McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-01-08

doing of late, is it ? Shopping Tor
soothi And that internal captain calls
me bad names, I've no sort of doubt.
I'll be even with you yet, Mrs. B.?'
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 bis wife's faithlessness on the
morrow.
The next day he started off to the
city as usual, having first asked his
wife, with a great assumption of care
lessness, how she meant to occupy her.
self until the evening.
II am going out this afternoon, !"
she answered; II may meet mamma;
but / don't know"
"Meet mamma, indeed ~ said her
outraged husband to himself. "Oh,
you deceitful little wretchr' 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
SO he endeavored to drown
his sorrows in a 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 a dozen Lo-
tharios, and inflicting condign chas-
tisement upon them, unalded by the
powers of the law. Browne, oddly
enough, had never been to the Stores
before. Being himself tradesman,
he protested to look upon such estab-
lishments with hatred and contempt,
though in practice he found it both
and economical to allow his
wife to deal there, and even went
far as to keep a deposit account TO
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
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 TO hit upon the guilty
couple. So he loitered about near the
in some perplexity.
AS he stared anxiously about him,
MIR. Browne could not help wondering
f all the people he saw had come to
shop. There were, it was true, a GER
ain number of individuals who sat at
1 table in the middle of the room,
writing out orders from the list, and
gazing in agony at the ceiling as they
to solve intricate promb-
ems in mental arithmetic, but they
seemed for the most part to be serv-.
.nts, lodging-house keepers, and such
ike. Nearly all the best-looking peo-
Die strolled about in a somewhat aim
ess fashion, occasionally looking at
he goods exposed for sale, but more
,ften at each other, and showing plain
y enough that whatever their business
night 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 a goodly sprinkllng of
asst young fellows, who stared at the
aides, and sometimes addressed them
apparently on terms of easy familiar
ty. ALI this puzzled the worthy mer-
'hant not little, and he began to wish
hat he looked more like a military
nan, for he was getting bored, and
onged to find some one to speak to.
"Would you be so kind as to direct
ne to the china department." sud-
Ienly said feminine voice in his ear.
Brown started somewhat, and looked
ound. A pretty little fair-haired
was standing at his elbow. She
vas decidedly an attractive person;
Ter age might have been %, she was
well got up, and he no.
iced that she was possessed of a very
leat figure and very small feet.
Browne had been rather a gay dog in
lis time,-which was certainly one
eason why he looked so sharp after
lis wife,-and the wine he had drank
t lunch made him feel disposed for an
dventure. So, after taking good
ook at his fair friend he, he answered
q his most gallant manner:
81 am afraid I can't, madam, but I
hall be delighted to find out for YOU"
''Oh, thanks! It's SO good of you,'
he replied sweetly. "My husband
emit me here to do lot of shopping,
nd it is such a confusing place 1 am
onstantly losing my way"
'T assure you am charmed to be of
he slightest service"
And Mr.. Browne inquired the way
f an attendant, and started off with |
is interesting charge. She asked to i
ee some dinner-services and several
ther articles, and engaged Browne in
discussion of the various shapes,
ICES and colors of the samples exhib-
ed for her inspection. She was re-
lily charming. he thought-the incest
7oman he had met for years.
After much deliberation she selected
somewhat expensive set, a gorgeous
arrangement in blue, red, and gold.
"Ticket number, MADAME" asked
be shopman.
.Let me see, 9, O, z, $40, z, 0, 9, 3
and then there's another. How
lily am" she continued, looking up