The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-07-29

could call him away from home? The
letter lay at my feet in Fragments
Would l place them together and ascer.
tain its contents? No; my honor for.
babe me to do that. One little scrap
arrested my attention. 1t vas the sig
nature, and 1t read: Elsie Grey"
Who was the woman who dared to
write to my husband-my Ted? Per
haps some designing woman was
tempting him from his wife and home.
He could have married better perhaps
later on in life. Without a wife he
might be better able to rise in the
world; and / thought and argued with
myself, poor, foolish little woman that
] was, that I was but a mill stone
dragging him down.
The days and weeks heightened.
Another letter came from Elsie Grey.
] asked for no explanation l received
nonei but the gulf was growing wider
and wider. I never went to meet Ted
in the hallway as in former days, and
once, when he bent to kiss me l turned
my face away.
made aconfidante of my neighbor In
the fiat below, a noisy; talkative WON:
an; who came well-nlgh destroying my
domestic happiness for life.
Mark you," she said. holding up q
warning finger, ''that letter has como
for no good. Take my advice, and il
he don't stop his capers pack up and I'd
home. Yes, leave him." she cried, with
animation. You might as well now
as later"
Home! Hooked at her in surprise al
J answered, sadly:
II haze none"
Poor child..' she said, pityiugly. "If
you only had a brother to give him a
good horse whipping"
The idea of anyone thrashing my
handsome, manly Ted appeared so
touching that burst into tears, where
upon my listener proclaimed me at once
to be Just the style of woman to be
imposed upon" in fact a little simple
ton. She even suggested hat in the
absence of home and brother there WAS
nothing left but a desperate Irritation
to bring him t o terms.
Looking back / had one thing to
thank my not heterogeneous relative
for; that she had brought me up in the
fear of God, and the evil counsel of my
neighbor failed to lure me from the
path of duty.
The day before Christmas; the ground
covered with a deep coat of snow. Far
up in my little fiat I could hear the
faint jingling of the sleighbells in the
street below. The few little sparrows
that ventured up so high stood picking
the crumbs from the window ledge.
What comfort / found in these little
birds. I told them all my trials.
They proved better confidants than my
%garrulous neighbor below. They
to listen with little heads
turned thoughtfully one side, lingering
but a moment. then flying home to
their nest, that knew was far happier
than mine.
We had a quarrel that morning, Ted
and J.. Ii was our first tiff. All through
the breakfast we sat in silence. When
he stopped to kiss me, a lurking demon
must have been aroused, as exclaimed
.ficrcely:
"Do not dare to kiss me! Go and kiss
that other woman"
He said not n word: only looking re-
proachfully at me. he left the house to
20 to that great, busy, busting store,
to put up with many trials and annoy
inces with 10 word of comfort.
Suppose I thought, that IN
hing dreadful should happen to Ted.
Could I ever forgive myself for my an
yer? Surely | might have asked for an
If he refused. then | would
justified in my conduct"
was startled from my meditations
" a violent ringing of the doorbell.
"A Dispatch" thought 7. II have
him to something desperate"
What a relief to meet a burly express
nan carrying up a large, square parcel
addressed to Mrs. Boggs.
With trembling fingers I united the
yrappings to find an exquisitely framed
portrait of Ted. The smiling,
handsome face seemed to gaze reproach-
ully ut me as | read through fast fall
ng tears: ITO my dear little wife. 4
merry. merry Christmas" The name of
he artist arrested my attention. ] read
With Amusement the name of elsie
1t came upon me like u flash. Ted
rad had his portrait taken as a Christ
mas gift. The letters received were
rom the artist. To explain was to
poll the little secret.
] burst into tears of joy and re-
,entance. When Ted came home | ran
greet him.
Forgive inc. dear love, for doubling
] murmured.
lie silenced me with a kiss
Three years have passed. Ted has
isen from fioor-walker to foreign buyer
It a fine salary. We live in another fat
over down, with more light, room and
ir. The ncighborhood is more aristo-
We keep Il hired girl. We are
cry, very happy. with not n cloud
o mar our domestic peace. We have
baby girl, and I've called her Elsie
Trey Boggs to remind me of my foolish
oubts, and our first tiff."-Woman's
lone journal.