The Ravalli Republican., 1898-02-23
CAUSE FOR REFORM.

Experience of a *Clubman Who Lied to
His Wife.
';I'll never try to fool my wife by |
itellipg her that I have been sitting
up with sick friend when want |
to stay out late at night again,
said gentleman from the metropo-
:lis at one Of the up town hotels to
reporter recently.
II got cured Of that most effec-
:tually,' he continued. and it all
came out III such a natural manner
that I look back at it and think it is
a sort Of dispensation of Providence
to keep me homo at night. ought
to have been ashamed OF myself for
doing such thing, as we had not
;beon married very long. AS mat
ter Of fact, however, l had been
something of rounder before my
marriage was introduced one
night into social club on the west
side No matter what the name of
it was-you can call it the Bachelors
club. for nobody but that unfo1tu
nate class should have belonged to
it am something of "a s]eight of
hand performer and made myself SO
agreeable that night that I was
given a ticket of membership for 80
days.
Rather late we got into game
of poker, which found SO fascinat-
ing | staid in it until the early
morning hours. framed number
of excuses when got home to give
my wife for being out SO late. Some
of them were very plausible. When
l saw her, however, l got slightly
ratified and sprung the same old
chestnut on her Of sitting up with
a sick friend | had heard, by the
way, that this friend, whom | men
toned and whom my wife knew,
whose name was or was not MI.
Sportiboy. was really sick.
1.-THE next night, in spite Of the
opposition OF my conscience | drift
ed around to the club again and al
most unconsciously sat down to a
little round table with four others
and again succumbed to the appro-
priately named draw poker. The
thing continued for several nights,
telling my wife when Isvent home
that poor MI. Sportiboy was very
sick indeed. She seemed to believe
me, although | felt like a sheep kill
ing dog.
AFTER about week of this had
passed at the breakfast table one
'morning my wife, who was reading
;apaper, gave sudden exclamation,
dropped the paper, pushed the chair
back from the table and looked at
me with an expression Of horror on
her countenance.
"'Wha hats the matter, darlingf
I asked in constelna ton. Are you
ill2' Her face was pale, and no
ticed that she seemed to be much
agitated. She rose and started out
the door. Not knowing what was
the matter, rose and followed her.
She turned on me tragically, say
ing: Don't como near me; don't
touch me! To think that you have
been visiting that sick man who had
the scarlet fever and then coulC
have the audacity to come homo anC
associate with me! am surprised
that you thought more OF him than
you do OF your wife or yourself by
exposing both of us to such a horri
bly, malignant diseased! And sh(
swept out OF the room.
Here 1 was in a pickle. hardly
knew what to make 'ot it, | finally
got hold Of the paper she was read
ing, having some suspicion of wha
was the matter, and looked in tht
death notices. Among them reae
with raising hair that Mr.. Willie s
Sportiboy had died the day before
OF scarlet fever. TO say that tcl
shocked was putting it mildly. Iwa
shocked at his death, and also at tllt
manner in which had been expos
ed, literally speaking, as tar as III.
.truthfulness was concerned, ant
theoretically to the scarlet fever
'When | went to find my wife,
discovered a hastily written note
in which she said she had &on
home.
II knew it was no use l..
her, remembering her terrlh4c lea
of all such diseases as scarlet fever
and knew il wrote her she woul'
not open the letter, OWING to til
same fear OF contagion. thouS Ii
awhile and finally did the OIL,
thing knew would bring her back
i visited lady who knew us bot
well, made clean breast Of til
matter and sent her to my vile
home as an intermediary.
Il fixed the matter up all rig h
finally She had been teasing III
to bring her a certain piece Of jewel
'ry, ito which she had taken a fancy
1t took all OF my poker winning
and more to pay for it, but | WA
satisfied.
'That was the last time ever lie
to my wife. tell you, honesty
not only the best policy, but tn