The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-04-25

ooAlg L hAAN LllfsN "a l'lfAlAAo ~ fhAAH
, Yes" said Mrs. jenkins, that's
it"
The latter did not stay very long af-
.er unbOsoming herself of her heavy
secret, when off posted Mrs. TautOg,
armed and equipped for the brave bus
, mess she had in hand. The first house
5 she dropped into was Mrs. AIallory's.
) MRS. Mallory" said she, almost as
soon as she was seated, "haye you
heard the news?"
''Why, no, >" answered the astOnished
t lady. What is itprayT"
aI and forthwith Mrs. Tautog related
all chat Mrs. jenkins had been kind
enough to tell her, and a good deal
more-saying nothing about the en-
bellishments 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withdrawn, she dOns her bonnet and
shawl and whips across to Mrs. Dnks.
There the story was repeated with vari-
, auions, and considerable additions.
Then Mrs. Dinks took it up. And tnen
Mrs, Murray got interested in it, and
then Mrs. Filpot and so on, till every
body had got hold Of it, and had talked
it up, and had passed judgment upon
the man who was guilty of such NAL
practice toward his family. If it had
stopped right there, perhaps it would
have ans cred; but it didn't. Itspread
like a circle in the water, till, in The
end, Mrs. Jones herself heard 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 weIt
over to see if she could discover the
cause. Mrs. Jones received her with a
good deal of GOODNESS and seemed hard
ly civil. Unable to endure it any long
er, Mrs. Capers asked the aggTieved
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 impaTting the intelli-
gence to her husband, he manifested
quite as much astonishment as she. He
sat and thought it over a little while,
in order the better to collect himself
before taking a single step, and then
started on direct for Mr.. Jones himself.
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 particu-
lars connected with the affair, and MAX |
ing 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 au-
thor of so base a SANDER, if it was with
in human possibility. And he hurried |
back home md set about it.
Fer some weeks it was a mystery |
still; he could get no clue to anything.
1t perpleXed him beyond conception.
Finally, his wife came running down !
stairs one day, her face flushed and ex-
cited, and said to him in her unsteady
breath:
"Mr. Capers have you noticed that
knOt-hole in your study 1oOr?"
"Why no, said he. "Where is it ald
what of it?"
Just come up stars and see"
And up they went together. She
pointed to the tell-tale spot, ana re-
marked in a whisper:
81 just caught Mrs. Jenkins with her
ear to that very hole" ~
That was the first step toward the un-
ravelment of the mystery. In a few
days more the whole of il began to come
out. He had sent his wife round to
make a few innocent inquiries, and she
had brought ok just such intelligence
as he expected and required. And put
ting this thing and that together, and
recalling certain ideas that up to that
time had passed out of his mind alto
gether, he thought the matter was ex-
planned at last. So he went over to
Mr.. Jones once more.
Come" said he, IF you will consent
to go home with me for short time,
think can explain some things that
have hitherto stood in the way Of our
friendship"
Mr.. Jones did not happen to love
malice well enough to refuse, and ac-
cOrdingly took walk with the minister
over to his residence. The latter at
once took him up into his study and
shut the door.
I'm the first place, " said he, "I sup
pose you know that Mrs. jenkins lives
in the L."
"Yes.
"Well, and you observe that knot
hoIe?"
20, certainly"
And this is my study"
Yes"
And where my wife often takes the
liberty to come and sit with me-"
Mr.. Jones said he understood that.
Now, then" continued the clergy
man, 81 am in the habit of frequently
reading aloud TO her. And once upon
a time happened to be reading from
this very book, (picking up a volume of
fiction from the tablet and here is
something out of that same book that l
am going to read to you" And he
went ON to read to Mr. Jones several
paragraphs, N which occurred the fol
lowing:
'AIr. Jones got to abusing his family
at last. He declared his wife should
not go out visiting, and threatened to
shut her up if she dared disobey him.
AS for going TO these evening meetings,
he declared he meant to put stop to it;
he had had enough of it. 1t did not do
her any sort Of good, and made a great
deal of trouble and expense for him.
He should put an end to it at any and
all hazard"
Mr.. Jones burst OFT laughing. "Is
that all2'' said he, his face as red as the
settling sun
''That and the knot-hole," said A1r.
Capers smiling gOOd-natTedly.
T,,,g ,FT,,.oT D.; I