Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-07-22

All wells were dropped, and clear to view
All hearts were open thrown:
a shame it were to whisper you
what then saw; il all we're true
Iwere better all unknown;
such he rts none ever saw before.
But all at once | looked no more
Is, saw my owni
Times. '0nooi
A MYTHICAL MONSTER.
About four years ago / became the
husband OF very charminggirl in one
Of our eastern seaboard cities. In INV
marriage with Mabel Lane all the con.
ventionalities were fulfilled. She was
q lew years my iunior-modest, do
mestic-and this,I sincerely believe her
hrst attachment. Even our complex.
ions presented the proper extremes,
she being a perfect blonde and | dark
brunette. l loved her sincerely. /
was IN comfortable circumstances. and
on our wedding-day l saw no reason
Why our married life should not be
bathed in perennial sunshine.
Such would probably have been
the case had it not been for
an unfortunate defect in my dis
position. ! may as well state here
that before our marriage / had de-
voted myself pretty largely to that
agricultural pursuit known as sowing
wild oats. l cannot say that l was
vicious, but i loved the company of
good fellows. Late hours had a De.
culiar fascination for me, and the pop
OF champagne cork fired me as there
port OF a cannon is said to thrill a
war-horse. These things, which were
never counted more than .wildness' in
s single man, / suddenly found became
heinous vices and utter depravity in a
married one. Like many another /
had difficulty in adjusting myself to
the changed condition of affairs, and
there the trouble began.
So it was that after spending all my
evenings faithfully at home for
month ! began to drift back into the
old routine and pleaded an increase OF
business to Mable as an excuse for later
hours. Ibid this gradually. Now and
then qualms of conscience would con-
quer force OF habit, and would be en-
tirely domestic and devoted for several
days at time. Then would back
slide and come home at L. 1t was
not that my affection for my wife di-
minished. On the contrary, it in
creased. l was never so happy as
when in her company, but think it
must have been strain OF old Bohe-
mia IN my veins that drew me with a
subtle force back to the boys.
Az this, though, was as nothing
compared to the actual downfall thaF
began one night in earnest. | recall it
shudderingly, hesitatingly. As l en-
tered gate unusual light warned
me that Mabel waited for me, ard |
shut my lips tight with annoyance
and contrition as look at my watch
and saw it was after IL. / found her
in tears. 20, FrankW she sobbed, 81
am very unhappy"
Not unhappy with me, are you,
Mable?" asked
No, no" she said, "but unhappy
because am without you so much.
am sure it can not be business that
keeps you out at these awful hours.
o, Frank, tell me, what was it kept
YOU so late?"
well, Mabel" / answered, feeling it
useless to resort to the old story,
''the fact is | met afriend of mine who
is something of bore, and he held
me in conversation for couple of
hours"
"Who was he?"
Bancroft, Isaid desperately, using
the first name that came into my
mind, "a fellow named George Ban
croft"
What does he dol'
felt that was in for it and told
her he was the accountant at Reeds
tea~store. There were a few more
tears, but her suspicious were lulled
and peace was declared. went to
sleep, | blush to say it, with sort of
guilty satisfaction that / had done a
smart thing. Little did Idream OF the
precipice on which | was treading.
A few nights afterwards, when / was
late again, Mabel met me with the in
quiry: 81 suppose you were out with
that Bancroft"
"Yss, DEAR" / replied, catching at
the straw, Bancroft is a pretty good
fellow after all, Mabel. He has a
scheme OH foot for some real-estate
investments, ard we were talking it.
over"
"what, has he money! she said in
surprise. "Then he must be of saw
ing disposition. Perhaps he is a bet
ter man than 1 thought. Tell me
something about him Frank. Where
does he live?"
'He has a room at-at-20 Staun-
ton place; No. IL, | believe" /
choose Staunton place upon the in
spiration of the moment because it
was a long distance from where we
lived and consisted OF only two short
blocks, so l was quite sure Mabel
would never find or penetrate them.
To my great relief she did not pursue
her investigations further, but threw
me into CONSERVATION at tie table
next day by looking at me wIstfully
and saying:
Frank, am quite curious about
your friend, Mr.. Bancroft. Does he
look like your"
'sNo," said, giving my imagination
rein, che is shorter and OF light COM
plexion.
Does he wear a beard?
eyes, full beard, cropped close."
"What color are his eyes?
Some foul fiend prompted meto sad
he was cross-eyed, and that one organ
was blue and onegray.
"How very singular" said Mabel
with growing interest. II should like
to see him. Tell me about his real es-
tate scheme"
felt that il hesitated / was lost,
and laying down my knife and fork,
entered into a detailed account OF a
series OF fictitious investments con-
templated by Bancroft and myself. /
did not originally intend togo so deep,
but her questions drew me out, and
each successive step was necessary for
preservation. As walked out of the
front gate felt like aconvicted fellow.
However, the mythical Bancroft was
a convenient parsonage, and Iconclud-
ed that, now that had invented him
aud put my foot in it, so to speak,
might as well use him to
all possible advantage. Consequently
Bancroft was pleaded night after might
with success. although the continued
questioning of my wife involved me IN
a tissue of falsehood so naonstrous
that / was afraid to contemplate it.