The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-01-31
That was all a siclsly sentimentality

the war otiice-a stuck-up individual
with whom / travel to town every
morning, I hate Chips to this day,
mind you.
Here's the train-jump into this
carriage-all the people are staring at
you, and no wonder, poor fellow. 1t
must be great blow you"
"What is the great blow?"
"Your wifes running away" he
gabbled on. Its no use evading the
question, with that internal poster all
over Hatchington. Here you are-jump
in" he said. opening the door of q
frst-class carriage.
was boiling with rage, but let him
foster his absurd delusion. intending
to crush his monstrous and silly fancies
into powder when we were in the car
riage together.
The idea of Mrs. Thomas Jones run
ming away from me!
"Now, tell me-" said Chips, when the
train had begun to move and his red
hot paw had clasped mine in his solicit
tude, when did you first suspect
Parker"
"Parker-what the"
"Don't get excited, there's u good fell
low" he interrupted. 1.-THE only thing
is tota these matters dispassionately
coolly, with the sangfioid of man of
the world-to consider that, after all,
it is the best-a good radiance of a bad
wife, and so look the future boldly in
the face"
"Perdition!"
1.-THE Hatchington Post has treated
the affair very delicately, no allusion
to Parker whatever" he ran on, but
of course we have all noticed-why.
you must have noticed yourself-how
extra attentive Parker has been to
your wife all summer. How dbl
bag your pnrdon-'how Mr.. Jones can
stand that doctor fellow sneaking ond
-impering over his young wife, the
Lord knows l have said half dozen
times or more. should have told you,
but no one likes TO interfere in such
matters too hastily"
"You-you-oflicious and bithering
jackass!" l shouted out at last, you
impertinent addlepate, you silly idiot
of the deepest dye-it isn't my wife.
It's Timothy Jones wife, round the
corner!"
"What, Jones the poct?'
eyes; there's no other Jones, is
there? And my wife is at homeland
is always at home, and what do you
mean by her simpering and smirking
with Parker?-our medical man--do
y-y-you dare to insinuate that there is
anything wrong between my wife and
him? You'll have to pay heavy dam
ages for this libel, sir-thundering
heavy damages-See if you DON'T"
"Parker's gone, too, you know"
Chips gasped out feebly, "and-oh,
dear-with the other Mrs. Jones, then?
I never thought of that. God bless my
soul, what a mix-up! Twas sure it was
your wife who had bolted. am sorry
4 mean, my dear fellow, congratu-
late you heartily that the rumor as
regards yourself il entirely false-I do.
indeed"
was unhappy in that Office through
thinking of Parker and my wife, who
was younger than by two-and-twenty
years.
The green-syed monster took posses
hon of me and stuck its claws into my
heart. What right had that Chips to
tell me that Mrs. Thomas Jones was
carrying on" with Dr. Parker?
And then thought of Mrs. Timothy
Jones and felt sorry for Timothy Jones
and wondered what had become OF those
two rosy-faced girls and that fat,
sticky boy, and, presto, once more into
the foreground stalked that abomin-
able suspicion that Chips had had OF
my wife.
I met Timothy Jones in the down
train, and we vess both down" enough
to match. lie had copy Of the Hatch
in0ton Post in his hand. He was trav-
cling third-class, but got into the
Enme carriage with him, and disregard
cd any thought Of appearances" in my
impulse to converse with him.
''Mr. JONES' l said, 81 am extremely
sorry to hear the news"
1--WE haven't got any news, Mr..
JONES' he said quite sharply in reply.
"That's the worst Of it."
"Have-have you heard anything Of
Parker" | inquired.
"What do you msan?"
"II aoa't know. HI heard chat
YRko-"
~Yoa 1a Ps4k~, ~ salDssn"
Yes"
ITO TELL you the truth, he went away
on his honeymoon, quietly, last week.
Hes a friend of mine. There will be All
account Of the wedding at his fathers
In town in the next number of this in
fsrnal Post"
"Oh, VII there: But-don't you sus-
pect-"
"Nr. Jones, I suspect nothing-only
that the editor Of tha paper is an in
fernal and msddlesoms fool! My wife
has been missing several days, but
that's no reason why he should make
sencation Of it with his innuendoes,
and "a gentleman missing from Hatch
ington at the same time and all that
nonsense, for which l shall have great
pleasure in pulling his hooked nose in
tfss course Of the evening. No, no,
something has happened to her, sir.
That's The dreadful thought AM GER
tAinty."
And SO something had happened.
Mrs. Timothy Jones had gone to Lon
don, fallen in the street, broken her
ankle, been picked up insensible, and
her message to her husband had not
been delivered 10 him BY the hospital
authorities.
The second message was awaiting
Timothy at home that very evening,
however, and he came round to my
house to tell me, and was very glad to
sse him, and to hear that his wife was
going on very fsvorably, indeed.
w. sitting with Mrs.. Timothy
1onAu IN tho Il - VIZ; ", r. ,>,or,, ,rho..