Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-26
LILY LISLE.

I Mrs. Joseph FerTy-an Grant though
tguileless little Girt-was naturally jealous
and had at least on one occasion natural
grounds for jealousy. Having seen heI
husband sound asleep (apparently) by he1
side at 1880 p. M, she was awakened at
,A:50 a. m. by his knocking over chair in
q nervous attempt to steal into the room
without disturbing her. He very much
disturbed her. Starting up, she struck a
light and lit the candle by her bed. Hold
ing it up over her head, she surveyed her
conscience stricken spouse from head to
foot He had on his overcoat, and it was
wet, while his boots were stained guiltily
with moist mud
"Joscph, what is it9 What has hap
pened2"
Nothing dear"
Nothing! Where have you been?"
"I-I thought 1 heard burglars about"
he faltered.
about where? About the streets? You
have been in the streets. You have on
your overcoat, and it is soaking wet, and
your boots-look at your bootsl They arc
a mass of wet mud"
IL went to look for q policeman"
stammered Joseph, for he was not yet
enough hardened in iniquity to lie like
truth.
Leaving the burglars in the housed
That was very conslderate for tho burglars
and for me-" she cried, with biting
scorn.
''They escaped, and I followed them,
but couldn't come up with them or meet a
policeman, he said desperately.
II see. You got up when you heard the
burglars, and then they heard you and ran
away, and then you came back here and
dressed and put on your overcoat and boots
land ran after them, yet you couldn't over
take themp
IF you mean I am not telling tho
TRUTH
Il do, she rctortcd promptly "Not a
single word of truth. never heard such
q ridiculous story, and you are ashamed of
lit YOURSELF"
Every well, Ellen. If you don't choose
to believe me, there is no more to be said,
he replied, with an affectation of sullen of
fense under cover of which he hoped to
of its own generation.
''There is a great deal more to be said,
and 1 mean to say it, " she cried vehement
NY Ou thlC tiSllllllCl W btll JIllJil
cause it is shameful, because you have
been spending the night shamefully and
Ishamelessly. Because-because"
Here she broke down into passion of
furious tears, from which it took her more
than a minute to recover and to continue,
"But go your own way, and I shall go
mine, and you'll have only yourself to
blame if follow your example"
The more he attempted to conciliate her
the more she was convinced of his guilty
consciousness of some incapable offense,
and he had at last to desist in despair and
disgust also.
But for the ever lively Jim Perry-a
nephew of Joseph's, though but four years
his junior-breakfast next morning would
have been as dismal a meal as that Of
Wordsworth's party in a parlor." Jim
had come up to grind for Sandhurst, but
the intensity Of his application to his stud
les did not appreciably depress his spirits
he was always ready to rally his uncle,
whom he patr1nized gracefully, upon his
Ignorance of life" and to flirt with his
lively little aunt as with a child who made
believe prottily to be grown up.
i say, Nunc, don't forget your appoint
ment this morning, eh2" he said, winking
significantly at his uncle, who simply
Igasped his horror at the indiscreet re-
minder