The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-02-18
MR.. AND MIS-. BONDURANT.
BY BONNIE HUERE.

tuluh W VIII uEA u uOCuhCp
under your plate that may interes
you," said Mrs. Boudurant. address
ing her husband, as ne took his sea
the breakfast table.
The words were uttered with 6
look intended to express severe cen
sure, with some pity and contempt
and rather more of the latter.
| The husband slowly turned ovel
his pla.e, lOJk up and read a grocer,
bill-S5O 81. On the margin were
the words:
CHECK expected Immediately"
81 would rather not send this man
a check just now" said Mr.. Bondur
ant. alt is true | have little more
than that amount in the bank, but
shall need all | have and more also
tomorrow to pay the costs OF the uil
AN conducting"
This is about the answer | ex
pecLed to receive" said his wife, "and
must tell you ina. your paltry
excuses will not answer for the pur-
pose. That bill must be paid al
Oncen
1T is scarcely worth while, Julia,
TO speak 50 emphatically in regard TO
this matter" said the husband 81
am doing little business for these
grocers, and although they do not
owe me anything now. | can, | sup
pUse, get them to wait few days
and in the meautime let US have what
gUOds We need"
They will do nothing of that sort"
said Mrs. BOndurans Aud il the
bill is DOT paid before 3 O'Clock TO.
day they will send it to my brother
Alfred, who will pay it and take al
assignment OF The claim"
Then let him do S." said Mr
Bcndurant, quietly breaking q piece
of hard cracker into his cotfee aud al
the same time deliberately watching
the soitening process. This is what
tney call bareback, l believe. 1t is
better for sailors than for Us poor
lsDdsmen. They have more time to
spend soaking it, unless when rough
weather comes on, and then | sup.
pose they dispense with the ceremony
of eating until the storm has expend-
ed it's fury"
Your insinudtions are intended to
exaspera,e me-" said Mrs. Bondu-
rant, "but | warn you, sir, that you
are treadlpg on treacherous ground.
"lf the ground, madam, on which
| am treading Is composed of your
feelings would not expect to fad it
uncommonly delicate" was the re-
tort.
"Are you willing, sir, to have my
brother pay that grocer's bill ?"
'I could easily have arranged it in
such way that it would not have
gone into his hands, but as | 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 il | do not pay it before 3 O'Clock
today. / shall allow the matter to
oe disposed of in that way, and give
my self no further concern in regard to
it at present"
Then it seems you are willing to
have my brother provide for your
family That is just what he told
me il would come TO when We were
married, and In fact Immediately after
be 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 that they would have to support
us.n
And you are sorry you did not
take their advice ?"
Sometimes l am, If must tell YOU
the truth. You know l could have
married Rock Billings. and | had
other good offers. AS for Rocky, be
was almost dying for me. His social
standing was not, it is true, quite
equal to yours, ana be was not so
sood-lookIng, but be had more busi-
ness capacity than hundred young
lawyers like you. With him for q
husband | would never have suffered
the modification of seeing grocer's
bill paid by my brother"
"Mr. Billings is still unmarried, /
believe" said the husband dryly.
What base iDsi- uations are those
words intended to convey? You are
pow my husband, aud have no wish
10 exchange you tor Mr.. Billings or
any one else If 1 have made bad |
bars ain il is right that | should suffer
the consequences of it, aud ! intend
10 do 30 just as patiently as ever
can.
Whenever you wish to be released
from the consequence, madam, and
the bargain that has led to them,
please let me know" said Mr.. Bon |
durant and, without q word more or
aby token Of affection, be passed down
lhe two flights of stairs that led to
their hired apartments and was on
his way to his Office. But, before |
leaving the room in which be had
breakfnsted, he placed on the table q
$40 bill.
There was an inside history which |
Ibis table tslk may suggest, but does
not explain.
Julia Henderson was the daughter
,f q proud, ambitious family, who
bad little means that they we're fond
If displaying to the greatest sdvsn-
age. Their daughter Julia Hss q