Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-06-25
A ROMANCE OF THE STORES.

II tell you," snorted Mr. Ramcbury
Browne, waxing purple with rage,
that absolutely forbid you to hold
any communication whatever with
Captain Cannon, and if he comes here
again l shall turn him out of the
hOusep
"Well, you need not be so violent"
protested pretty Mrs. Browne, as she
subsidized in becoming attitue on the
drawing room sofa and prepared for a
food of tears. only if you insist
upon my never seeing any man but
yourself and bully me In this absurd
fashion, / shall go mad, or run away,
or something" and Mrs. Browne
stifad her sobs In the folds of a deli
cately embroidered handkerchief,
while her lord and master marched
angrily up and down the room, half
ashamed of his own suspicious, but
determined not to betray any outward
sign of repentance.
Mr. Ramsbury Browne was a rich
city merchant, who had committed
the not uncommon mistake of marry.
ing penniless and exceedingly pref
ty girl some thirty years younger
than himself, who, without giving
her husband any deiaite cause for
jealousy, contrived to make his life
exceedingly uncomfortable. The
reason was not far to seek. Before
she came to London she had never
seen anything; therefore, balls, races,
meetings, polo matches. river parties.
and such like frivolities had for her
the charm which novelty alone could
give them.
Like most pretty women, she was
fond of admiration; men ran after
her, thinking, not without reason,
that she could not possibly be alb
sorbed in her dull and uninteresting
husband, and 1t must be confessed
that Mrs Browne did not altogether
discourage their attentions. Hence il
came to pass that Mr.. Brownies jeal-
ousy was aroused, and that he selected
his wife's friendship with the aforesaid
Captain Cannon as the excuse for an
extremely unpleasant matrimonial
dispute. The Captain himself was q
good looking Hussar, loaing, ne'er-
boswell man about town, or gallant
chivalrous and fascinating officer
it all depended upon the point of view
from which his character was re-
garded. Needless to say that Brownies
opinion of him was not the more fav>
orablc one, and when his wife showed
q somewhat marked preference for
the Captains society, exchanged little
notes with him about books, music
and such>liko Innocent topics, and
was generally followed by him where
ever she went Browne determined
that the intimacy should at once come
to an end.
You're not to see that man again, -
continued be, clustering somewhat
unnecessarily In case his determina-
ton should falter. ''Doyou hear me,
Mrs. Drowned"
ooh, yes. hear you," she sobbed
Il won't see him any more; and per-
haps when you've bullied me into the
grave you will be sorry"
So Mr.. Browne marched off to the
city, filled with the proud conscious
ness that he had gained great moral
victory, and had made his wife miser
able.
During the next week or two the
meekness OF that young lady was ad-
mirable and her obedience to her nus
bands will positively touching, The
demon of jealousy had. however,
taken entire possession of the bosom
of mir. Ramsbury Browne, and his
wlfe's unlocked for subnlissiveness
only served to increase instead of al
laying his suspicious. He thought
that she was merely acting a part
and he watched her with redoubied
vigilance. In business matters he
was g strictly honorable man, and he
had very good name in the city for
honesty and Straightforward dealing.
Nevertheless, he did not think it IN
consistent with his dignity to descend
to all sorts of sucterfuges in order to
catch his wife tripping. He sometimes
came home at unusually early hours.
He occasionally announced that he
would diae ont, and then appeared
with some lame excuse, at the family
meal. and though he did not go so far
as to open his wife's letters, he care
fully examined every epistle which
came to the house, in the hope of rec
ognizing the hand writing of the hated
Captain. This sort of thing went ou
for week or two, and nothing came
1T. Browne was beginning to think
that after all he was mistaken, when
he made discovery which revived all
his worst suspicious. He had come
home early; his wife was out shopping
and in an aimless sort of manner he
walked into her boudoir and sat dowu
at her writing table Browne had
rummaged Ia all the drawers before,
and knew the position of every paper
Nothing was changed, and as last
resource he glanced at the waste paper