The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-27
a su.p.clous cHARAcrIR.
u,s VIZ We. AuAo,cd tut Now rhey are
la.n.N-

the spring. the villagers seemed To be ready
~ take her'tO their arms and their hearts.
They gave her teas, they showed her all the
show sights OF the ncghbOrhOOd, they post
cd her on the proper church to- attend ana
the proper people 10 know. They almost
cave dinner m her honor. and thai ~
something that had not been cycndrcamcd OF
since an unfortunate affair Of several years
back. when "a heartless detective had ap-
pearcd at "a feast and had carried away
with him one who for brief month NAT
had all Bay Grove at his feet. II was the
remembrance Of that touching incident that
made people hesitate, and 1y their hesit1-
! ting Mrs. Blank lost the dinner.
She was bright, her maids caps were
irreproachablc. and what flirting she did
was artistic enough tO Dee pleasure 20 look
upon. But il was seldom that Mrs. Bank
was artistic in that way. and. therefore,
she was popular with matrons and maids.
The men liked her. too. and all went merry
rs a marriage bell cor many day and until
somebody iil-natureily asked a question.
"Whcrc is Mr.. Blank and who is heT'
Queried this busy body.
Nobody but Mrs. Blank could answer
this. and she didn't volunteer amy inlotma-
! tiOn on the subject. So. gossip. having
nothing 10 feed upon, grow rapidly, rs Is
generally the way. ana in week Bay
Grove began 10 believe that something
must De- very Wr0ng somewhere. Now 10
happened that Mrs Blank had brought one
| letter Of introduction to Bay Grove. This
cpistlc had been huuiedN pcnnod by "a
Young woman about tO take a flight TO
Europe, and. under tine scrutiny ola female
committee of investigation. 10 appeared 10
lack satisfactory details about the nominal
head of the Blank family.
II 10 so hope YOU Will like Mrs. b. IL
ran. "~he can see So little 81 her husband.
YOU know, That 10 VIII Doe very dun for her
out there unless Won look after her bit. /
think she frcts over hcrhu>band sometimes.
but how can il De helped now; But then
she has"
And here the writer drfled into matters
| that were never intended tor the public eye.
! When the letter was received the sentences
about the husband had attracted no atien-
ton: hut NOW. with suspicion resting
| heavily upon them, the committee women
/ agreed that something must bee very, very
wrong with Mrs. Blanks spouse. IL came
about. therefore. that Mrs, Blank was soon
| pat o. the question.
'.When aic Ve lD Soc YOUR hu-baudF
asked one of her friend, in "a guilele--
way.
Mrs. Blank poutcd. "Really. ] don't
| know" sine said. ellie Is i'm Auburn now
with that poor wretch kcmmler. believe
Auburn happens 10 contain prison.
/ kcmmlcr is in that prison. n is
not difficult to pat one and one together
/ and yet dozen. 10 you are n proper
/ frame OF mind tor tle achievement. 20 10
/ happened that when Mrs. Blank entered
church thc nest day there Was rustic %
/ silk ail through thc pcW- and with D. gen
cral feeling that The sermon Should deal
with hypocrisy. But 81 didn't. 10 was dee
voted o. mercy. rs hicu only goes to show
/ that preachers Wc NOT alWal- ln touch with
I their c0uErg cations.
When Mrs. Blank Joined abe group in thn
ye-tiluls. after ihe service. the church tlcr-
m0mcier hanging then. dropped half dozen
degrees. Nobody puiie cent her the sermon
had been r.lly good one-hut the social
atmosphere was full oi little Iriclcs. Mrs.
Blank wont bone alone. wondering what
| was tlc matter.
The next aay one ol beer closest friends
called upon beer. just a- tine visitor Wa-
/ departing. sine INDUCED Doe sort ot spoken
postscript. -l1n- tAa important part OF her
business iar tha ia-t. just a7 DC she We're
writing 20 letter.
-Ilow +, Mr. Blank" size querieI
/ ale Lls been ,cu. ~ Iimra' was the
answer.
A. there is q rcfraory iu Llmir1. This
proved 10 Doe 90 yess unfortunate Response.
/ lilv Grove posted itself on New York Is
penal institutions. and Oh. ucN, day three
acguaiutarc.- nf Mrs. Blank failed to -ec
hrt oH r "t'.,' '.'- '' '"' '.'
name did mot appear 900 the l-i OF p1itou-
e'.c- oil 81 strawberry l0''i'.i ''' '''!
was picd-t" I'D i''e' % -i'i gus
she ai ho'N i'' I'7,-''. anu 49, ''',
pI//i'.t Do. h.i "'''i''. ii.' '-,,'- ..'''.
| s. lnru ip -iNN n.i rep. '..' !"i"- "'''
VINO was l''i .'.'i ~ 10, t,'.
very " .'i- .I " ''- -.
ciil. d." nau ntt t' 'In 'i.i In
before nul h'" Do. 'o"''" "-' INT " ID ''''''
ana 9i'lri' t..
fihiiii! lh.ic 'i'Nt dN'-"'t ''''' "' Wv
/ Blank cottage. rhc ciih" Up i'Ni "'' u ''
on business ihat is dl-lisi'l-i put must u.
done. she WAS, ot iu' Nil. tN' person lo
whom the lei..t Do '" n..i t'sI'
ply ueu' Su. "',', ''''''"' i''''''
"where D, your husband
90 Why. DO. has gone i'-il- HiH-. ltputu
the hostess, "'nd.flh- 'i Aer e'liei ..l i,'U-
ucf. @ie was sun more 7'l i''7." "l "'''''
she heard ltN'. ,...t.
" ~ heh WAS % -i'i "' were ''''-"l l' pr
truthful. above 900 li'h-'' %" "'' l'""-,
than J. ANA pein1l- uil.7 nave pa, Ie"
hut prefer ihii hil "'H-At'i 7H'''" N''
meet you ati .r tur.
And DO % SD. -" """'' iuii "i jug 'i'l,
I'D ld. h-l'I' f't 'i''' '" i.'' '
any oae man, l" ihait.f now Wlcheu H5
might Doe, could ne lh AupiIH' I'm I'' ~"
sing sing within % monlI. A. l'i MI7'
Blank She WAS very inoi-hdhl' aug th..
she Wept, ana Jh'h shr was H'dI5n"H'
again. Then she Nfojt lcileI.
The letter brought am answer ih lae shape
OF young man ODD p 7lluch nay Hn' c.l'i'
down by ID l'te ii"in "uo "enl oIIeIuS ''
ihr Bans cottage. il' ~. -." ''i7' pl"lN
ON tine piazza ana uh'l l'iA,u earnestly l"l
q long time. III wa. hedIll iniuul-h' "Neh
the conference ended. mem lhr touHt man
started i9r ihr gate. ii-. h.ahA IoiioNt I'll
him, and lh.t 7I'.d iiINlnz l'-e'itt 10y
ihe posts i.r TWO or tufre minutes IL was
a beautifully clear, m1'nut nl hl-ni' ana
amy body ln the hr'th ''fn.ob ,ou'a nave
seen the young man Isis, MIS- blan. "hth
he went away le 'au-hl "a fD'. l'ic ii'ul
for the city.
Vow. nobody ln b't V'''c N'u" WIZ
n.iy play ine cafr7a"pptt OF ine SPY
That goes without say ih-' But "7 mat
ter oi Tact, several pui3 OF eyes a" thr
parting M int m'9n.'-"'' ana Is many
pairs Oi ears uttlu II' lutu 81. W tll. /