The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-10
L'AFFAIRE SPINKS.


 appearances may be against me, it was not really my fault. Besides, the lady was old enough to be responsible for her own actions, and l contend that she should have been as good a judge of propriety as myself. As for Mrs. Grundy and her votaries, can afford to treat them with the contempt they deserve {; but when ones own wife sides with the opposition, and concurs in the vote of censure, it becomes necessary, however much against the grain, for the accused to deliver statement of defense. Here, then, is the true story, and leave it to you to judge whether and how far am to blame.
 First of all, it was through no fault of mine that my wife's cold obliged me to appear at Mrs. Browns dance in the char acter of a bachelor. protested vainly against being made to go, but mY wife herself insisted that, considering the dearth ot gentlemen in the neighborhood, 1t would be too bad for me to absent my self on the plea of some one else's cold. Therefore, submitting to destiny, and under protest, went.
 Secondly, my introduction to Miss Spinks was an honor utterly unsolicited, the gratuitous act ot my hostess kindly intended, no doubt, as a compliment to us both, Miss Spinks being, like myself, of literary turn, the aushoress of one or two society novels, and of some reams of sentimental verse, as yet unpublished. She was spending a short holiday with her friend, Mrs. Brown, studying such as- poets of country life and manners as she could not acquire with equal facility in the reading-room of the British museum. Her next work was to be sporting novel, and she was eager for all information on such subjects that could give her. So much she con6ded to me in our first set of lancers, and seeing that she was inter- ested in my conversation, did perhaps dance with her, and sit in the conserva- tory with her rather more frequently than would have been strictly proper had been a bachelor and she ten years younger. But on this point the husband of my wife and father of my family need not stoop to defend himself
 Among much varied information on sporting matters generally, 1t is by no means improbable that mentioned that the otter hounds were to meet rext morn- ing at Penton bridge, and l may even have added that intended to be there, and that the fixture was for 7:3o. At all events. Miss Spinks says that l did so, and have no reason to doubt the cor rectness of her statement. But of this am quite certain, that neither she nor l said a single word about her going to Penton bridge, nor did express any opinion on the propriety of ladies indulg- ing tn such past.mes. l may have said that certain of the fair sex in our neigh bcrhood did attend the meets, and even followed the chase, but whatever inference Miss Spinks may have drawn from my remark, the fact remains that made no suggestion, and held out no inducement whatever to her personally to take any part in the sport. This most emphad- cally declare.
 Consequently, do no violence to my conscience by asserting that nothing was further from my thoughts than a rcncon- tre with Miss Spinks, when, after three hour9 sleep, donned my heaviest boots and oldest clothes, in preparation for tramp over meadow and plough in pur- suit of the anglers bete noire, The usual feeling of doing something very merisorious which attends feat of early kising alone caused the elation which buoyed me up to shave with cold water, breakfast of halt-cooked viands, and run sildly for half mile to catch my train, with the certainty of stitch in the side V first installment of the days labers. s Reaching the station just as the train was IT. to start, of course found tho engine I'll uucoupled, and the driver indulRing ia playful pleasantries with semi-som- Golenk poFses. n if time were of no con- e1quence to the company or Its customers. 0k diving into asmoking carriage, l was la t0 ind sctne comfort, and va again
 klfA rood humor when aighked at
 Koa6 station, fifty yafds from the
 d vcndozyous. s
 sslemnly psossst that nothing,