The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-08-30
4 WIMBLEDON SURPRISE,

Ors, Messrs. Bravo q Bully, was as good
a husband as he was a business man
whichis saying a great deal. Never haC
wife less reason than his to complain
OF the neglect or misconduct of hel
spouse. And Bessie, on the whole. die
not complain. She was both satisfied
with, and proud of, her young, hand
some and attentive husband. After
several years spent in the holy bonds o.
matrimony, they both seemed to fine
these bonds as easy as they were dur
ing the honeymoon.
There were, however, two things
which troubled Bessie's little heart
The first one was that though her hus
bands business was extending in a way
quite satisfactory to him, it was grow
ing III manner quite unsatisfactory tc
her. Every day Joseph was becoming
more and more of a lady's lawyer
Many of the divorce, theatrical, and
breach-of-promise cases every term
found their way into his hands. When
Bessie glanced at the paper of a morn
ing and saw law report headed "Sen-
sational Divorce" or Theatrical Scan
dial, or Amusing Breach of Promise. >
she expected to find that the solicitors
for the lady We're Messrs. Bravo &
Bully, and she was seldom disappointed.
In fact, 1t at length became so common
that the sight Of it began to sicken her.
1t was not that she objected to Josephs
firm being mixed up in such cases it
was rather because she objected to
Joseph himself being mixed up with
such company. Once or twice, ladies in
trouble with their husbands, or quarrel
ing with their managers, had, after
Joseph left his Office, pursued him to
his home; and Bessie had been curious
enough to see them. She had succeed
ed IN doing so sometimes, and those she
had seen she had not liked. "There
was" she told her mother, old Mrs.
Grim, something about their eyes that
made her feel uncomfortable. They
had wicked look about them, and she
would rather Joseph had nothing to do
with the owners of them" At the
same time what in her heart troubled
her, perhaps, quite as much as Joseph's
clients wicked look was their undoubt-
ed beauty. More than once, after see
ing some pretty actress, or other fair
litigant, leave JOseph's study, she had
looked in the glass at her own round.
demure little face, and comparing it
with the striking features and glowing
eyes of the lady visitor, had caught
herself half wondering if Joseph would
always be content with such common
place little woman as herself. But he
never showed any signs of being
charmed by his fair clients looks. He
still appeared as fond of his wife as if
she had been the most bewitching OF
women. So, though she fretted over
her fears In private, and once or twice
conhIed portion of them to Mrs.
Grlm, she never limited them to Joseph.
Two or three times, when she thought
his parting with his beautiful visitors
was rather atfectionate, she felt inclined
to do so, and her mother made no
secret to her of the fact that she regard
ed him as rank hypocrite. But, in
spite OF all this, the warmth and his
klndllness of bearing toward her made
Bessie feel that whatever her suspicious
might be they must be groundless.
The other thing that worried her,
and of which she did complain to her
husband, was his fondness for soldering.
LIKE some other business men, Joseph
odd not care much for his business. He
thought nature intended him to win
military glory, and he was continually
bewalllng the fate that shut him up in
an attorneys office. Every time there
were any complications abroad he took
the deepest interest in them, and again
and again declared his intention of vol
unteerlng for service should they result
IN war. At first these bellicose declara-
tons alarmed little Bessie: but. as in
every case, when war did result, Joseph
discovered that business affairs pre-
vented him from gratifying his longing
to participate in the struggle. she began
TO hear them with considerable equani-
nifty. One consequence, however, OF
his passion for soldering she dishked
and disiked bitterly. As he could not
be regular, he became a volunteer
lie was continually marching and drill
ing, practlcing musketry, and camping
out with his regiment-the 1001st Mid
dlesex. 1t was staggering corps, the
lOOlst, and was composed largely OF
young professionals and business men
OF warllke tendencies, and was popular
~ known as the ~slaughterers, on &C
count OF the ferOcious appearance of
the members, and the terrible execution
1t was understood they would do if thew
ever had chance of going into action.
Every year it had its tent at Wimble-
don during the rifle competition. and
usually, also, its camp at Richmond.
and to these Joseph would go, in spite
OF all the tears and poutings of poor
Bessie. Of Wimbledon, in particular,
he was very fond, and while the camp
renamed there he remained there, sell
dom doing more than running up to his
once when some pressing business com
PEELED him, and then. when he had fin
lshed It, returning with all speed to the
camp. While he was thus diverting
himself, Bessie stopped with her moth
er, taking care, however, to go down to
Wimbledon almost every day, osteusi-
bly, to see the shooting, but really 70
keep an eye on Joseph.
One day, while the competition was
going on. Bessie thought she would
give her husband little surprise. She
mad arranged to go that day to VIM
pledon, If the weather proved fine
Joseph was to meet her at the station.
and, after seeing some of the matches
she was to have dinner in his tent with
some fellow members of his corps with
whom he was sharing it. It occurred
therefore, to Bessie that it would be q
delightful surprise if she went down bv
an carrier train. She knew Joseph was
IN ms tent all the morning, for it was
then he attended to his business CORE
spondence; and she also knew where
ms tent was, as she had been at the
camp the day before. 1t amused her
70 imagine his establishment to see her
walk IN at moment when lie Thought
her mues away. As she had, however
some idea that her mother would oh.