Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-05-05

ularly eloquent upon subject which
was Of rather q delicate character and
that Charlie would not get much out Of
him. zs
She accordingly appeared at dinner,
smotheriag her anxiety under mask
of affability; and nothing occurred dur
ing the process of the meal to render
her especially unhappy. But, when
she rose to leave the two men to their
wine, Charlie said: .-.->.
@'You don't mind smoke, Lucy. and
it will be uncommonly dull for you all
alone in the drawing room, So stay
with us. l am sure Mr.. Fordyce will
pardon the departure from convention
atty in a shooting box
| OF course both the visitor and Lucy
gladly acquiesced. ~.,. !
Eyes, Mr.. Fordyce," said Chalie, as
if in continuation of a broken-off con-
versation, we are exceedingly COM
Portable here, but we might be great
deal more so it,
Nov it's coming,'' groaned poor
| NA1S. OO1 Ii =" oil W uC1SC1.
''If,' went on Charlie, ''you could
help us to clear up mysterious little
matter connected with photograph of
myself which Mrs. Cornwall found a
few days ago in a drawer upstairs and
for the existence of which cannot for
the life of me account and which, not
unnaturally, perhaps makes her lit
tie uneasy
"What will Dick say, l wonder?'
thought Mrs. Cornwall.
"A photograph of you found in a
drawer upstairs?" exclaimed Fordyce,
in establishment.
"Yes." said Charlie. Lucy, my
dear, just run up stairs and bring the
photograph for Mr.. F,rdyce to see"
Mrs. Cornwall rose and left the room.
Charlie seized the opportunity and
said to his guest:
':Look here, Fordyce, we are men of
the world and understand each other.
Of course, l see how matters stand,
although the presence of that photo
graph here is still mystery to me.
When was spooning Lucy was not
such fool as to believe that a pretty girl
like her would have no other admirer
but me, and of course / never believed
her when she has told me that she
never loved any one but me. But you
see she's very Jealous, and now that l
have chance of giving her lesson |
don't want to let it go. Understand,
eh?'
Fordyce nodded, and Mrs. Cornwall
entered with the photograph, which
she handed to him.
Il want you to look at it, said
Charlie. in calm, judicial tone, ''be-
cause, to be quite candid with you, it
has caused good deal of unpleasant
ness between us, and when two people
marry for love, as we did, and each is
the others first love, such a calamity
as ill-feeling ought to be impossible. y
Then, turning to Mrs. Cornwall,
whose exquisite misery during this ex-
pose of the state of affairs to an old
flame may be imagined, he said: GAIL
l want to do, my dear, is to clear my
self in your eyes by having it plainly
proved that this p telegraph was never
given by me to any other woman, as
you suspect to be the case.
Fordyce began his answer with a roar
of laughter.
"Well, Mr.. Cornwall he said at
length, ''you have been so exceedin ely
candid with me that must be the same
with you
Mrs. Cornwall S agitation was pain
full to witness. If she could have
frowned, or shaken her head, or touched
Fordyce without attracting her hus-
bands attention she would have done
so, but she dared not, and braced up
for the worst.
Fore yce went on.
This photograph, Mr.. Cornwall, I
took from the lady who is now your
wife, when 1 was head-over-heels in
love with her,
THAT was going on, then at the
same time as my courtship of her, -
said Charley, quietly.
Eyes, replied his visitor; II was a
rival of yours although did not even
know your name.'
"And 1 had no idea that had a ri.
val,' said Charley determined that
the arrows now wounding his wife
should be we'll barbed.
"Then when | found that she had a
photograph ofyou," continued Fordyco
II was jealous, and took it away from
her. And then lost sight of her al
together, although heard she was mar
ried, forgot all about the photo-prob-
ably threw it away in my disapoint-
ment- and there it has been ever
! since''
Nov, Mrs. Cornwall said her hus-
band with affected severity, II hope
that you are satisfied that at any rate l
am not the sinner"
"Oh, yes, Charlie dear, of course !
amp sobbed Lucy; live been very
cruel and wicked, and l hope you will
forgive me!''