Connecticut western news., 1883-01-10
THE JEALOUS MAN.
How Jones Discovered His Christmas Pres-
 ent, and the Good 1t Did Him.

Peace, like a white-winged dove, has lately brooded over the Jones family; but one day last week the demon of dis cord entered most unexpectedly. Jones was getting ready to go down town in the morning, and in looking for hand- kerchief in the family bureau found a drawer that resisted him-in fact it was locked, most unheard-of thing in that family.
 At first 1t only made Jones mad, be- cause the resistance threw him acrosg the room, and bounced him up against 8 chiffonier on the other side, but when he regained consciousness he called Maria and asked her with white, calm lips, where the key was.
 She said it was in her pocket. He de- manded it. She refused to give it to him; and then ensued one of those pain full domestic silences which are so much more narrowing than words or blows. Jones went out and came in for three days, and sulked during the whole time, for an awful suspicion had taken posses sion of him. He remembered that Maria had been distraught and mys- terious lately, with 8 glassy look in her eyes. He recalled the fact that several times the door-bell had rung in the even- ing and she had evaded his inquiry as to who was there. He knew the evil ten dency of the age and shuddered at the idea that Maria had met & hnndsomer man than he. ...
 Green-eyed jealousy took possession of his soul and ate and ate into his heart like canker.
 But all things come to an end. One night Mrs. Jones went out, and as she tripped past the parlor door she looked in and said: "Jeptha, if you hear the baby eurgle wish you'd look at him." That was his opportunity-now or never. He crept softly upstairs and en- tered the peaceful room where their child was sleeping and turned the gas down to the merest glimmer; then he stealthily produced key and fitted it into the lock of that drawer and pulled it silently open, and there lay before him the picture of that other man-Oh, no 1! but a pair of slippers embroidered in red, green, and yellow with terra-cot- ta "J. J" in 8 wreath of eglantine on each toe and "Merry Christmas card tackled to the pair. Poor Jones this was even worse than he expected. It is enough to break up any man to thrust 8 pair of embroidered slippers upon him. and as he stood and looked and shivered and realized that the things were four inches too short, and had soft heels, he saw paper sticking up curiously on one side. It was addressed in mans hand writing to Mrs. Jones. Ha ha ! this, then, was 8 clew
 It was it was the bill from the man who sold the shoes, and it included one for the velvet and another for the em- broidery, and Jones was trying to foot the matter up to his satisfaction when a tremendous blow fell on his head and 8 fearful howl rent the air as Bridget shrieked:
 "Ow, ye mizzable, thieven, maraudin' blaggard, I'll tache ye to stale into decent peoples houses-oh, howly Moses it's the master himself, bad cess to him. How was to tell him from en. ny other thafe?'
 Jones patched up peace with Bridget, who promised not to say "divil wurrd' to Mrs. J., but oh, with what weary heart does the unhappy man wait for the coming Christmas !-Detroit Post.