The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-08-25

| You"
''There, there, Margie, II
but pelng wise from past experiences,
| he attempted no further argument. onIv
| gathered her into his arms and allowed her
to sob her emotions into his left breast
pocket.
vi.
the result OF the farther conversation
| between Mr.. Philip Farebridge and Mrs.
Margret Merryweather may be inferred
from the fact that when they reached the
hotel, about dusk, the gentleman went to
the once and wrote upon the register, "Mr.
| Philip Farebridge and wife'-a simple
line, which yet proved sufficient to send a
perfect whirlwind of gossip and conjecture
through the quiet corridors of the hotel.
where nothing SO exciting had occurred
since tne elopement of Clara Dolby with
! young Smythe, two winters before
| When husband and wife entered the din
ing-room together that night, Margret felt
the eyes of every person present and was
| far more completely covered with confusion
than even in the blushing days of her
| honeymoon. -
"Really," Miss Spart murmured. leaning
across the table, 81 was never more sIIr.
prised in my life. If | had known Won
were going off to get married this after
noon would at least have thrown a slip
per after you. Is it true that YOU were en-
gagged but had quarreled? That's what l
told Mrs. Turner. 1 was sure of it this
morning.
so, we have known each other a long
time" said poor Margret, her cheeks Grim.
SON; but we have never quarelled."
The next morning it was even worse
Phil at first noticed nothing amiss: but his
wite's keener feminine sense detected hos.
tllity in the air the moment she entered the
breakfast-room. On Miss Spart's face
she read fresh diSapproval in every line
while Mrs. Turner's bow was so slight that
! If such salutation had not been expected,
1T would scarcely have occurred to a be-
holder that it was intended for bow at
all. Plainly, the tide of gossip had been
setting strongly against the young couple;
and Margret wondered what new develop
ment could have given it so much sudden
rancor.
She was enlightened later in the fore
noon, when she received crisp note from
Miss Spart asking the favor of a few min
utes' private conversation; and although
Philip protested that it was sure to be a
case of unwarrantable interference, his
wife insisted upon going to a spinster's
room. She was received with great solem-
nifty.
"Sit down" Miss Spart began, impress
lively. "Poor dear"
Margret laughed. 1t seemed natural
enough that a lady of so strongly marked
spinsterhood should regard any woman
fallen into a dreadful abyss.
Don't laugh" Miss Spart went on, with
rather unnecessary pathos. "What l have
to tell you is too dreadful. can't bear to
have you laugh"
"What in the world" began Margret.
"There! therep' the other Interrupted; do
be calm. DON'T get excited. 1t isn't your
fault"
'My fault" echoed her guest. "What
are you talking about? "What is the
troublew
''That man." Miss Spart said, becoming
more and more melodramatic, ''has de-
ceived you"
"That man you think is your husband
Mr.. Farebridge."
"Deceived meW
eyes, deceived you. Do try and be calm.
| felt it my duty to tell you. Mrs. Turner
says she remembers having seen him in
Boston, and his name isn't Farebridge at
all, but Sweetser."
"But he had it changed" Margret said,
not at all understanding Miss Spart's drift.
"But that isn't the worst. He is married
already!"
married w echoed the other. "Why-"
But he has committed bigamy," ejacu-
lated Miss Spart. "He has"
| But her listener, upon whom the situation
| suddenly dawned, burst into laughter which
prevented further speech-a tide of laugh
ter which she could not check, with which
she struggled in vain for a moment, and
then, turning her back at once upon Miss
Spart and politeness, she fled to her own
sitting-room, and laughed herself into
Mysteries, trying to give her husband an
Ineligible account of the charges against
him.
1t was impossible to make Phil take things
| ca,,inI1c1u Tho caunrnlNr IrirtI1Onc a
lady boarders looked, the colder the glances
which followed himself and his wife, the
| droller the affair seemed to him and the
| jollier he appeared. He scandalized Mar
greet by chuckling in the very face of Miss
Spart, who cut them both dead after Mrs.
Merryweather's abrupt flight from her
chamber. He had taken the landlord into
his confidence, and the two men would be
seen whispering and uodding together like
arch conspirators, and only the fact that
his wife was unhappy cast any cloud over
his boyish jollity.
"Never mind, Margie," he comforted her :;
''the Grays are coming this week. Wen
be very exclusive, and associate with no
body but them"
And in day ortwo the Grays did arrive.
The Farebridges were out driving when
they reached the hotel, and almost the first
question Mrs. Gray asked of Miss Spart
was,
| Wv mere are Mi. fareOrldSe ana MIS-
Merryweather?
at isn't Mrs. Merryweather any longer,''
Miss Spart replied, pulling terrible face
sit is Mrs. Farebridge."
SIS itp' returned Mrs. Gray, lightly.
sit doesn't matter. But where are they?'
81 don't know" hesitated the spinster-
cor, that is, do not care to know; but
think they are driving together"
"How funnily you speak! DON'T you
| think Marpret is lOVelVW
"Ahem! Handsome is that handsome
does" Miss Spart observed, with conspic-
uous lack of originality.
Mrs. Gray stared in amazement. 81
think we can not be talking of the same
person." she said, rather coldly. 'The
people of whom | spoke are the best friends
my husband and myself have inthe world
"But," gasped Miss Spart-"bigamyw
"Bigamy?' echoed Mrs. Gray. "What
has bigamy to do with itT'
Everything. The man mean has com
mitted bigamy, and don't see why he isn't
arrested for it. And his wife-or the
woman he calls his wife-knows it, for
told her myself. He came here, and they
pretended to be strangers and the next day
they went off and got married. And told
her" '-
"You told herl" exclaimed Horace Gray
who had thus far remained silent listener
of the conversation, and he burst into
laughter as boisterous and unquenchable
as Phil's had been. so, that is too much
That is beyond everything | ever heard p
In the midst of this outburst the offend