The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-23


A happier couple than the Fitz-
Johnsons when they first came to Cur
zon street, could not be imagined. 1t
was only when Captain Fitz johnson
settled down in his new house and his
old set that he made the gratifying dis
covery that he had won his wife's
heart as well as her hand.
The morning after the arrival in
London the willy young man left his
wife in her boudoir-the latest things
in boudoirs, executed under her brother
Joey's sUpervision-wondering dismal
ly how she should kill the time until
o'clock in the evening, when she was
told she might look forward to seeing
her lordRand master again. 1t was
something more than to fetch for
gotten cigarette case that made Cap
tain FitzJ ohnson retrace his steps on
arriving at the foot of the stairs. His
instinct had not deceived him. The
fortress had capitulated.
81 love you so, Geoffrey, "sobbed the
poor little wife, with her head on her
husbands shoulder, and Geoffrey, as he
strolled down the street, having prom
ised to be back by luncheon time, hum
med "Rule Britannia" in triumphant
soto voice. The victory won, the
victor, as he had perfect right to do,
rested upon his laurels, but he need
not have given up SO suddenly the
reverential worship of the lover and
assumed so instantly the condescend.
ing tolerance of the husband. 1t was
unkind of him when he came home
Just in time to dress for dinner, after
having been at the club all the after
noon,to plunge into that horrid French
novel with satisfied grun., and barely
vouchsafe his wife a word. 1t was
downright rude of him when she leant
over his chair and stroked his hair to
snarl out savagely, "For heavens
sake, Florrie, don't paw me about like
that. l don't like it, and it was POSI-
lively brutal, after treating hei in such
way, to scold her all dinner time for
being depressed. But so it was. The
FitzJohnson family ark, pretty little
vessel as it was, with its fresh paint
and dainty furniture, had drifted into
the current which, sooner or later,
must land it upon the rocks.
Geoffrey, blinded by selfish vanity,
became bored with his wife's well
meant but Intellectual efforts to please
her "much changed lord" Her lavish
affection varied only by ill-concealed
and sometimes fearful dependency,
irritated him and made him more bear
ish than ever 1t was the old story.
Things went from bad to worse. At
last the first cruel rock loomed in the
distance and shipwreck seemed immin-
ent. Lady Angelica Lansdell was, SO
she said,a very old friend of Geoffrey's g.
81 knew him when he was quite boy
such nice boy" she told Florrie
the afternoon she paid her first call in
Curzon street. She was a wondefu
and Ouida-ish parsonage of the Cleo
patra type of beauty, 1.-THE and serpen
tine, with voice that could COO like {
dove or hiss like a serpent at will
She used peculiar kind of a seen
that hung about the room long aftel
she had left it. She was mysteriousl,
fascinating, and Florrie detested her
This was great grievance of Geoff
rey's who was blind to the pearl pow
der and impervious to the scent
Angelica (he called her Angelica
"was a charming woman-a most valu
able friend
"The silly little fool is Jealous,
laughed her ladyship to herself as sh
sat in corner aloof from the "mad
ding crowd" of Foreign Office crush
pretending to listen to Geoffrey's earn
est conversation and watching witt
interested amusement his wife trying
TO keep an eye on her husband and a
the same time respond coherently t.
the civilities of valuable attache.
Ill teach her a lesson" muttere,
the siren, with an angry glitter in he
dusky eyes, as, for the twelfth time,
pale distressed face with appealin,
eyes was turned toward the Oblivion
husband. Accordingly when, for tn
thirteenth time. the melanchol y opera
tion was repeated, the distress on tn
pale face gave place to horror, and tn
eyes were fixed and blank as they say
Lady Angelica, with her most entranc
ing smile, place her hand for nom
ent caressingly on Geoffrey's arm
only for moment because it was in
stantly grasped by both of his.
"My dear old girl What is tn
matter Are you seedy p exclaime,
Joey, as he plunged through the GROVE
to his sisters side.
'Come tomorrow, as soon as Geoff
reY has gone want to talk to you,
whispered Florrie brokenly, as he
brother deposited her safely at he
own door.
Next morning brother and sister ha(
long confabulation, during which
joey tugged hard at his phantom
moustache, and Florrie blew her nos,
very often, The result seemed hardl,
satisfactory, for Joey departed remark
ing that it was the ''very deuce" auC
Florrie sat looking into the fire unit
it went out in self-defense. Mrs. Fitz
,Johnson's spirits indeed so ailariously
cheerful did she become by desser
that Geoffrey, acolimatized to deaS
level of depression, felt inclined to re
sent the rise in the domestic barometer
The rise is steady one.
Next morning, when the slave ough
to have been in close attendance to ne
master, cutting the end off his cigar
filing his match box and weekly re
ceiving the orders for the day, sh,
was playing polka on the piano, anC
actually forgot to wish the great MAJ
good-by. On and off during the day
Geoffrey found himself pondering OF
the alteration in his wife. 1t was, o.
course, bore to have her following
him about like a whipped dog, but
after all, that was a fault on tho righ