Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-11-18
MR. AND MRS. BONDURANT.
BY BONNIE HUERE.

81 think yoq will find document
under your plate that may interest you,
said Mrs. Bondurant, addressing her
husband, as he took his seat at the
breakfast table.
The words were uttered with look
intended to express severe censure, with
some pity and contempt, and rather
more of the latter.
The husband slowly turned over his
plate, took up and read a grocer's bill
-$59.34. On the margin were the
words, "Check expected immediately" !"
would rather not send this man
check just now," said Mr.. Bondurant.
1T is true I have little more than
that amount in the bank, but I shall
need all I have and more also to-mor-
row to pay the costs of the suit I am
conducting"
This is about the answer I expected
to receive" said his wife, "and I must
tell you that your paltry excuses will
not answer for the purpose. That bill
must be paid at once"
It is scarcely worth while, Julia, to
speak so emphatically in regard to this
matter said the husband. "I am do
ing little business for these grocers,
and although they do not owe me any
thing now. I can, suppose, get them
to wait few days and in the mean
time let us have what goods we need"
They will do nothing of that sort"
said Mrs. Bondurant @And if the bill
is not paid before o'clock to-day they
will send it to my brother, Alfred, who
will pay it and take an assignment of
the CLAIM"
''Then let him do so," said Mr.. Bon
durant, quietly breaking piece of hard
cracker into his coffee and at the same
time deliberately watching the soften
ing process. "This is what they call
hard-tack, I believe. 1t is better for
sailors than for us poor landsmen. They
have more time to spend soaking it,
unless when the rough weather comes
on, and then I suppose they dispense
with the ceremony of eating until the
storm has expended it's fury"
"Your. .insinuations a1e intended to
exasperate me-" said Mrs. Bondurant,
'but l warn you, sir, that you are
treading on treacherous ground"
''If the ground, madam, on which /
am treading is composed of your feel
ings l would not expect to find it un-
commonly delicate" was the retort.
sAre yo3 willing, sir, to have my
brother pay that grocers bill?"
could have easily arranged it in
such way that it would not have gone
into his hands, but as I infer from what
you say that the matter has been talked
over between him and you and the
grocer, and that he has agreed to take
an assignment of the bill if T do not
pay it before 3 o'clock to-day, I shall
allow the matter to be disposed of in
that way, and give myself no further
concern in regard to it at present.
"Then it seems you are willing to
have my brother provide for your fam
lily? That is just what he told me it
would come to when we were married,
and in fact Immediately after he first
learned that you were visiting me. My
father and mother also gave me the
same warning. They told me more
than fifty times that you would never be
worth dollar in the world, and they
would have to support u.s."
I" And you are sorry you did not take
their advice?"
Sometimes I am, if I must tell you
the truth. You know 1 could have
married Rocky Billings, and had other
good offers. As for Rocky, he was al
most dying for me. His social stand
ing was not, it is true, quite equal to
yours, and he was not so good-looking,
but he had more business capacity than
a hundred young lawyers Like you.
With him for a husband would never
have suffered the modification of seeing
a grocer's bill paid by my brother"
" Mr.. Billings is still unmarried,
believe" said the husband dryly.
"What base insiEuation are those
words intended to convey? You are
now my husband, and have no wish
to exchange you for Mr. Billings or any
one else. If have made bad bargain
it is right that should suffer the con-
sequences of it, and I intend to do so
as patiently as l can"
Whenever you wish to be released
from the consequences, madam, and the
bargain that has led to them, please let
me know" said Mr.. Bondurant; and,
without a word more or any token of
affection, he passed down the two flights
Of stairs that led to their hired apart
ments and was on his way to his Office.
But, before leaving the room in which
he had breakfasted, he placed on the
table $40 bill.
There was an inside history which
this tahle-talk may suggest but does not
explain. Julia Henderson was the
daughter of proud, ambitious family,
who had little means that they were
fond of displaying to the greatest ad-
vantage. Their daughter Julia was
young lady of recognized beauty and
more than ordinary attractions, and