The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-15
CAUSE FOR REFORM.
Euperzence OF Ciubman Who Lied to
His Wife.

His Wife.
.sI'il never try to fool my wife by
telling her that I have been sitting
up with sick friend when 1 want
to stay out late at night again. -
said a gentleman from the metropo-
Liz at one Of the up town hotels to a
reporter recently.
st4 got cured of that most effec-
tually,' he continued, land it all
came out in such a natural manner
that look back at it and think it is
sort of dispensation of Providence
I'd keep me home at night. I ought
10 have been ashamed of myself for
doing such thing, as we had not
been married very long. AS a mat
ter of fact, however, I had been
something of a, rounder before my
marriage. I was introduced one
night into social club on the west
side. No matter what the name Of
itwas-you can call 1.-THE Bachelors
club, for nobody but that unfortu-
nate class should have belonged to
it. / am something of a asleight of
hand performer and mademyself SO
agreeable that night that I was
given ticket Of membership for 30
days.
Rather late we got into game
Of poker, which ! found so fascinat-
ing l 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
I saw her, however, I got slightly
rattled and sprung the same old
chestnut on her of sitting up with
sick friend. I had heard, by the
way, that this friend, whom ] linen
tened and whom my wife knew,
whose name was or was not Mr.
Sportiboy, was really sick.
THE next night. in spite of the
opposition of my conscience, I 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. Tho
thing continued for several nights,
Etelling my wife when Invent home
that poor Mr.. Sportiboy was very
sick indeed. She seemed to believe
me, although felt like sheep kill
ing dog.
After about week of this had
passed at the breakfast table one
morning my wife, who was reading
a paper, gave asudden exclamation,
dropped the paper, pushed the chair
back from the table and looked at
me- with an expression Of horror on
her countenance.
Wha-hat's the matter, darlings'
I asked in CONSERVATION. Are You
illq' Her face was pale, and I mo-
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 or me tragically, say
ing: Don't come near me; don't
touch me-! To think that you have
been visiting that sick man who had
the scarlet fever and then could
have the audacity to come home and
associate with me! ana surprised
that you thought more of him than
yon do of your wife or yourself by
exposing both of us to such a horri-
bly, malignant disease!' And she
swept out of the room.
Here was in a pickle I hardly
knew what to make of it. | finally
got hold of the paper she was read
ing, having some suspicion of what
was the matter, and looked in the
death notices. Among them read
with raising hair that Mr.. Willie B.
Sportiboy had died the day before
of scarlet fever. To say that I felt
shocked was putting itmildly. Twas
shocked at his death, and also at the
manner in which I had been expos.
ed, literally speaking, as far as my
truthfulness was concerned, and
theoretically to the scarlet fever.
when I went to find my wife, l
discovered hastily written note,
in which she said she had gone
home.
81 knew it was no use to follow
her, remembering her terrible fear
Of all such diseases as scarlet fever,
and knew if wrote her she would
not open the letter, owing to the
same fear of contagion. thought
awhile and finally did the only
thing I knew would bring her back.
visited lady who knew us both
we'll, made clean breast of the
matter and sent her to my wife's
home as an intermediary.
II fixed the matter up all right
finally. She had been teasing me
to bring her certain piece of jewel
ry, to which she had taken a fancy.
It took all of my poker winnings
and more to pay for it, but | was
satisfied.
THAT was the last time ] ever lied