Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-07-11
COMPOUNDED prudery.'' By this time there

Mrs. Triptow .diversely. Three-fourths
) of the women were against her. because of
! her arts in wiling away the men; but all
the men were on her side, and so were the
/ ladies who before her arrival had secretly
1 fretted under Lady Judith Sharpman'
| supremacy. Among these were Miss
| Bickel and Mrs. Boundy. 1t delighted
this pair to see how domestic reace had
been upset, how jars and scandal had be-
come rife through Mrs. Triptow's bare
faced firtations. Young Duckdoodle
growing more and more infatuated.
never lett her side in public, and ceased
paving attention to Rose Fauncing.-
Meeking, the Vicar, seemed to have grown
mad, for he was as amorous as Duck
doodle, quite forgetting that Mrs. TriptoW
was a married woman, and that he himself
was engaged to Laura Cheveril, the Gen
erals daughter; but then the General him.
self was as bad as. Meeking, for he appar-
emily forgot that he hada daughter and cho-
russed with the Vicar in saying that Mrs.
Triptow was the sweetest creature alive.
In fact, che Captains pretty wife could
go nowhere without cloud of gallants
circling in her train; and her triumph was
completed, when, at last, Col. Sharpman,
Lady Judith's husband, added himself
openly to the number Of her courtiers.
It was impossible to shut ones eyes to
these doings. Lady Judith perceived that
a sorceress had crossed her path, and she
expressed herself on the subject with a
severe frankness to Mrs. Boundy and Miss
Bickel one day when these ladies had
called upon her. Both of them assented,
signing, and seemed to cendole deeply
with her ladyship. "We were so sorry to
hear that Col. Sharpman had become her
best friend,'' remarked Miss Bickel with
pious SWIVEL.
''What do you mean?' asked Lady Ju-
dith, for this part of the matter was news
to her.
ooh. it's only peoples foolish talk!'' said
jovial Mrs. Boundy, smothering laugh.
''For my part l don't believe there's a
particle of truth in the rumor,' proceeded
Miss Bickel. ''When they told me the
Colonel was deeply smitcen, I answered
that it was quite preposterous.
1.-THE Colonel is very good natured, said
Lady Judith, rather loftily; land his kind
ness of heart may expose him to he. taken
liberties with. But 1t is inexcusable that
this lady should put him. in the position
of being slandered. If Mrs. Triptow tries
to give me pain, shall have to read her a
smart lesson. You may tell her 80 from
me.''
Mrs. Boundy and Miss Bickel did tell
the Captain 8 wife. Itwas the first thing
they did, and they conveyed their warn
ing in the most perfdious way possible by
advising Mrs. Triptow to be careful, see
ing that Lady Judith was great lady and
very powerful. ''Why, what harm can
the woman do me 20 asked the pert beau
ty, as her dark eyes flashed. eff she SC
bores her husband by her company that he
prefers mine, that is her affair."
sWell, but my dear, the Colonel has al.
ways been good husband, and perhaps
his wife might tease him if she were pow
erless against you,' remarked Miss Blckel.
"Lady Judith is terrible termagant,
quite equal to pulling her husbands ears, ,,
added Mrs. Boundy.
"Oh, that would be excellent fun,'
laughed Mrs. Triptow. cit so happens
that my husband and I are going for three
days to the NJ races, and [ shall in
vite the Colonel to come with us without
his wife's leave. He is dear, good man
and am sure he will accept"
Now, Col. Sharpman was, as Mrs. Trip
tow said, a dear, good man, kind hus-
band, a capital officer; but as regards wo-
men mere boy. He had been much fiat
tered by Mrs. Triptow's attentions to-
ward himself much touched, too, by her
beauty, grace and wit. All middle-a aged
men are pleased at cutting out young men,
and after the defiance which Lady Judith
had launched at her young rival, it be-
came evident to all that the Colonel had
cut young Duckdoodle. When his en-
chantress invited him to go with her to
the NJ races he had not the heart to
say no, and went, taking French leave of
his wife. 1t was bold move, and caused
an awful amount of battle in B.
During three days the Colonel's name was
banded about like a shuttlecock, and La,
humiliation of being pitied by a whole
series of visitors, who called upon her just
to see how she looked. She looked very
grim indeed, as everybody noticed.
Mrs. Triptow returned from NJ de-
lighted with her adventure, and was spec
Oily apprised of all that had been said
during her absence. It delighted her
With an internal feminine malice, she
thought that she too would 60 and call on
Lady Judith to enjoy the sight of her dis
comforted face, She went accordingly
alone one afternoon, dressed in her finest
She remembered afterward- all toe
late!-that there was peculiar humorous
twinkle in the eyes of the maid who open
ed the door to her, and who ushered her at
once to back parlor-not to the front
drawing room. Here Lady Judith appear
ed before her, tall, fierce and sarcastic.
81 have been expecting this visit, Mrs.
Triptow," said her ladyship. ''You were
warned, were you not, that if you trifled
with me 1 should punish your"
''Punish mel" exclaimed Mrs. Triptow,
feeling highly uneasy, for she did not like
the look of her ladyship's eyes.
Eyes, you have been behaving like a
giddy girl, and am going to treat you as
such. [ shall give you whipping Oh
don't think to get away! I have given my
and they are coming in to hold you. ]
hope the lesson will benefit you. Any
| how, am sure you will not bruit the mat
to1. u T