The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-08-23
LED BY JEALOUSY.
THE EFFECT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT.

THE EFFECT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT.
1t was grand and gorgeous on the first
morning Of spring. 1t is not the tapping of
the wood recker in the hollow beach, nor
yet that nuthatch humming at his breakfast.
that soft rap-a-tap one hears. 1t is only Mr..
Ernest Black knocking out his pipe apainst
the garden seat.
Happy man to have such q charming
nook wherein 10 smoke the carly pipe His
comfortable mansion of Shrubands, a cosy
modern building, warm and roomy, with
glass houses, clustered about it, and offices
at the rear, lies on the slope above. In front
of him stretches pleasant lawn, he looks
upon sweet river valley, bounded by hills,
reaches of water showing in silver streaks
here and there. A warm, pleasant little
dingle encompasses the grounds, sheltering
the house from the north and east, and
slopng down toward the south, and here
the first breath Of the newborn spring is
/ felt, and the first green leaves of the year is
seen on the slender, white birch, whose
brown catkins are dying for love of the ear
liest blossoms Of the season.
Ernest thought that it was very good to be
here, as he smoked his pipe on his garden
| seat. But everything comes to an end, and
by the time he had finished his pipe and
| knocked out the ashes a cloud had come
over the sun, the air was chilled and the
| beauty of the morn tarnished. 1t was time,
he found, to start for his train. lie went
into the house to say "good bye" to his wife,
for he heard the carriage wheels grinding
on the ground as it came around from the
stables to the door,
He seemed to be happy fellow, too, IN
his wife, who was fair, pleasant-faced
woman, of charming figure and full spirit.
al didn't know you were going away"
she said, slight shade of vexation coming
over her face.
Didn't tell you?" said Ernest; in.
tended to. | shall be home TO dinner. Pm
only going to town to see the old masters
They close this week."
"Ahl ifyou had told me in time would
have gone with you"
To say the truth, Ernest did not much
care for company when he was going to
look at pictures.
"Pity, eh?" he said carelessly, putting his
hand under her chin and giving her kiss.
"Well, another day, perhaps, Tottie"-her
name was Theresa, but her pet name was
Tottie-" and then, perhaps, can go shop
ping with you"
"But I particularly wanted to see those
pictures"
"Why didn't you think of it before2'
"You should have told me you were 60
ing"
"Yes, it was stupid Of me; however, there's
no help for it, have only just time to
catch the train"
And away he went.
Theresa sat down once more to her book
of household expenses, but the totals ran in
to each other, and the same row OF figures
wouldn't come to the same amount twice
running. 1t wasn't like Ernest, she thought
not tu ask her to go with him. He had
never gone of anywhere before without
asking her to accompany him if il were
practicable. His manner. too, was so cold,
What could be the reason for it?
She took up the newspaper to distract her
mind, She rarely looked at the daily pa
pers, but this morning she felt uneasy and
could not settle toonything. to Suddenly she
sppng to her feet with a cry of distie s.
She had taken up the outside sheet of the
paper, and thereon she read an advertise
ment:
Constance 10 Ernest. To-day at Victoria,
twelve noon"
That was the reason, then, that Ernest
had gone off to town so suddenly. Yes,
she knew it, she had been wronged and
deceived; could it be possible that such
treachery, such betrayal of all the ties Of
friendship and affection could be permitted
to exist?
Theresa, was, perhaps, of a somewhat
jealous disposition. Certainly Ernest had
given her no cause for Jealousy hitherto, as
far as she knew, but she had always imag-
ined it possible that at some time or other
he would and now it seemed to her as
though her forbodings had been justified.
Constance Brown had been her earnest
friend, her school fellow, her one dear com
panioui for whom her aHe,iou could never
he dimmed. And this friendship had corr
tinued undated !or % whole twn years after
her mui1iage lp Enes, dur.n. which g. had
been her chiyfdrlight to entertain Constance
at hel. new home Now Ernest wasn't at
the beginning, at any rate, at all fond of
Constance, aud u-el 20 think hervisiis r1th-
era bore. Anything was better, however,
than having his wiiein the doleluls. and on
such occasions he would suggest'
"Ash Constance to come aud spend few
days"
As the time went on, however, disagree
ments interposed between the two fr.enls.
Constance was Of an adaptive nature, and
fonder of masculine than OF feminine sOoie-