The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-03-15

uci SohuuoAni HappluSco' QUO Ah0ohU W
subdue her husband, to bring hum back
into the paths of marital proprieties with
firm hand, and make of him submits
sive and decent companion thenceforth.
In order to do this, she determined that
her first step must be to abolish that
confessional
Ladies will acknowledge that Mrs.
Orricle had some reason to be bitter.
There were days when Mr.. Orioles ora
tory was full from noon till after dusk.
The vicar missed his luncheon because
Of his penitents; he would be late for
dinner, and sit all the evening moping in
his arm chair, ana giving snappish an
swers to simple and affectiona.e ques-
tious. He was continually receiving lit
tie notes on pink paper, and answering
them in letters which filed four pages.
Two of his penitents gave especial labor
and trouble-a Mrs. Doucer and Miss
Lydia Languish. These ladies were after
him at all times. They remained in his
oratory for whole hours. and if they met
the vicar in the streets, they af-
fected to whisper contidentially in his
ears, even if Mrs. Orricle were standing
by. To make all this worse they treated
Mrs. Orricle with cool rollteness bor-
dering on contempt.
But Ignatia bore it all admirably.
Neither by word nor sign did she express
her displeasure. Her husband was a
priest, who did his clerical duty in con-
ferring privately for long hours with
sinful women. Why should she object
to it? That was the line which she
seemed to have taken up; and the Rev.
Peter went on his way complacently i'm
agining that he was free to act as he
pleased, being, by the sacred character
of his functions, above domestic criti-
cism. He even accumulated his nasal
twang; took frequent occasions to admin
lister grave reproofs to his wife about tri
fes, and stalked about the parsonage
with the air of a superior being, whom
it was seemly for Ignatia to worship.
Poor fellow!
Once year the superior being" used
to go away for three days to visit his own
parents, who lived in one of the northern
counties. When the time came for his
annual visit, Ignatia pleaded that she
was too unwell to accompany her hus-
band; so the Rev. Peter went off alone.
This was the opportunity Ignatia had
long been watching for-patiently as a
cat watches mouse-patiently as jsal-
Gus woman who seeks revenge.
The instant Mr.. Orricle was gone, Ig-
malta packed off her servants for two
days holiday, giving them money to go
and see their friends; and then she shut
| up the parsonage, went to the railway
| day she returned with box containing
| a complete telephone apparatus, and two
| workmen who were strangers to the
| parish.
The orders which Ignatia issued to
| these workmen were very precise. They
must adapt the telephone apparatus to
the confessional in such way that its
presence should not be suspected, and
| the wires were to communicate with q
closet in Mrs. Orioles dressing room.
The workmen were not to leave the house
until their work was done. They were
to sleep at the parsonage; and sover-
eign apiece beside their wages to hold
their tongues when they went away.
On these terms the two men set to
work very diligently, and in few days
they had executed their task with the ut.
most cleverness.
In cavity produced by the carving
inside the confessional they made hole
and inserted the orifice of the telephone.
The wires were drawn up through the
wall and ceiling, and the acoustic tubes
were placed in the closet above men
toned, where Mrs. Orricle kept her
dresses, and of which she alone had the
key. The operation necessitated the re-
moval of part of the wainscot in the
and pf of tho ohova
it, but the wainscot was put back in its
place, few yards of new paper were
procured from the upholsterer to replace
that which had been torn off, and the
ceiling was fresh white washed to cover
the spot where the hole had been made.
Everything was neatly done, and Mrs.
Orricie herself lent hand to the work
throughout. The two workmen went
away perfectly satisfied, and thinking
that the lady Whose name they did not
even know was very pleasant and lib
eral person.
The Eev. Peter returned the next day,
and, of course, suspected nothing of what
had happened.
He did not learn that his servants had
been away, and he noticed no signs of
disorder about the house. He resumed
his duties in the confessional, Mrs.
Doucer and Miss Languish being as
usual among the most assiduous peni-
tents. But now every word which these
truthful ladies uttered, and every sylla-
BILE which the Rev. Peter answered
through that melodious nose Of his we're
carried straight up to Ignatia in her
dress closet.