Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-14
JEALOUS.


 have made known his wishes in a little less imperiOus manner than he chose tC adopt.
 The ball was set down for the evening | of the 29th. On the morning of that day MT. Bashford went down town at the usual hour, but during the forenoon had occasion to visit a section of the city that led him past his own residence His attention was suddenly arrested by a young woman with a large bundle. ascending the front steps of his house and ringing the doorbell. His Eerplcxity was increased when the door WIS opened cautiously, the young woman admitted promptly, as if by q previous understanding, and the door instantly closed agaIn. Mir. BaShfurd's curiosity and suspi- | cion were aroused. Should he finger and solve tlc mystery or dismiss it from his niI,l and go pn about his business: He debatCd the question irrcsolutely for a moment and finally decided that ho must know what was going ou in his l own house
 He had not long to wait. The young woman soon reappcared, but without the bundle, and walked briskly down | the street.
 She led him to one of the busiest and gaycSt streets and finally turned quick ly into :. celebrated Costumer's establish nent,
 MT. Ba<hford was astonished. Could it bc that bis wife was venturesomc enough to ,iiSol,ey him and had hired a costume with view of attending the masquerade:
 He did lot finger long i'll meditation. His wifcs audacity must receive a se- were rvbukC.
 The proprietor was woman. He ac- coStcd her thus:
 Madam, would you object to making $5 i'll as many minutes" The person addressed intimating that she would have no objection to that sort of thing. he continued:
 Then describe to mo accurately the costume delivered by the young woman who entered this store moment age or else show me one just like it. - ''WcIl," said the woman. hesitating, that wouldn't be exactly regular, you know
 II understand that. but can prove to you if necessary that l have q right to know. and that no harm can possibly come to you by your telling me. '
 Oh, we'll, :" said the woman, ''I pre- sumo it will be all right! Tho costume was that of Turkish lady. Here is one just like it. except that the hood is blue instead of scarlet.
 ''Ges-juSt SO" said Mir. Bashford. The one that the young woman left at 54 - street has q scarlet hood, has it:''
 "Yes, sir. Very we'll. Here arc your $5. He made no allusion when he went home to his j o'clock dinner to the cir cumstancyS just related. lie simply said to his wife before leaving, wondering the whil, at her innocent and uncon- strained dcmcanor:
 As I told you would probably he the case, Louise, 1 shall be detained down town by business tonight until late. ''Oh, dear, am sorry! It is so lone some these long evenings when you are obliged to be away. The business" which was to detain him was of somewhat startling char actcr. After spending short time at ! his office be proceeded to n cOstumer $ establishment and placed himself i'll the hands of an artist, who, after a long and tedious process. transformed him into d hIdcUus looking Indian.
 This done. he ordered q carriage and gave directions to be driven to the place where the masquerade was to be held. Mir Ba>hfsrd seemed to create quite sensation Ill his character of Indian chief. Many stared at him, and some of the women shuddcrcd.
 T., arf fir Ir,+ xx-all-aI with stately tread around the hall, gag ing disdainfully on the giddy thrOng. He was searching for Turkish lady with scarlet hood.
 It was some time before he found what he sought for. But at last he stopped suddenly, and his gaze fingered in a particular quarter. There was the Turk ish lady with the scarlet hood. and her size and general contour were exactly those of his wife. There could be no mistake about it.
 .'Pooty squaw," he said ill a guttur- al tone.
 Noble Injun!' she replied.
 "SqUaw dances:" Yes
 And they took their places on the floor for one of the quadrilles. l Alter lHlS CIlSutA what lO lockers on q scene of desperate flirta- tion, but in Mir. Bashford's mind there was, of course, no harm ill thus paying exclusive attention to his own wife, though pang shot through his breast at the thought of her accepting such marked demonstrations from one who to all intents and purposes was stran- ger.
 However, the game must be played, and he played it.
 Thus an hour passed very pleasantly, ise had to confess 70 himself. for his wife-if it were she-was unwontedly witty, vivacious and entertaining
 But all of a sudden the Turkish lady deserted him and joined Roman sena- tor on the other side of the room. She conversed with him in low tone, danc- ed ! set with him and afterward ex- changed some private words in an ap- parently very confidential manner.
 This fairly maddened MT. Bashford with jealousy. Finally he got chance to speak to her again.
 ''Squaw must not leave her brave. '' he murmured.
 But she only laughed tantalizingly.
 ''I think hear the pattering of rain- drops, |" he said. Shall we not stand in the open door. where it is coolf'
 Yes" she replied. flor a few mo- ments. It will be great relief" "
 They approached to the doorway and stood looking down h short flight of broad stone steps, which led to the side walk. Beyond could be seen solitary