Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-11
4 WIMBLEDON SURPRISE.

partner IN the well-known firm OF
solicitors, Messrs. Bravo and Bully,
was as good a husband as he was a
business man. which is saying a good
deal Never had a wife less reason
than his to complain of the neglect or
misconduct of her spouse. And Bes-
sic, on the whole, did not complain
She was both satisfied with, and proud
of, her young, handsome, and atten-
tive husband. After several years
spent in the holy bonds of matrimony,
they both seemed to find these bonds
as easy as they were during their hon
ey-moOn.
There were, however, two things
which troubled Bcssie's little heart.
The first one was that though her hus-
bands business was extending in a
way quite satisfactory to HIM, it was
growing in manner very unsatisfac-
tory To her. Every day Joseph was
becoming more and more of a lady's
lawyer. Many of the divorce, theat-
rical, and breach-of- promise cases
every term found their way into his
hands. When Bessie glanced at the
paper Of mOning and saw law re-
port headed Sensational Divorce or
"Theatrical Scandal" or Amusing
Breach Of Promise" she expected to
find that the solicitors for the lady
were Nessrs. Bravo SC Bully, and she
was seldom disappointed In fact, it
at lengts became SO common that the
sight of it began to sicken her. 1t was
not that she objected to Joseph's firm
10. Il
rather because she objected to Joseph
himself being mixed up with such
company. Once or twice, ladies in
trouble with their husbands, or quar-
rellng with their managers, had after
Joseph left his office, pursued him to
MS home; and Bessie bad been curious
enough to see them. She had succeed
ed in doing Sd sometimes, aud 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 a 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 looks
was their undoubted beauty. More
than once, after seeing some pretty
actress, or other fair litigant, leave
Joseph's study. she had looked in her
glass at her own round, demure little
face, and, comparing it with the strik-
ing features and glowing eyes of the
lady visitor, had caught herself half
wondering If Joseph would always be
content with such commonplace lit
tie woman as herself. But he never
showed any signs of being charmed
by his fair clients looks He sill APP
peared 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 cOnfded
a portion of them to Mrs Grim, she
never limited them to Joseph. Two
or three times, when she thought his
parting with some of his beautiful
visitors was rather affectionaJe, she
felt inclined to do so, and her mother
made no secret to her of the fact that
she regarded him as rank hypocrite,
But, IN spite of all this, the warmth
and his kindness of bearing toward
ner, 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 sol
diering. Like some other successful
business meu, Joseph did not care
much for his business. He thought
nature intended MIN to win military
glory, and he was continually be-
wailing 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 agaiT declared his intention
of volunteering for service should
they result In war. At first these
bellicose declarations alarmed little
Bessie; but, as IN every case, when
war did result, Joseph discovered that
business affairs prevented him from
gratifying his longing TO participate
in the struggle, she began to hear
them with considerable equanimity.
One consequence, however, Of his
passion for soldering she disliked,
and disliked bitterly. AS he could
not be regular, he became a volun-
teer. He was continually marching
and drilling, practicing musketry,
and camping out with his regiment
the 1001st Middlesex It was a
staggering corps, the 1001st, and was
composed largely of young profess
SIGNALS and business men of war1lke
tendencies, and was popularity known
as the ''slaughterers," on account of
the ferocious appearance of the mem
bers, and the terrible execution it was
understood they would do if they
ever had chance of gong into action,
Every year it had its tent at Wimble-
don during the rifle competition, and
usually, also, It's camp ct Richmond.
And to- these Joseph would GO, ia
spite OF all the tears and poutings of
poor Bessie. Of Wimbledon, in par
ticular, he was very fond, and while
the camp remained there he remained
there, seldom doing more than run
ming up to his Office when some
h,1 II, oSc oorono1 lnS him on6