The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-12
EWES TEMPTATION.

home. And so he left it. She took it
from the hall and carried it into her bOu-
doir.
Her name was Eve Wilton, and she
had been married five years and never
never-never in all that time had one un-
happy moment Mr.. Wilton had been
very attentive, very kind, very generous
and had never made her jealous. She
often said that she was the happiest
woman living. Now as she looked at the
lining and compared the silk with which
she was about to replace the torn portion
she was thinking these thoughts. They
had never mad any children, but when
people are all in all to each other, that is
no very great grief. All her care was
for him-all his for her.
"And he is just the dearest best, truest
fellow in the world, ''said Eve to herself.
Ppm not half good enough for him. l
wonder what this is in his pocket; it
bulges it all out of shape"
She put her hand into the breast pocket
as she spoke and drew out little pack
age wrapped in paper and tied with a
blue ribbon.
Something he has bought for me, l
expect" said Eve. 81 wonder what it it?
l think that won't open it until he
comes home.
She laid the silk across the hole, cut it
on and basted it down.
81 wonder what it is?'' said she. tom
did mean to get me an opera glass. l
know; but that is not the shape of the
parcel. 1t doesn't seem like book. 1t
might be lace wound on a card-real
lace"
She looked at the package again,
81 do wonder what it isl" said she;
Aho
"There wasn't much to mend, after ALL
l thought the tear much longer. He
caugh it on nail in the office. Now |
do wonder what is in that package?"
Eve put the coat over a chair and took
up the parcel.
"Tom won't mind" she said. 81 will
just take peep. I'm sure it's for me-"
Then she undid the ribbon, unfolded
the paper and saw letters.
''Dear Toni Hekeeps my letters next
his heart and he has never told me-"
But the writing was not bers; she saw
that alta glance.
'His mothers letters" she said. "He
loved his mother SOL
"Then she began to tremble a little,
for the letters did OF begin with "My
dear son." nor with anything like it. She
cast her eyes over them. They were
love letters.
"Tom had loved some other woman
before he met me-" she said, beginning
to cry, "Oh what shall / do?' Then
she cried out, "Oh, foolish creature that
am! OF course, she died. and he only
loves me now. 1t was all over before we
met so we must not mind"
But here she paused, gave a scream
and then threw the letter from her as
though serpent had bitten her. It was
dated in the previous week. 1t was not
four days old.
ooh! oh! oh!'' cried Eve. "Oh, what
shall | do? Oh. where shall go?''
At every cry thought pierced her
breast like stab.
tom, my Tom. What shall l do?
Toni Tom! He to be false-Tom! Oh,
l have gone mad! No! There they arei
They are really there-those lettersf Why
do not die? Do people live through
such things as thCse?'
Then she knelt down on the floor and
gathered up the letters and steadily read
them through. There were ten of them.
Such love letters! No other interpreta-
ton could be upon them. They were
absurd love lGtters-Such as are always
produced in court in case of a breach
of promise. And they called him
"Popsy Wopsy," Darling Parting"
'Loyey Dovey," "Old Sweetness and
"Angel of my Soul and they were all
sighed, "Your Own Nellie"
1t is all true" said poor Eve wringing
her hands. And it is worse than any
thing that have ever heard of. l trust
ed him so, believed in him SO. My
Tom mine.
Then she wiped her eyes, gathered up
the letters, wrapped the silver about
them, tied the blue ribbon and put them
back in the awful breast pocket of that
dreadful coat again.
tom shall never know" she said.
I'll not reprorch him. will meyer see
him again. When he comes home l
shall be dead. l will not live to hear
this
She sat down to think over the best
means of suicide. She could hang her
self to the chandelier with the widow
blind cord; but then she would be black
in the face and hideous. She would
drown herself; but then her body would
go floating down the river into the sea,
and drowned people looked even worse
than strangled ones. She was too much
afraid of fire arms to shoot herself even
in this strait. She would take poison.
Yes, that would be the best; and, though
she would never see Tom again, he
would see her, and remOrse would sting
him.
Here she made great mistake. A man
who is cody treacherous to women vever
has any remorse. RemoTse in love affairs
is purely feminine quality, and even
the worst of the sex are not without it.
However, it is natural to believe that re-
morse is possible to man whom one
has believed to be an angel in human
form, and Eve took a little miserable
comfort in the thought that Tom would
kneel beside her coffin and burst into
tears and passionate EXPLANATIONS of
regret that she perhaps might see from
some spiritual post of observation.
So having put on hat and thick veil.
Eve betook herself around the corner to
the nearest drug store. The druggist
was an old German; a benevolent look
one, with red cheeks and a smiling mouth
and when she asked him for poison for
rats he said "So!" and beamed mildly
upon her.
81 want it very strong" said Eve.
'Sol' said the druggist.
''But not to give more pain than is
necessary, nor turn the face black"
said Eve.
With grave face he compounded the
powder and handed it across the coun-
ter. Eve took it, gave him the few cents
he asked and walked off. Once at home
she went straight to her room and I'M