The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-16

uOluS OF late, is IL shopping tor
sooth! And that Internal captain calls
me bad names, I've no sort of doubt.
I'll be even with you yet, Mrs. BIZ
And after searching in vain for the
missing fragments of the fatal paper,
Browne abandoned himself to the tor
ments of the green-eyed monster, and
to the pleasurable anticipation of de-
tecting his wife's faithlessness on the
morrow.
The next day he started off to the
city as usual, having first asked his
wife, with great assumption of care
lessness, how she meant to occupy her
self until the evening.
81 am going out this afternoon,
she answered; Il may meet mamma;
but l don't know"
"Meet mamma, indeed - said her
outraged husband to himself. "Oh,
you deceitful little wretch" And he
departed filled with schemes of VEN
geance.
The thought of exposing his guilty
spouse so occupied Brownies mind that
he found it impossible TO concentrate
his attention on business, and, after
spending an hour or two in the city, he
resorted to his club by way of passing
the time until he should go to the
Stores. There he met several friends,
and ordered an elaborate luncheon.
jealousy had somewhat affected his
appetite, so he endeavored to drown
his sorrows in bottle of claret and
several glasses of potent brown sherry.
In fact, by the time he arrived at the
trysting place he felt himself perfectly
equal to confronting half dozen Lo-
tharios, and inficting condign chas-
tisement upon them, unaIded by the
powers of the law. Browne, oddly
enough, had never been to the Stores
before. Being himself a tradesman,
he professed to look upon such estab-
lishments with hatred and contempt
though in practice he found it both
convenient and economical to allow his
wife to deal there, and even went
far as to keep a deposit account 10
her. When, therefore, he entered the
door of the large block of buildings IN
Victoria street, and noticed what
crowds of people were passing in and
cut, and what a number of different
departments he would have to search,
his heart failed him a little, for he
plainly saw that he might spend the
day there without ever having the
good fortune 10 hit upon the guilty
couple. So he loitered about near the
entrance in some perplexity.
AS he stared anxiously about him,
Mr.. Browne could not help wondering
if all the people he saw had come to
shop. There were, it was true, GER
tain number of individuals who sat at
a table in the middle of the room,
writing out orders from the list, and
gazing in agony at the ceiling as they
endeavored to solve intricate promb-
lens in mental arithmetic, but they
seemed for the most part to be serv-
ants, lodging-house keepers, and such
like. Nearly all the best-looking peo-
pie strolled about in somewhat aim
less fashion, occasionally looking at
the goods exposed for sale, but more
often at each other, and showing plain
ly enough that whatever their business
might be, it was entirely unconnected
with the purchase of tea and sugar.
There were plenty of well-dressed
young ladies. officers wives, thought
Browne, and u goodly sprinkllng OF
fast young fellows, who stared at the
ladies, and sometimes addressed them
on terms of easy familiar
ity. All this puzzled the worthy mer-
chant not little, and he began to wish
that he looked more like a military
man, for he was getting bored, and
longed to find some one to speak to.
"Would you be so kind as to direct
me to the china department." sud-
denly said feminine voice in his ear.
Brown started somewhat, and looked
round. A pretty little fair-haired
woman was standing at his elbow. She
was decidedly an attractive person;
her age might have been 25, she was
exceedingly well got up, and he no.
ticed that she was possessed of very
neat figure and very small feet
Browne had been rather gay dog in
his time,-which was certainly one
reason why he looked SO sharp after
his wife,-and the wine he had drank
at lunch made him feel disposed for an
adventure. So, after taking good
look at his fair friend he, he answered
in his most gallant manner:
81 am afraid can't, madam, but l
shall be delighted to find out for you"
"Oh, thanks! It's so good of YOU
she replied sweetly. "My husband
sent me here to do lot of shopping,
and It is such n confusing place am
constantly losing my way"
az assure you am charmed to be of
.he slightest service"
And Mr.. Browne inquired the way
If an attendant, and started Off with
his interesting charge. She asked to
see some dinner-services and several
other articles, and engaged Browne in
|, discussion of the various shapes,
iizes and oolors of the samples exhib-
ted for her inspection. She was re-
lily charming. he thought-the incest
woman he had met for years.
After much elaboration she selected
somewhat expensive set, a gorgeous
in blue, red, and gold.
Ticket number, MADAME" asked
he shopman.
"Let me see, 9, O, z, 3-no. z, O, 9, 8
and then there's another. How
illv am she continued, looking up