The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-07-25

men are all Wild about her. She sings top
ical song, or something, called Now He's
Married Man. that brings down the house,
Bonnie says. don't know that | approve
of such thingsD she added deprecatingly,
''but it's well enough to go ol.cc N while,
especially when everybody is talking about
a thing; it makes one feel like going to sac it
in spite of ones self; don't you think sof'
81 suppose II does, Cynthia, pever heard
anything about II"
The operetta had begun when they entered
the theater. A little man accompanied by
two handsome ladies was raising great
commotion about something with an usher.
Nettie just glanced at them as she passed.
Their seats were in the orchestra, and the
house seemed quite full, with the exception
CT one chair adjoining Etheir own. Cynthia
Invested herself of her jacket at once, and
prepared to enjoy herself.
''We can put our things on that seat next
you, Nettie; if anybody comes We'll take
them away again. she said.
Nettie placed Cynthia's coat in the vacant
seat, and as she did so her eyes fell on the
man beyond it; he was staring at her with
wide open eyes and hanging jaw; he looked
quite stupefied. The man was her husband.
sWhy, Johnl how came you here's
thoughts this a surprise or joke-what
does it mean, John"
''Nettie," he said, hastily, ''there has been
a mistake; | found it out, and came to-l
mean-let us 60 quickly quickly, Nettiep
He rose to bis feet; Nettie swas quite be-
wildered, while Cynthia stared. t'Quick,
Nettien--
"Ah, Wheatleigh, I've found you, have TT
cried a little man bustling up; ''such a deuce
of time I've had. What on earth did you
mean by sending me one ticket for this place
and two for somewhere else, Lord knows
wheres I've been having fine row back
there, and the girls are mad as hornets. Maud
didn't like it when you didn't come to dinner
anyhow. Oh, can promise you a jolly scold-
ing. How did you make such bullg Are
these the seats here? The usher will try to
straighten the thing out if these ladies will
kindly let him see their coupons. Maybe"
His words were drowned in burst of
applause Floria De Brassi, as the young
Prince Gaillard, had bounded on the stage--a
glory of blonde hair and silk feshi1gs.
Nettie had not an idea of what the trouble
was about; she looked at her husband, who
was still standing. His face was white, his
lips moved, but she could not hear the words.
The usher was saying something TO Cynthia,
who was helplessly fumbling in her bag for
the coupons Nettie had handed her when
they came in but what was this the woman
on the stage was singing, her hands pressed
to her heart, and her eyes rolled up in mock
agonya-
All, sweet secluded onei
All, poor deluded one
He'll fool you if he can,
Now he's married man
Ha--ha
Now he's married man.
Nettie comprehendcd everything in flash.
The little man and the two handsome women
standing back there belonged to her hus-
bands party-through some mistake she and
Cynthia were in their places, and they were
trying to get them out She rose to her feet
and turned to her husband with indignant
eyes-'Nettie, come with me,n he said in a
low voice. 81 will explain everything
Nettie felt a strong revulsion: she grasped
Cynthia by the wrist and hurried her away.
"One moment, ladies-I mean no offense. y
said the little man-'by Jove, Wheatleigh
they've goneln
In the aisle they almost ran into a man
staggering under great basket of flowers;
the odor made Nettie faint.
AS for Cynthia, she only knew something
dreadful had happened. Nettie was deathly
pale and looked straight before her, not hav-
ing uttered a word since they left the thea
tire. Cynthia took her two hands and held
them tight, not knowing what else to do
How terrible it all was, yet how wildly ex-
citing She recalled John Wheatleigh's bag
gard face, the excitable voice of the little
man, the we'll bred amazement with which
the two women had regarded them as they
passed out-she thought she had seen these
women before; indeed, it was such an adven-
ture that poor Cynthia found herself taking
kind of guilty joy in the situation. And
Nettie-how stonily she stared before her:
she did not look like Nettie Wheatleigh at
all. Would it be in the papers in the morn
lngs Would Nettie get divorce? EVERY
body would know that she had been there
and had seen it all, and would come to her
for the particulars Cynthia fairly grew
glddy at the prospect of her coming import
ance. Now they were at Nettie's house. she
must go in; she could not leave the poor girl
while she looked like that Then Nettie
spoke for the first time.
Come in the house." she said. hoarselv.
tell the man to watt
She ran up stairs and flung herself on the
bed, face downward Cynthia o,o,,+l,. 80 i =,