The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-12
A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS.

It was after Mrs. Jeffries, still young
and pretty woman, was dressed for dinner
and sitting at the window with her en-
broldery, that she saw a messenger boy
crawl up the street, stop to throw a stone
at another boy, and finally Tung her door
bell
A moment after this, Bella, the cup.
stairs girl" brought her a note 1t was
from her friend, Edwina Jones, Familiarity
Ned, who had come from afar to pay her a
visit, and being timorous, had decided to
wait at the depot until she came to meet
her. There was no time to lose. Mrs JEFF
fries gave few directions to her cook, and
hurried away.
Half an hour after she had gone Mr..
Jeffries returned home and let himself in
with his latch key, wondering that his
wife did not come TO meet him.
Mr.. Jetfries had been very jealous man
before he married. He confessed it. He
would not permit any one to pay the least
attention to his Emma Jane Even cous-
lns Of the first degree made him suffer
pangs Of grief unknown when they called
of Sunday afternoons, and an uncle, who
was unusually young for that relation
bAApi NAAAO % gNV hAAAO"Ag La4
him to the most serious thoughts of sui
eide, for Emma Jane had kissed him in
the front hall.
"Do you really think, Jefferson Jeffrfes,
that can endure such conduct2" his EN-
ma Jane had remarked. 'Is it possible
that any one can put up with being fol-
lowed around like that, and stared at like
that' Do you think ! will2" and then she
had given him back his ring, and he had
ground it under foot. ts'
However, he bought her another in
month or so, and they made it up and
married; and Mr.. Jeffries, warned by the
past had behaved himself very well, in
deed, and be had never yet been jealous of
his wife, when one afternoon in August he
came home early TO dinner and found her
"gone out"
bella, did she say where she was go
lngi" asked Mr.. Jeffries.
mo, sir, said Bella "She gave out the
things for dessert and went out in a hurry
Ioike, in her best things, just after she got
a note loike, brought by boy dressed like
a tallygraph."
"Ahl" said Mr.. Jeffries. 81 trust her
mother is not i'll. 1t really seems as though
something must have happened"
He went upstairs when he had said this,
and looked about him for the message,
which, doubtless, she had left lying some
where. He could see none. He opened the
drawer IN which Emma Jane kept her
trifes of lace and ribbon and quilted mus
lin, anG still saw nothing. But, glancing
into the waste paper basket, he discovered
a twisted paper, and, as it was the last of
the little heap, picked it out and IN
folded it.
Spreading out the wrinkles, he put his
glasses on his nose and read. And as he
read his cheek grew pale, for these were
the words:
DEAREST Emma JANE-Meet me on the New
York side OF Twenty-third street ferry. long
20 see you after our long parting. Yours very.
very fondly, NED.
"Nedl" calculated Mr.. Jeffries: ''Nedg"
He ground his teeth and clenched his fists.
He could have howled with rage, but for
the proprieties which we generally observe
an our greatest agonies. This was the end
of it all then; Emma Jane had gone to
meet her old beau. Old or new, who could
tellp A lover, anyhow. He tried TO be
calm; but be could not believe himself
mistaken. He knew her brothers and
cousins well. They were Peter, Paul, Will
liam, Elias, Samuel and James Even her
father, who would not have signed his first
name was Adoniram. There was no way
out of it.
''No end but one" thought Mr. Jeffries,
as he sought for the pistol generally kept
on hand for possible burglars. II must
follow them, find them, shoot him first,
her next and myself last. No one shall
know why; but the traitreSs Will know as
she diesp
He put the pistol in his pocket, crowded
his hat over his eyes and rushed out of the
door. A Twenty-third street car was pass
ing; he jumped into it and retired into a
corner, folding his arms
Fare" cried the driver Mr.. Jeffries |
deposited something in the |
box, and sank into his seat and a black |
study again. 4 volley Of shocking re- |
proaches from the driver aroused him. He |
found the passengers glaring at him.
''Tve had this trick played on me before" |
cried the driver through the door. You're |
u nice one, amt you, at your age, TO put |
coat button into the box"
Mr.. Jeffries received the remark without |
an answer, and repaired his error by put
ting a quarter into the same aperture into /
W LlNl nc AdsA AAA ffNA NAlC bOAAbAA-
MY belief is You are crazy" remarked |
the driver
"Ach, yesl" responded an old Hebrew |
lady, shaking her head.
Mr.. Jeffries only grosned. What was
silver 10 him' he rode on. the object Of
much comment
Shortly after friend entered the car.
He was a man Of jovial disposition, and,
rs he said, fond of his joke. After nodding
and smiling in vain, he bethought himself /
10 poke MIR. Jeffries in the ribs with the
immense knob Of the handle of his UNI
brella- Taking the passengers into his
confidence by a knowing wink, he stole
forward and perpetrsted his Joke
The punch" was hard one; the result
m explosion. If any one had tried to fire
the pistol in that manner he would have
failed. Accidentally Mr.. Joblings had
done it.
Mr.. Jefries gave a groan, started up and
Tell forward on his face, blood tricklinz
over his stocking. The car was stopped,
and policemen carried Mr.. Jeffries into a
drug store. The penitRnt JebIngs Was IN l