The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-08

cause. Mrs. Jones received her with {
good deal of collness and seemed
hardly civil. Unable to endure il
longer, Mrs. Capcr asked the aggrievct
lady frankly what the trouble was
Mrs. Jones as frankly told; that was
well, for now the latter knew
exactly what the matter was, and what
1t was necessary to do.
Going home and imparting the intel.
ligencc to her husband, he manifested
quite as much astonishmcnt as she
lie sat and thought it over awhile, in
order the better TO collect himself be.
fore taking single step, and then
started direct for Mr.. Jones himself.
lie told Mr.. Jones what he had
heard, and declared the whole of il 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
latter positively denied his guilt, and
declared his determination to ferret out
the author of so base SANDER, if il
was within human possibility. And he
hurried back home and set about it.
For some weeks it was a mystery
still; he could get no clue to anything
IL perplexed him beyond conception.
Finally his wife came running down
stairs one day, her face flushed and
excited, and said to him. in her
unsteady breath:
"Mr. Caper, have you ever noticed
that knot-hole in your study?"
"Why, no." said he. "Whcrc'is it,
and what is it?'
Just come up stairs and see.'
And they went up stairs together.
She pointed to the tell-tale spot, and
said:
81 just caught Mrs. jenkins with her
car to that very hole.r
That was the first step towards the
unravelmcnt of the mystery. In few
days more the whole of il came out.
lie had sent his wife around to make a
few innocent inquiries, and she
brought back such intelligence as he
had 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
explained at last. So he went over TO
Mr.. Jones once more.
Come" said lac, of YOU will con-
sent TO go home with me for short
time, think can explain some things
that hitherto have stood in the way of
our friendship"
Mr.. Jones did not happen TO love
malice well enough to refuse. and
accordingly took walk with the min
istcr over to his residence. The latter
at once took him up TO his study and
shut the door.
sin the first place. said he, 81 sup
pose you know that Mrs. jenkins lives
in the IL"
"Yes.'
"Well, you observe that knot-holc?"
ooh, certainly
"And this is my study"
eyes"
"And where my wife often fakes the
liberty to come and sit with mc?"
Mr.. Jones said he understood that.
"Now, then" continued the clergy
man. 81 am in the habit of frequently
reading to her. Once upon a time l
happened to be reading from this very
book (picking mp n volume of fiction
from the table), and here is something
ont of the same book that am going to
read to you.'
And he went on to read to Mr.. Jones
several paragraphs, in which occurred
the following:
"Mr. Jones got to abusing his family
at last. lie declared his wife should
not go ont visiting, and threatened to
shut her up ifshe dared to disobey him.
AS for going to these evening meetings,
he declared he meant to put stop to it
Mt any and all hazards."
Mr.. Jones burst out laughing. "Is
that ALP said he, his face as red as the
setting sun.
"That and the knot-hole," said Mr..
Caper, smiling good-naturcdly.
MIR. Jones offered him his hand.
From that moment they were friends
again. lie went back to church the
next Sabbath as he should have done:
but Mrs. Jenkins has never heard the
last of it.