Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-05-07
A JEALOUS BRIDEGROOM.

am, if you will allow me to intro
duce myself, your humble servant,
Mr.. Pelham Palmer. | am perhaps of
a jealous disposition by nature, but
who can help his naturep l deeply
sympathize with Othello whenever /
read the play of that name which
Shakespeare has given to the world.
say am jealous by nature, but /
have conquered myself, / deeply SYM
pathize, as | said, with Othello, but /
am quite sure that if that most unhappy
colored gentleman had partially smoth-
cred Desdemona, and she had been
brought to and had been able to ex-
plain about the suspicious circumstance
es connected with her pocket-handker-
chief, everything might have been well,
and Othello very happy.
However, this is growing into quite a
preface; let me continue my story.
/ was forty when | made up my
mind to marry. / had never thought
myself handsome, but having amassed
a fortune, and having decided to settle
down as a married man, was lucky
enough to win the affection of the fair
est of her sex, Miss Phoebe Pearl, and
having offered myself to her, was ac-
cepted.
had previously interviewed her
father, who approved of our union, and
l had gone through the counting phase
and was really married.
The carriages were rolling up one by
one to Mr. PEARLS door, while the
crowd of little girls, boys. nursery
maids and beggars collected on the
pavement, uttered loud Obs! and Abs!
whenever a more than usually gorgeous
train swept the dust from the striped
carpet spread upon the front doorstep
and vanished under the fringe of the
awning.
] was uncomfortable, as bridegrooms
always are when making part of their
wedding show; but | expected to be
very happy when l got my wife to my
self; and after the lunch, or dinner, or
breakfast really don't know what
my respected mother-in-law called the
feast-we were going off to spend a
month at Paris and get acquainted.
Even in that Halcyon hour / was
aware that we were not well acquaint-
cd yet. However, knew was a good
sort of fellow and had the greatest con-
fidence in Phoebe In fact, | had Just
repeated this to myself, when a post
mans knock sounded on the door, and
| saw Ph9be's own maid exchange a
glance with my wife as she slipped q
pink envelope into her pocket.
1t was very foolish idea, | knew,
but | took it into my head that the let
ter had something in it that my newly
welded Phoebe wished to keep from
me. / flatter myself that / am good
reader of the expression of the human
countenance, and that is what | thought
/ saw in the glances those girls ex-
changed. However, / really wanted
to kick myself for harboring the
thought.
But afterwards, when the congratu-
lations were over and we were going
down to dinner, | saw Jane, under pre-.
tense of adjusting her mistress dress,
slip this pink envelope into the white
satin lace trimmed pocket that was
pinned by bunch of orange blossoms
to her belt. And saw Phoebe dart a
warning look at me. This time | was
sure, and memory of certain beaux
who had caused me pain in their time
ulu creep INTO my mlnu.
To be sure, Phoebe was mine, but
she should not have any secrets from
me. was older than she was, not
handsome, and very well off, and
well, | felt that some of those other
men had been young, and fascinating,
and poor-and girls had married fol
money before now.
And so in a few moments, to drive
all my doubts away, said, in an airy
manner, that seemed to me just the
thing:
''Got letter, my dear?'
She blushed scarlet
mo; only little note,n she answer.
''Who from?" asked
ooh, I'm not a clairvoyant, Pei
ham, she replied. II can't read
through sealed envelopes. -
''Open it, them" said I.
81 couldn't; it would be bad man.
ners, said she.
Whom do you think it is fromp'
said |.
Some belated bridesmaid, perhaps"
said she.
"Miss Smith, Miss Brown, and Miss
Robinson are all here.n
'Oh, well, it's from my grand aunt
Pendleton, to say she can't come, but
wishes me joy, and sends soup-ladle
She always sends soup-ladle to brides
in the family" said Phoebe.
Then | think you ought to read it
at once out of respect to the old lady, !"
said |.
what tease you arer' she cried,
and pulled her handkerchief from her
pocket.
The letter came with it and fell to
the floor. | stopped to catch it up. So
did she. Our heads crashed furiously
together. l got the letter.
Hope I've not hurt you, my dear, :"
said /.
"You have, horribly" said she, and
snatched the letter, but not before /
had glanced at it.
Your aunt writes very fine mas
culine hand" said l. as she strong
minded lady?"
Very" she answered, and cram
med the pink envelope into her pocket,
and began to talk to a matron who had
known her from child.
There are always such old ladies at
wedding-parties, and it is more agree
able to meet them when you are young
than when you are not. | feared she
might have known me also, and | had
clipped four years off the tag end of
my age.
Somehow, thirty-six sounds so much
better and younger than forty.
l hurried away and began to play
with somebody's little girl think it
was a cousin s-who had brought with
her hideous staring doll, dressed up
like bride. l told falsehoods, and
said loved little girls, and that the
mannikin was '.prettyr' and / boiled
inwardly with rage and jealousy; and