The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-07-09
CAUGHT IN HIS TRAP.

DR.. Charles Younghusband was a
stock broker OF some thirty five
years of age, by no means suffering
from overwork and with plenty of
money. He had been somewhat of
gay dog in his time, but within
the last few years he had married a
a very pretty and charming young
lady, and, to lis credit be it said,
had given up the questionable habits
and companions of earlier days and
settled down into a conventional
respectability which surprised and
even shocked some of his friends.
As matter OF f:ct, Mr.. Young
husband was in love with his wife, a
state of things by no means SO rare
as cynics would have us suppose,
though undrealned of in the philos
ophy OF his friends of bygone bach
elor days Being in love, it is
scarcely necessary to add that Mr..
Younghusband was also a prey to
jealousy. and being reformed
character and comparatively ex.
emplary member of society he was
determined not to tolerate the slight
est deviation from the path of strict
propriety on the part of his help
meet.
With this object in view he kept
sharp lookout upon that young
woman's movements. At the same
time he was not so indiscreet as to
express his jealousy openly, his long
and varied experience of womankind
having taught him that such a
course would be to aid in precipita-
ting the very catastrophe ne wished
to avoid.
Not that Mrs. Younghusband gave
HIM any genuine cause for alarm.
She had a weakness for a mild f1irta-
ton, ike most of her sex, but not
the slightest breath OF scandal had
ever been associated with her name,
and the result of her husbands
scrutinies was invariably to discover
that her character was wholly beyond
suspicion.
Still, although Younghusband
trusted her sincerely enough in his
heart of hearts, lie took great
pleasure in hus.verfyipg as it were,
his confidence, and amused himself
by laying little pitfalls for her, merely
Tor the qualification of seeing how
adroitly she avoided them all, and
how promptly she repudiated the
advances OF other men, be they
never SO fascinating. But he who
digs pit for another may some
times fall into it himself, as Mr..
Youghusband discovered to his sor-
row.
His wlte's birthday was within
measurable distance, and the idea
once more occurred to Mr.. Young
husband Of putting her fidelity to
the test. True, he argued to him.
self, birthday presents are rather
played out, but there is kind of
license attached to the anniversary,
and her admirers, if she had any,
were pretty certain to remind her of
their existence in some form or
other.
So communing with himself, he
decided to send his wife bracelet
or some other costly article of jew
e!ery, anonymously, and watch the
effect of its arrival, arguing that if
she thought it was from some fav-
ored admirer she would not be
likely to say anything to him about
it.
Now, although Mr. Younghus-
band was SO particular about his
wife's attention to the proprieties.
he was not without his own little
weakness. one OF which was habit
of striking up harmless flirtations
with attractive young women in
whatsoever station of life they might
happen to be found. An inveterate
chatter whenever he happened to
meet pretty girl in shop, restau-
rant, or elsewhere, be contrived in a
short time TO make himself ac-
quainted with the most interesting
phases of her family histnru i'd