River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-11-20

y
his evil genius.
ooh! the letter. Oh, yes. Certain
~" he said, burying his face In the
pillow again.
"Well?" said his wife, interrogative-
ly.
"What?" mumbled MIR. Battledore.
"You ordered it 1 suppose?
pretending to be DOING off again.
Ordered It'll Eli What? OH of
course, of coursew answered Mr..
Battledore. What ON earth made you
write to the office ?" he added, by the
way of changing the conversation.
Il thought it would be more conven-
lent You would only have to step
round to the Shop replied his wife.
what the deuce does this allmean 2"
thought Mr.. Battledore, with a groan.
II hope it will be ready in time. Jo-
sephi Jesephl" cried his wife. emphati-
ealiy, as he feigned to slumber. "Will
it be ready in time?"
"Of course" said Mr.. Battledore,
shortly, trembling with apprehension.
"What color did you choose, Joseph ?"
demanded his persistent spouse, little
Suspecting his mental perturbation.
"Color?" murmured Mr.. Battledore
family.
Eyes, left that entirely to you"
II think it was sort of blush
green, said Mr.. Battledore with des-
peration.
To his unutterable relief his wife APP
peared satisfied with this answer, or,
more probably, she became drowsy her
self at this iuncture. At all events, she
asked no more, and Mr. Battledore was
left to reflect upon the conversation.
By this time he had realized that he had
made fatal mistake in pretending to
have received the letter, and greater
mistake still in feigning to have execut-
ed some mysterious commission. He
tossed about restlessly as he perceived
how foolishly he had walked into
dangerous trap. Should his wife now
discover that he knew nothing of the
letter, and had answered her at random,
her suspicious of something wrong
would be Immediately aroused; and Mr..
Battledore was haunted by dismal
foreboding that the smallest clue would
lead to the discovery of his recent es-
capade. He dared not anticipate the
scene that would ensue when his wick
edness and deceit stood revealed, for
the truth was that he was afraid of his
wife, and though pompous and self-im-
portant in the world he was pretty Sc
verely henpecked at home.
However, it occurred to him that the
case was not absolutely hopeless, for
Sam might find ont through Mrs. New
ell what the letter was about, and by
putting him on his guard enable him to
avoid sinking deeper into the mire. Ac-
cordingly, next morning, having previ-
ously arranged with his friend to have
an early dip in the sea, he started off
before his wife was awake, and confided
his trouble to his faithful companion.
Sam scoffed at his fears, and undertook
to find out the necessary information
from his wife without delay. Fortu-
nately Mrs. Battledore made no allu-
sion to the subject during breakfast.
and after that meal, being excused
church on the ground of overwork at
Office during the week, the friends
seated themselves on the beaah and
and threw pebbles into the glistening
water which rlppled unsteady at their
feet
BIT to Mr.. Battledore's dismay it
transpired that Sam had failed in his
mission. His wife pretended to know
nothing about the letter, and had In
her turn questioned him quite sharply
about it.
"She put me in a corner" said Sam,
rubbing his nose with perplexed air.
"bv asking what you had told me about
it, and why 1 was putting questions to
her"
"What did you say?" inquired Mr..
Battledore, breathlessly.
II said 1 only asked for fun. That
was little weak, wasn't it? But I don't
think she twigged I was disconnected, I"
said Sam. "She seemed more curious
to know what you had let drop about
the letter"
Yes, yes" murmured Mr.. Battle
dore.
Ell said had forgotten, but believed
You had mentioned something about
light green, turned up with blue or
some other color. Evidently Maria
didn't know what to make of my an
swer."
''Then she will go and speak to my
wife, who will be at me again, moaned
Mr.. Battledore.
al shouldn't wonder. I say. Joe,
what an ass you've made of yourselfw
said Sam, revealing a little uneasiness
on his own account. ''Who knows
what your stupidity may lead to? 1t
may turn out to be the little cloud no
bigger than a mans hand. There is no
trusting you. You would let out every
thing you had chance"
Sam Newell had much more reason
to be afraid of his wife than his friend
had of his, but he was animated by a
holder disposition. Nevertheless, he
shrank from the ordeal of having to
confess to the Paris trip in the face of
distinct prohibition, and in a minor de-
gree he began to share his friends de-
preston. Mr.. Battledore's nervousness
gave him just cause to fear that he
would betray them both on the smallest
provocation, and he rather jumped at
the suggestion that they should return
to town that evening, instead of wait
ing till the morrow.
81 think we had better, and then you
will be'out of harms way all the soon
er.
ltt Will pun all Gnu W VIC ulhlCul-
ty, for shall no doubt find the letter
somewhere about the office tomorrow
and can set everything right" said Mr..
Battledore, eagerly.
Accordingly the two dissemblers
shirked their families as much as posi-
BILE all day, and then created consider
able surprise and CONSERVATION by I'M
expectedly announcing their intended
departure by an early evening train.
Business was as usual the excuse put
forward, and after an uncomfortable af-
ternoon they started back to town, con-
soled by the reflection that the danger
was happily over.
On the following evening, however.
Mr.. Battledore greeted his friend with
a very rueful countenance.
"The letter Is not to be found any
where Those idiots at the office must
have mislaid it,"
COR else it miscarried," suggested
Sam, with an exasperating grin.
"But l said received it! Now, what
am l to do? What is it I'm supposed to
have ordered? 1t might be anything,
from wall paper or curtains to pair of
gloves or drawing room sofa," ex-
claimed Mr.. Battledore, quite tragi-
cally.
ut is certainly awkward; but if /
were you should pretend to forget all
about the thing when next we go down.
Ton ~ ona vOur wife will then mention