Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-09
IIRS. PINKEYE.

They had been very, very happy during
the few swiftly passing months of their
welded life, and in spite of the memory
of business reverses and of week of con-
tinual struggle to meet her payments
Mrs. Pinkeye smiled o smile Of ineffablo
contentment as her brougham stopped be-
fore the door of the handsome house thai
had been her mothers marriage gift, and
she thought of her dear Horace waiting
for her in his boudoir-dear Horace, whose
lips in a few short moments would be
pressed to hers. Even the frightful posi-
bility of financial ruin, that awful specter
that, ever since her return from their hon
eymoon to find that trusted employed
had proved unfaithful, had haunted her
almost ceaselessly day and night, vanished
from her presence in the beatific anticipa-
tion of her husbands kiss.
"What is this you tell me, Alexis?" she
was saying two minutes later to her hus-
bands valet as she carelessly threw her
hat into a chair "Mr Pinkeye gone QUIT
And has he left no word for meP"
''He-he went out about 3 o clock, p" fall
tered the man, ''and-and he said he
would be back by g.. He"-
alexis, said the lady in the tone of
one accustomed to command, 'you arc
keeping something from me- With whom
did my husband go out, and has he babe
you conceal aught from me?"
The frightened servant, awed by tho
sternness Of the woman's voice and over
come by the inherent weakness of his sex,
at last blurted out that a lady whom no
did not know had called for his master
soon after luncheon and had taken him
away in a hanson. His master had hidden
him say nothing to his mistress about the
matter and had been careful to conceal his
departure from the other servants. He
had gone out with the same woman every
afternoon for a week, but had always re.
turned in time for dinner before. Upon
further questioning Alexis admitted that
he had once seen the strange lady kiss his
master
Maud Pinkeye staggered slightly, as ii
she had received a blow, but recovered
herself in q moment. you may go,
Alexis" she said quietly With strange
unnatural calm she lighted a cigar and sat
down before her library table. So it had
come at last, and so soon! What was there
left in life for her if she no longer had
faith in mani And if she could not longer
trust her Horace-if Horace were unfaith-
ful-great God! She could not allow her.
self to think of it, The overwhelming des-
olation Of that possibility was more than
even she, strong as she was, could bear.
And yet she must think Of It'll Oh, why
had fate been so cruelS What q paltry
thing the possible loss of her fortune
seemed by comparison with the dread ca
lamity that had overtaken herl She
crushed in one hand an enameled brass
inkstand that was on the table before her,
so that its contents were forced through
the pores of the tortured metal
Five minutes later she found herself,
she knew not how, in her husbands bou.
doir. An opened book lay on the table.
1t was 1.-The Lives of Eminent Washerwo-
men, by DR.. Clara Huxley, Phi. D., and
it was open at the story Of the faith and
devotion of husband who had helped his
wife at financial crisis with money that
he had made crocheting doormats for a
livery stable while she had supposed him
to be idling at home. Mechanically Maud
Pinkeye read few pages and groaned
aloud at the parallel the tale suggested
Then the doorbell rang, and a moment
later she heard her husbands voice in the
hall inquiring anxiously if she had yet
come in. The moment had arrived! ShG
wondered that she was able to control her
self thus as she strobe down the stairs
Then she knew that her heart was dead
yes, dead!
Horace Pinkeye tripped lightly up to
his wife and held up his lush red lips for
kiss.
Darling" he said, did you wonder
why was away2 And were you lone
some without meH Say you were, dar-
lingp'
Maud turned away her head and, fold
ing her arms, drew herself up to her full |
height. "Traitorl" she Kissed. "Traitorl
Tell me who is the woman with whom
you have been spending your afternoons
for the last week."
To her surprise her husband did not |
finch beneath her gaze. He laughed
nervous laugh, but said without a suspi- |
cion Of the consciousness Of guilt in his |
voice:
Has that nasty Alexis been telling you
things? If he has, shall slap him real |
hard, right on his face too"
"Who was the woman?" Maud demand |
ed sternly.
Her husband burst into tears and threw |
himself into her arms She knew then |
that he was guiltless of any wrong against |
her, and she held his head to her bosom |
while he told the story that made her a |
happy woman again.
"It-it was my sister Ethel" Horace
sobbed. "You know she is the business |
manager of the Pathological Medical Sup |
ply company, and, dearest, II had heard |
that you were in-in financial trouble, |
and-and 1 had been reading about how a |
husband had once earned some money for |
his wife, and II made Ethel give me |
some work at the factory. And SO for the |
last week have spent three hours every |
afternoon punching the holes in the porous
plasters. was late today because it was
pay day, and, darling, here are my earn
ings, $3.50, all for youl Will you forgive
me- darling, for deceiving you2'
AS Maud Pinkeye strained her husband |
to her throbbing bosom she vowed in her
heart of hearts that, come what might, |
she would never for a moment mistrust |
him again. New York World.
Grouse Thrive In SCOT and Smoke.