The Monitor., 1891-09-11
AN ISLAND EPISODE.

l Jealous Indignation that brilliant July
! iay. Il hadn't begun with the day,
/ however, for all had been serene and
smiling as shs went down 70 break
fast in one Of her prettiest gowns, e.
corted by her handsome, geniA hus-
band. And this pleasant state Of things
had continued while she looked through
her letters, enjoyed a few minutes rock
ing on the piazza and passed in review
the baby Battalion, with their shining
morning faces and crisp ruffies. Then,
with some Of the ether ladies, she had
sauntered down to the little pier to see
her husband of on his fishing excursion,
with half dozen more husbands, broth
ars and fathers in his party; and this
done, the next thing on her programme
was to see that her room was put into
that comfortable state Of order which,
to the average hotel chaanberrnaid, seems
Al unknown quantity" indeed.
And just here her serenity departed
| and the turmoil began in her poor little
heart For there, on the first chair,
| flung down with true masculine care
| Iessness, lay her husbands flannel suit,
| discarded in favor Of the fishing ''togs,"
and as she lifted the coat 10 hang it up
| there insidiously slipped from the
| pocket a little twisted scrap OF paper,
which, with a smiling Let's SEE what
Rob has been perpetrating now," she
| proceeded to investigate. For Rob was
| blessed with keen sense Of humor, and
was much given to jotting down bits Of
Jokes, puns and sage reflections on the
| different aspects Of summer hotel life,
which it was their custom to laugh over
| together in the retirement Of their own
room. So it was quite without suspi-
cion that Mrs Rob untwisted the limo
cent looking scrap. and was confronted
with-not her husbands bold scrawl,
] but delicate feminine writing, to this
| effect:
Yes, mon ami, don't know that l
mind giving up my-afternoon siesta for
this once; and if l can evade- the notice
Of the rocking chair .Tabbies,' will slip
away about O'Clock. That is, if you
will pledge yourself that both coolness
and shade turk On tine farther side Of the
| big rock, and if You are sure that it is
| out Of window range For it would
never do II We were 70 be seen there.
Yours. J. L.
Wednesday, a. H."
As she took in the sense of these
words, her placid smile was succeeded
| by frown.
Its that horrid Mrs. Lesson, of
course. She has just thrown herself at
Roberts head ever since she came.
Wednesday, eli: That's today, aud now
| we'll see about this walk | shan't men
ton this note, but think can manage
to defeat this plan. l wonder, though,
if it would not be d good idea to set up
little counter Irritation: There's that
handsome young Dugall just waiting for
a little encouragement, and, evidently,
Rob needs lesson"
Now all this was quite natural, but in
her Indignation Mrs. Golfer failed to
| give due consideration to circumstances,
or to remember the kind Of employment
always found for idle Lend" and idle
minds as well She and Robert wero
| spending month On a small island in
| the sound, just off the Connecticut coast.
1t was one Of the most unique and de-
| hghtfully cool of summer resorts. The
nearest land was mile away to the
west, but that was only on one side, and
III all other directions there was a much
wider expanse Of waters, dashingAup all
day with a soft murmur, and always the
| most delicious salt breeze was blowing
all across the island, 50 that even at mid
day it was not unpleasant to feel the sun.
But it was such little island, only
| about thirty acres in all, and not build
! ing on it but the hotel and offices, which
could only accommodate about 100 peo-
| pie. There wasn't horse on the place,
| for there was no room for driving, but
there were good fishing, sail and <row
boats always available, bathing, bill
lizards and bowling alley, and a long.
two story piazza for a promenade and
Irritation gallery. a delightful resting
| place ii was for se1ni-inyalids, for lazy
| people who can bask in air and sunshine,
and for bookwor1ns and dreamers, but
just wee bit dull for a city man.
Robert Golfer was the possessor Of a
sweet, intelligent wife, who appreciated
all the good things OF life almost in
equal degree with himself, and who was
so ready with sympathy and comprehen-
| sion that it was the most natural and
| comforting thing in the world to go to
her with all his hopes and plans, and
though they had been five years man and
wife he never wearied Of her companion
| ship. Still that did not prevent his en-
| joyment Of other women's society, and
in this qfet little isolated resort he had
found certain piqiancy in exchanging
| light badinage or few harmless conf
dences on the moonlit piazzas with some
one else's wife-or widow. These even
ing conferences were about forgotten by
the next morning, and certainly there
was no harm in them, according to his
IDEAS. Wis, Milly was quite welcome
| to play the same little game, if she chose
lin moderation, be it understood
Feeling this, and foreseeing that his
duh moments would be apt to increase
with each coming day, it was not with
total Indifference he had witnessed a
new arrival the week previous, and had
noted an inclination on the part Of the
| newcomer to bestow upon him various
significant Glanccs and smiles. Sal
new arrival was very firtatious widow
with red gold hair, big blue eyes an
| plump white neck and arms, Of whicl
she made rather liberal display whel
| dressed for dinner