not hers ; she
saw that at glance.
His mothers letters, she said: he
loved his mother so.'
Then she began to tremble a little,
for the letters did not begin; My dear
son. nor anything like it.
She cast her eyes over them. They
were love letters.
Tom has loved some other woman
before he met me- she SAID, beginning
to cry. oh, what shall l do 2 Then
she cried out, oh, foolish creature that
am. Of course she died, before we
met. | must not mind'-but there she
paused, gave scream, and threw the
letter from her as though it had been
a serpent and bitten her. 1t was dated
last week. 1t was not four days old.
oh ! oh oh cried Eva. oh, what
shall l do Oh, where shall goY'
AT every crya thought pierced her
breast like an actual stab. Tom he
is false Oh, have ! gone mad ! No,
there they are! They are there-those
letters Why do l not die? Do peo-
pie live through such things as these?'
Then she knelt down on the floor
and gatheredup the letters aud steadily
read them through. There were ten oi
them. Such love letters No other
Interpretation could be put up on them.
They were absurd love letters-such as
are produced in court in cases of breach
Of promise. And they called HIM Pop
sy Wopsy,' and Darling Darlingy, and
'Lovey Dovey,' and Own Sweetness
aud Your Own Nellie
1T is all true, said poor Eva, wrlng-
ing her hands, and it's worse than any
thing ever heard of. l trusted him
so. l believed in him so, My Tom
mine y
Tom shall never know she said.
IN not reproach him. I'll never see
him again. When he comes home "
be dead. I'll not live to hear this
Then she sat down to consider the
means of suicide. She could hang her.
self to chandelier with cord, but
then she would be black in the face,
and hideous. She could drown herself,
but then her body would float down the
river to the sea, and drowned people
look even worse than strsngled ones.
She was very much afaid Of firo-arms.
She would take poison.
Yes; that would be the best; and
though she would never see Tom again
he would see her, and remorse would
sting him. Here she made q grave