The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-10-18
WRONG ENVELOPES.

Ellen Morton hated women. She de-
clAred them to be treacherous, Jealous
and untrustwOrthy. As matter OF
TACT, 1t was the presence of the, quail
I'll in herself that caused her to attrib-
ute em to others. She had never had
or, at all events, had never kept-a
woman friend, because when one of her
own sex was more admired or noticed
than herself she felt hitter enmity
awards her, and proceeded at once to
traduce and malign her. Not being
very clever, she was often found out,
and her malice R'n rally caused her
banIshment from the house aud some
times from the acquaintance of her late
friend. She was not only jealous but
Intensely vain. OF her own not very
@ Insidrrablp charms she entertained an
eXfravagant notion, and, in spite of
much proof to the contrary, she heliey-
ed hers,lt To he irresistible. Unfor.
tun tely she could not refrain from re-
Iat,ng her supposed triumphs, and her
auditors lips would often be drawn up
wards in an involuntary smile as Ellen
recounted the number and the suffer
ings of her victims. She never believed
in the devotion of meu tu other women:
If one happened tu ne popular with
men. Ellen declared she shameles,ly
pursued AID hunted them down, Miss
Morton had II certain success with mar
ricd men, particularly with those whose
domestic relations were not altogether
happy. She WAS never weary Of pity
ing and sympathjzirg with them, Of
telling them how unworthy their WIVES
were Of them, and how she would hay.
appreciated and cared for them had the
chance been given her. Any it'll. tale
prejudIcial to the wife she secretly cat
ried to the husband, and on occasi N
had been able to make very serious mis-
chief in the households OF which she
was fer the moment member. De-
mure and silent before her own sex. she
assumed a very different manner when
left alone with the other; and if man
were 80 disposed, he could not only
have the pleasure OF retailing to her his
domestic troubles. hut nf carrying on a
tolerably pronounced filtration with her
in the strlctest secrecy of course .
Towards the wives, Ellen assumed quite
a different character. She seemed al
ways ready to make herself useful. did
not put herself unduly forward, and
was generally considered good sort Of
girl to have about the house.
At the time when the following Incl
dent occurred, she was staying in the
house OF cousin, whom she hated with
a bitter hatred for no better reason than
that she was cleverer. more admired,
and better off than herself MAY Vivian
had a charming place in the country
and was married to man devoted 10
her, though little incin d to be j.al.
ous. The object Of Ellen's life was tO
rouse and foster his Othello-like propsn.
sites; but. in the firrt place, she war
afraid of being discovered by her cous.
in. a keen-.ighted il unsuspicious WON
an, as her house was an eminently
pleasant one to stay in; and in the sec
ond although Mrs. Vivian received I
good deal of attention, there was &
frankness and an openness about hel
small fiirtations which prevented AM
but maliciously disposed person from
thinking any harm Of them.
During Miss Morton's visit, a YER,
good-lOoking young man came to apent
a few days at the Manor House. Itw,I
the first time she had met him, although
he was an old friend of Mrs. Viyian's
and had been at Eton with her brother
Il len was Immensely smitten by hi
good looks and charming manners, an,
was secretly furious at his evident de
votion to her cousin. As long, howey
er, as Mrs. Vivian was in the room sh
I scarcely looked at or spoke to him
though in his CHEEKY way he tried /
draw her into the conversation; but
they were left alone for moment. an
assumed such an entirely different d.
meanor that it caused him to make Gel
tain reflections to himself, and later o
to Mrs. Vivian, who laughed them I
scOrn. 'Nonsense" sha said; ELLEN
the most quiet. demure creature in IN
world, and never looks at a man.
1t was with stealthy pleasure that T.
len noticed a certain uneasiness in Mi
Viyian's manner during Captqin Whyte
vista tendency to look sharply fror
him to May, as il in the endeavor To d,
tect some secret glance or understand
ing between them. Coming home froI
church one Sunday, she sped her fir
shaft
How handsome Captain Whyte is
she said to her cousins husband.
80, he's gOOd-looking chap enough
was the somewhat sulky retort,
He i1 certainly good-lookiug, 4" r.
marked Ellen, although. perhaps, / d
not think him quite such paragon I
May does. But then she thinks 80 muc
OF good looks in man that she does ne
care for anything else: he may be I
= stupid as possible"
Just then Captain Whyte leaned ratl
| er close to Mrs. Vivian, and whispere
4 something to her, at which they bot
laughed immoderately.
Il One Of their little jokes, suppose,
said Ellen, affecting to smile. Il reall
do not think he ought to say such yer
rtsque things as he does sometime
But Of course, il men are allowed {