The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-11-20

De0u aDSeub from Gu0 ONCE. An IN
SAINTS reflection would have convinced
him of the fooishness of such notion,
but he replied hastily and thoughAess-
y, inspired by secret snneasiness and
his evil genius. ! ; :.
ooh! the letter. Oh, yes. Certain
| ly," he said, burying his face in the
tpillow again.
"Well?" said his wife, interrogative-
~.
"What?" mumbled Mr.. Battledore,
| "You ordered it [ suppose?
pretending to be doing off again.
"Ordered it! Eli! What? Oh! of
course, of counsel" answered Mr..
Battledore. "What on earth made you
write to the Officer" he added, by the
way Of changing the conversation. g..
II thought it would be more conYen-
lent. You would only have to step
round to the shop" replied his wife.
what the deuce does this all mean ?"
thought Mr.. Battledore, with q groan.
II hope it will be ready in time. Jo-
seph! Jeseph!" cried his wife, emphati-
cally, 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, I left that entirely to YOU"
II think it was a sort of blush
green" said Mr.. .Battledore with des-
peration. p,
70 his unutterable relief his wife ap-
peared satisfied with this answer, or,
more probably, she became drowsy her
self at this juncture. At all events, she
asked no more, and Mr.. Battledore was
left to reflect upon the conversation.
BY this time lie had realized that he had
made q 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 restless]y as he perceived
how foolishly he had walked into q
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..
|
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 ION the ground of overwork at
J. Office during the week, the friends
seated themselves on the beaah and
and threw pebbles into the gistening
water which rlppled unsteady at their
feet.
But 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 corner" said Sam,
rubbing his nose with perplexed air.
"bv asking what you had told me about
it, and why was putting questions to
her"
"What did you say?" inquired Mr..
Battletlore, breathlessly.
II said 1 only asked for fun. That
was little weak, wasn't it? But don't
think she twigged was disconnected,
said Sam. "She seemed more curious
to know what you had let drop about
the letter."
eyes, yes" murmured Mr.. Battle
dore.
II 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
II shouldn't wonder. T say, Joe,
what an ass you've made Of yourself!"
said Sam, revealing little uneasiness
on his own account. "Who knows
what your stupidity may lead to? It
may turn out to be the little cloud no
bigger than 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
holder disposition. Nevertheless, he
shrank from the ordeal of having to
confess to the Paris trip in the face of
distinct prohibition, and in 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
w gO"u VllaU cFeuluS, 1uStedu VI Will.
ing till the morrow.
II think we had better, and then you
will be out of harms way all the soon
er."
"That will put an end to the difficult
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-
ble 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
q 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 said received it! Now, what
am to do? What is it I'm supposed to
have ordered? 1t might be anything,
from wall noDor 0r c11rtoino IN a poir of