The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-01-29
MISTAKE OF JONES.
by DICK SYLVESTER,

| oStiSS Oc.t i'iohSls,
Harold Jones was at his desk in his dingy
little private office, busy with the morn.
ing mail, when he found this little blue
faced, red-stamped intruder among the pile
Of business letters which awaited his atten.
ton. He picked up the innocent-looking
little missve and turned it over several
times before he opened it and read
Dear Sir: If you will take a friends
advice you will not stay in Boston Thurs
day night, as usual. Better go home and
surprise your wife. A word to the wise
Is sufficient. o. w. K"
Jones sat glazing at ii for few min.
utes, then, with a grunt Of disgust, he con.
signed the missve and its blue container te
the depths Of the waste basket and re
sumed his attack on the pile of mail matter
before him.
But Jones was an excitable, imaginative
man with a jealous disposition. The fer
ment Of jealousy once set working would not
be quoted by his better judgment That
letter, the distrust that was creeping in.
gave poor Jones no peace that morning.
Mr.. Harold Jones went home to lunch
a thing he had not done for months as he
found it more convenient to get sandwich
and cup of coffee down town.
Jones had been married little more than
five years. just year and day after the
wedding little son had come to brighten
their home life. They lived happily just
outside the city. Quarrels in the Jones fam.
lily were few and far between, but there
was no doubt about the fact that Jones wa:
unreasonably jealous of his wife.
When Jones, on this particular day.
turned up SO Unexpectedly at the cot.
tage for luncheon he found the house
empty. Mrs. Jones and son were out 1t
was the worst thing that could have hap.
pened to Jones in his perturbed frame Of
mind.
TO begin with he could not find the key
to the pantry and must needs 60 hungry OF
return to town for lunch. Then rummaging
about the house he found lying on the
dressing table in his wife's room an opeL
letter, the writing undoubtedly masculine
He did not intend to read it but every
time he passed through the room the
thing stared at him and seemed tc
beckon to him. Then he yielded and took
the thing to the window. What he said il
not fit for publication. The letter read:
Dearest Nellie: Let me know If that
husband Of yours is going to leave you
alone Thursday night. as usual. If he
Is | will be over. SO you will not be
alone. WILL"
Mrs Jones called at her husbands office
down town and was surprised to learn that
he had not returned from lunch. She and
Harold, Jr., were soon mngling with the
other shoppers in one of the large depart.
ment stores. When Mrs. Jones set her face
homeward she felt duly elated over success,
full bargain hunting, and had never a sus
picion of the tempest brewing in the Ii.
brary.
No need to dwell on the scene which fol-
lowed her home coming. Jones was unfor-
tunate in his choice Of words and he could
not keep his temper. He had been nursing
his wrath and imagined wrongs for nearly
three hours and on an empty stomach at
that. Mrs. Jones' surprised reply to his
volcanic outburst fell on deaf ears, his eyes
blinded by jealousy failed to see that which
he should have seen.
Mrs. Jones was hurt to the quick, the
unjust suspicion stung her deeply, and then
pride stepped in and forbade any attempt
at further explanation. She never saw the
evil little blue-tinted missive; it was hiding
in Jones pocket. He did not mention it,
When the door of the Jones cottage
opened, an hour later, Mrs. Jones and son
appeared on the threshold and few min
utes later car was bearing them swiftly
"home to mothers" Jones spent the night
at the club
A week passed and Jones heard nothing
from his wife, and he had had plenty of time
to cool down. The first few days Of that
week life had been burden for the stenog
rapher and the office boy.
Now Jones was beginning to ask himself
IT, he had been fair and if perhaps the
whole thing had not been deliberate plan
to cause trouble between himself and wife
Nellie had never before given him any real
cause for jealousy. She had been patient,
forbearing and loving always. That note
on the dresser-would she have left il there
ii there had been anything to conceal?
If it wasn't for that odious little blue
tinted disturber he would never have
quarreled with Nellie. Perhaps that note
was written by some malicious person who
wanted to destroy his happiness. Well,
they had succeeded, anyway, for Nellie was
deeply wounded and would surely seek
separation.
The cottage had been empty for week,
for Jones spent his nights at the club.
When Jones thought of the little home now
abandoned and of the dear little youngster
who was always on the step to greet him on
his return from town, and that all that, and
the sweet-faced wife who met him at the
door, was lost to him, great lump would
come to his throat.
Then came a messenger from William
Downs, attorney-at-law;" he was Nellies
brother, requesting that Mr.. Harold Jones
would call at his office on Broadway within
an hour to attend to legal matter, the ma
ture Of which was private" Jones felt sure
it was "a separation" but he went.
In her brothers office pretty Mrs. Jones
sat by the window holding her hoy, while
her brother talked earnestly to her.
81 have sent for Harold, Nellie, and If
he is not fool, and if you two will only be
sensible, can fix it all right about my note
to you," he was saying when the door
opened to Mr.. Harold Jones.
The boy ran to meet his father, who
caught him in his arms and covered his
tried to look out of the window, but mist
before her eyes prevented her from seeing
anything.
Suddenly the child released himself
from his fathers arms and took a stand by
his mother. Looking up into his fathers
face, he said:
"Papa, is you still cross with my NAM
ma? Why don't you kiss mamma"
Jones' eyes were watery, too, when he
said: "Nellie, know I've been horribly
wrong; may /, for the boys sake?"
AS he stopped over her the lawyer said:
"That was my letter you found, Harold
Nellie, tell him all about it, don't refuse
him, little sister"
But they did not hear him, and Nellie