The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-11

Excuse me, 1 forgot tina. you did not
know. l will endeavor to explain.
"Wel?" said Weston, curtly
What have to say may pain you some
/ what" said the Frenchman. Zone month
ago your wife
''What do you know of my wife?" said
Weston, angrily.
Excuse me; will explain. but l must
beg monsieur to be calm"
go on" said Weston.
Zone month ago your wife came to me for
lessons in the French language. She stopped
short time ago. and since then she has
written me letters that it might please mon
| sieur to have in his possession"
Weston listened without understanding
"What do you mean ?" lie asked furiously.
81 will show you," said the professor
carefully selecting few from lot OF
| papers on his desk. "Be good enough 10
| look at these These were the first" said
| the Frenchman, handing them to Weston,
who looked at the first mechanically.
There was no doubt about tine handwrit-
ing. He saw that at once. He read it half
through, and then made jump for the pro-
fesSor.
You villainP' he cried.
But the professor was too quick for him.
He had probably been expecting some such
action, for lie put himself on the other side
of the table, and coollY leyeled pistol at
Weston's head.
at would do monsieur no good to hurt
me-" he said you can get your wife's
letters more easily"
And the upshot of the matter was that
| john Weston bought those poor little exer-
cises of his wife's aud paid such price for
them that 1t took very large lump from
the money lie had been saving so assiduously
for so long He put them in his pocket, and
then started for home with sad heart.
He could not grasp the situation clearly in
his mind, and he did not know whether he
believed what he did understand; but there
were the letters undoubtedly in his wife's
handwriting. What could the poor fellow
do but walk slowly home and grOau in spirit
as he went.
When he reached his home and his wife
met him As usual at the door with her gentle
ways and her pretty face and neat house.
wifely apron, he decided instinctiyely that
Ire would try not to say anything about
what had happened until after dinner
You are late, dear" said Mrs. Weston,
as he kissed her.
He could not help believing in her as he
did that
yes, had to attend to something" he
said vaguely.
Then they went down to dinner aud she
sat opposite him and poured out his coffee
aud looked very sweet indeed. But he could
not get through with 1t very well. and finally
he stopped trying to talk and finished is
dinner in silence. Mrs. Weston, who in
tended to tell her secret to her husband this
very evening, was too much occupied with
picturing his surprise and pleasure TO her
sell In way that was pathetic, considering
what was to come
Did you bring any work home tonight ?"
she asked at length.
81 brought some, but am not going to do
it," he answered.
Little Mrs. Weston's face fell. Her sur
prise would have to wait then.
Weston saw her disappointment and
knowing no reason for 1t wondered. He
even felt suspicious, though he could not ex-
plain the connection.
Mabel, said John, at length, awkwardly
enough, -" have something that | must talk
to you about. viii you please to come up
Stairs?"
Mabel was a deal surprised. but followed
wonderingly. John had never spoken that
way to her before; and, gentle as she was,
sue lett inclined 10 resent 1t. John lighted
the drop-lamp on his desk in rather a de-
Aberate manner and turned to his wife.
Mabel, he said, will You look at these
letters and tell me whether you wrote
them?"
Little Mrs. Weston took the papers and
looked at them and from them to her hus-
band. he was watching her sharply, aud
there was something in his look that
checked her inclination to 60 to him.
=" Why. yes, she said simply. But how
did you get them?''
John stood as if petrifed.
do You mean 10 tell me you wrote those
shlhSo W buh1 TIeucHIual! ne gaSpeQ at
length.
81 wrote them for the professor, if that is
what you mean? They are not so very bad,
are they? | tried very hard to make them
as nearly like the copy as possible"
1t never occurred to john II wonder how
his wife had been able to write in French.
What copy?" hs said, little dazed.
why, the professors. l was irving to
learn French, so as to nelp you, and that was
the professors new method. l copied the
words from him, ami he explained the
words afterward.'
Even after this it took quite while TO re-
store peace. Little Mrs. Weston was in
clined to blame her husband for doubling
her, and she had all the disappointment of
losing the surprise that she had been pre-
pairing But at last, after she had cried
little on johns coat and had been variously
petted and coaxed, she ielt better about it,
SO she said.
"And now" said John, after harmony
was restored, Il think will 60 and find
the professor.
He went, but his search was in vain. The
gallant Frenehman had flown, and the dingy
room looked little less miserable, for the
professor was not in Ii.