The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-16
A ROMANCE OF THE STOKES.

II tell you," snorted Mr.. Ramsbury
Browne, waxing purple with rage,
l''that l absolutely forbid you to hold
any communication whatever with
Capt. Cannon, and if he comes here
again 1 shall turn him out Of the
'houser'
SWELL, you need not be so violent, I"
protested pretty Mrs. Browne, as she
subsided in a becoming attitude on
the drawing-room sofa, and prepared
for flood of tears. "Only if you in
sist upon my never seeing any man
fbut yourself, and bully me in this abb
surd fashion, shall go mad. or run
away, or something" and Mrs. Browne
stihed her sobs in the folds of a deli
cately embroidered handkerchief.
VILE her lord and master marched
Angrily up and down the room, half
ashamed of his own suspicious, but de-
termined not to betray any outward
sign of repentance.
Mr.. Ramsbury Browne was rich
not uncommon mistake of marrying a
lpenniless and exceedingly pretty girl,
some thirty years younger than him
self, who, without giving her husband
Iapv definite cause for jealousy, con-
~ ed to make his life exceedingly I'M
fortable. The reason was not far
~ seek. Before she came to London
she had never seen anything; there
fore balls, race-meetings, polo-match-
les, Therapeutics, and such like frivol-
ties had for her the charm which nov
city alone could give them. Like
most pretty women, she was fond of
admiration; men ran after her, think
ling. not without reason, that she
could not possibly be absorbed in her
dull and uninteresting husband, and
lit must be confessed that Mrs. Browne
did not altogether discourage their
attentions. Hence it came to pass
that Brownies jealousy was aroused,
and that he selected his wife's friend
ship with the aforesaid Capt. Cannon
as the excuse for an extremely I'M
pleasant matrimonial dispute. The
captain himself was good-looking
ihussar, a loafing, meier do well man
'about-town, or a gallant, chivalrous,
and fascinating officer-it all depended
upon the point of view from which
As character was regarded. Needless
70 say that Brownies opinion of him
twas not the more favorable one, and
when his wife showed a somewhat
marked preference for the captains
society, exchanged little notes with
him about books, music, and such-like
innocent topics, and was generally fol-
lkwed by him wherever she went,
Browne determined that the intimacy
should come to an end.
! you're not to see that man again."
continued he, clustering somewhat I'M
necessarily, in case his determination
should falter. ''Do you hear me, Mrs.
lxrowneP"
/ "Oh, yes, I hear you," she sobbed.
l1'I won't see him any more; and per-
maps when you've bullied me into my
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
Sictory and had made his wife exceed
ingly miserable.
For the next week or two the meek
ness of that young lady was admirable,
and her obedience to her husbands
will positively touching. The demon
lof jealousy had, however, taken entire
possession of the bosom of Mr.. Rams
bury Browne, and his wife's somewhat
lunlooked-for submissiveness only
Served to increase instead of allaying
ibis suspicious. He thought that she
Twas merely acting a part, and he
watched her with redoubled vigilance.
In business matters Browne was a
strictly honorable man, and he had a
very good name in the city for honest
and straightforward dealing. Never
theless he did not think it inconsistent |
with his dignity to descend to all sorts |
of subterfuges in order to catch his |
wife tripping. He sometimes came
homo at unusually early hours. He |
occasionally announced that ho would
dine out, 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 carefully examined
every epistle which came to the house,
in the hope of recognizing the hand
writing of the hated captain. This
sort of thing went on for week or
two, and nothing came of it. Browne
was beginning to think that, after all,
he was mistaken, when he made u
discovery which revived all his old
He had come home early;
his wife was out shopping, and in an
aimless sort of manner he walked into
her boudoir and sat down at her writ
ing table. Browne had rummaged in
all the drawers before, and knew the
position of every paper. Nothing was
changed, and, as a last resource, he
glanced into the waste-paper basket.
There were few bills and circulars,
torn-up letter and a telegram. 1t, too,
was torn into half dozen or more
pieces, and Browne spent several min
utes in putting them together. Two
or three fragments were altogether
missing, but he managed to make out
quite enough for his purpose. The
telegram had been sent out and re-
seived that very day, and the follow
ing startling sentence was clearly leg
BILE:
meet me at the Stores tomorrow
afternoon Browne is a.