Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-09-11
A WIMBLEDON SURPRISE.

j OSepH NrOOue, junior anu uidudS III
partner IN the well-known firm OF
solicitors. Messrs. Bravo and Bully,
was as good 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 Bessie's little heart.
The first one was that though her hus
bands business was extending in a
way quite satisfactory to HIM, 1t was
growing in "A manner very unsatisfac
tory to her. Every day Joseph was
becoming more and more Of 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 Premise, she expected to
find that the solicitors for the lady
were Messrs. Bravo q 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
being mixed up in such cases 1t was
rather because she objected To Joseph
himself being mixed up with such
company. Once or twice, ladies IN
trouble with their husbands, or quar-
rehng with their managers, had, after
Joseph left his office, pursued hlm to
mis- home; and Bessie bad been curious
enough 10 see them She had succeed
ed IN doing So 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 Jos, phi 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 und0ubted beauty. More |
than once, after seeing some pretty |
actress, or other fair ltigant, leave
Joseph study. she had looked in her |
glass at her own round, demure little |
face, and, comparing 1t with the strik |
ing features and glowing eyes OF the |
lady visitor, had caught herself half
wondering il 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 contided
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 atlectiOnate, she
felt inclined to do so, aud her mother
made no secret to- her of the fact that
she regarded hlm as a 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 ker
husband, was his fondnoss for sol
diering Like some other successful
business meu, Joseph did not care
much for his business. Tie thought
nature intended him To win military
glory, and he was continually be-
waliug the fate that shut him up IN
an attorneys Office. Every time there
were any complications abroad he
took the deepest interest in them, aud
again and agaiT declared his intention
of volunteering for service should
they result in war At first these
bellcoSe declarations alarmed little
Bessie; but as in every case, when
war lid result, Joseph discovered that
business affairs prove lted him from
gratifying hlS longing 3D. participate
IN the struggle, she began to hear
them with considerable equantmity.
One consequence, however of his
passion for soldering she dislked.
and dishked bitterly As he could
not be regular he became a volun-
teer. He was continually marching
and drilling, practicJng musketry.
and camping out with his regiment
the l00lst Middlesex. 1t was a
staggering corps, the 100lst, and was
composed largely of young profes-
SIGNALS and business men Of warhke
tendencies, and was popularity known
rs 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 a chance of gong INTO action.
Every year it had its tent at Wimble-
don during the rifle competition, and
usually, also, IT'S camp at Richmond.
And TO these Joseph would go. i'm
spite oS all tbe tears and poutings of
poor Bessie. OF Wimbledon. i'm par
ticular, he was very fond, and while
the camp remained there he remained
there, seldom doing more than run
Dinp ND TO his Office when some