River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-09-23

departed on his mission to Exeter
Hall. and his good lady was left to
nurse her jealousy in solitude.
Scarcely had he gone however. when
a singular opportunity was placed in
his wife's way for verifying the truth
of her suspicious. An old friend whom
she had not seen for years, wrote aud
asked her to pay visit to London.
Mrs. Parkly and Mrs. Honeydrop had
been very intimate in the past, but the
former lady had married an Indian
officer, aad had but recently returned
TO England. She wrote:
Ny Dear Matilda: The Colonel and l
have taken part of house in Brook street,
and find London rather dull, as we have
been so long away, aud most of our old
friends seem TO have disappeared. Could
not you and your husband run up and stay
with US for a week or twos / believe that
this is a time of year when a great many
clergymen come 10 London, so 10 may suit
his arrangements very well. Please ex-
cuse shor, notice, and come at once IL you
possibly can. Your atfectionate friend.
MARY PARKLr.
This was indeed a godsend to Mrs.
Honeydrop. and after very short de-
liberation she made up her mind to
accept the invitation. She would be in
London, and who knows what she
might not find out about her husbands
proceeding? So she promptly wrote
back saying she would take Mrs.
Parklv at her word and come at once:
John was unfortunately absent for a
week, and she felt dull" Mrs. Honey
droT did not add that John was in
London; she thought she could explain
that better in person. And two days
later she found herself installed in the
Parkly abode in Brook street. Much
to her relief, her surroundings were of
Il singularly congenial nature. The
olonel was somewhat dissipated
veteran, fond of his club, and addicted
10 late hours; his wife was a sanctimoni-
Gus woman who bored the warrior with
religious maxims and worried him by
her inOrdinate jealousy lady, in
fact, after Mrs. HOneydrop's own heart
and a fitting instrument for the scheme
she had on hand.
Fortunately. the Colonel did not
even know Mr.. Honeydrop by sight,
and Mrs. ii. found no difficulty in
keeping secret the fact that he also
was in London. So the two ladies
brooded in company over their wrongs,
real and imaginary, and Matched a
plan of vengeance which should over
whelm with confusion and dismay
their respective spouses.
Meanwhile. the Rev. John was en-
loving himself immensely. His bache-
lor friend, Mr.. Marmaduke Tampling.
was a man of the world, who knew
every body and went everywhere, so
he speedily initiated Mr.. Honeydrop
into mysteries of London life which
had previously been a sealed book TO
that gentleman. Not that Mr.. Honey
drops designations were by any means
of serious nature, but his conscience
occasionally pricked him when he
thought of his wife, moping, as he
fOndiy imagined, IN the solitary vicar
age. and he hoped she would never
hear of the way in which he spent his
spare time, for even concerts in her
eyes were doubtful, whilst theatres
we're downright wicked. One thing
only, beyond these home reflections.
married his complete happiness, and
this was the persistence with which he
was followed and pestered by his Will
ON parishioner, Mary Brown. This
lady, sad TO say, had come down in
the world. and ever since Mr.. Honey
drop had, in a moment of weakness.
when he met her by chance in the
Strand, given her his address and a
sovereign, with much good advice Tor
the future, she had logged his footsteps
and pestered him for money, until he
frequently felt inclined to follow his
friend Tampling's advice. and give her
in charge of the police.
Have her rUa in and bound over,
nv dear fellow" said Mr.. Trampling:
.'she is getting a most intolerable nuis-
ance.
But Mr.. Honeydrop was soft hearted,
and he would not as yet resort to so
extreme a measure.
Now it has already been stated that
Mrs. Honeydrop looked upon stage
plays as snares of the Evil One, and
she was never tired of declaring in and
out of season that actC~s and actresses
were anathc ma-marauatha to godly
people, aud that to witness their antics
was backsliding for fervent Christians.
But when Mrs. Honeydrop found her.
self night after night in company with
Mrs Parkly-the Colonel spent most of
his evenings at a club or a music-hall-
the rigidity of her scruples began some
what TO relax from shere boredom; for
Mrs. Parkly, though a congenial was not
altogether a cheerful, companion. ami
even Jealous wives must weary in time
of abusing their husbands. So when a
friend one dav sent Mrs. Parkly
box for the Lyceum, and she proposed
that Mrs. HOnevdrOp should accom-
pauy her thither. Mrs. ii. did not object
half so vehemently as her hostess had
expected, and finally agreed, after
much pressure, to accept the invitation.
Faust is an improper story" she
argued.
Yes, Tut the moral is most edify
ing" replied Mrs. Parkly. Besides
in box no one need know you were
there Twill lend YOU Spanish lace
mantilla which you can throw over
your head, and we will go in a little
late. =
This argument proved conclusive,
and Mrs. Honeydrop yielded to the
voice of the temptress. She enjoyed
the performance enormously, and be-
gan to think that, after all, theatres
were not such dens of iniquity as she
had been led to believe. But she was
none the less anxious to escape Obser-
walton, and it was only towards the
end of the piece that she so far forgot
her caution as to lean forward out of
the box IN order to catch n glimpse of
certain business on the stage which
was invisible from her previous posi-
ton. And then it was that she became
aware of the presence of her husband
in the stalls, sitting between two very
attractive young ladies, and the sight
seemed TO petrify her.
The shameless Teprobatem she sud
denly exclaimed.
What's the matter, my dear?'
asked Mrs. Parkly.
There is that husband Of mine"
said Mrs HoneydrOp family, flirting
outrageously with some creatures
down therer
The emphasis on the word ''crea-
lures could not be misinterpreted.
Mrs Parkly looked over and sighed
Il don't think it's quite that" she
said. They appear to be ladies'. But
men are all alike"
This was no consolation to the in
diCnant wife. who continued to withcr
her unconscious spouse with stony
glare. But she was bent upon action.
and, as the curtain fell, she muffled her
head in the Spanish mantilla, and
hurriedly rose to 90.
ernfnar 70 dnp'H said