The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-08
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A PARSONS LOVE LETTERS. !



90 than 40; he was a married man and
the father Of five children.
He had wife who was not lady To
be trided with. a vlrtuous and we'll
meaning woman enough, but with strict
ideas Of martial conduct. and a temper,
when provoked, the reverse Of celestial.
She strobe to meet him at the hall
door. 1t was nearly open before she
demanded in a voice that might well
have made the stoutest quail:
Mortimer, who is Girlie?' '
"Eh? Grille? |. don't understand
You, my dear" stammered Mortimer.
suddenly turning a slckly white
Don't add lies to your own iniqui-
ties" she cried, sternly. you are at
last found out have read all those
letters"
What! You have been prying in my
drawers? he began, attempting, not
very respectfully. to put a obld fac
upon the matter
"Prying?" she snorted. "No, you
villain, | was not prylng. l was look
ing for something else when l accident
ally came across 'Glrlie's' letters. Who
is this creature-this hussy? Tell me
at once!" she insisted, fiercely
"They are love letters in a sense, but
not in a culpable sense. The writer OF
them and are very much attached to
A,no ar,fbor 0,,r ,ttr, ot,,,,o,,+ t,,.,,..,.,,.
is purely platonic," declared this repro
bate, obstlnately.
Mani" she gasped, you must be
possessed by devil Nothing else can
account for the shameless impudence
with which you are brazening out your
exposure. But ! will give you one
more chance. Who is this 'GirlieY
shall not ask you again. win you tell
me?"
NO" said Mortimer, with dogged de-
fiance.
VERY well, replied his wife, in a tone
of awful resolution, Il shall leave the
yicarage this very night, with the child
ren, and take lodgings in the neighbor-
hood. What's more. | shall make a
point of letting every one know why
have done So she said, with savage de-
termination.
She turned and stalked into the
Grawing-room. Mortimer followed her
The fatal letters were lying in a heap on
the table, as Mrs. Stedman had LETT them
when she brought them out Of her hus
bands study.
"Giye me those back" he demanded.
Il shall do nothing Of the kind.
mean to take them with me to show tC
my friends if they ask any questions
Besides, it is my intention to find on
who this hussy is by the evidence Of the
hl ndwriting"
They are mine You shall not takt
theml" he cried, making, as he spoke, 4
movement towards the table.
She darted forward to intercept him
He pushed her aside.
''You brute! you coward" she scream
ed, "to use force with woman"
"Laetitia," he said. 81 wish you woul,
eb reasonable"
No reply. Only vicious compression
of the ladys lips and venomous glin
in her black eyes
IF you were not blinded by jealous,
and prejudice you would see that thei
is no real harm in these letters"
ain fact" continued the vicar, IS
confident am | that no sensible perso
win find any harm in these letters tina
/ have decided--in the event of you
making public scandal Of the matter
to publish them In my own defence
Then every one will be able TO see wha
a mountain you are making out Of
,aolehill."
Spare me your bravado," she replied
frigidly. "As if you would dare publis
the lettersl"
Il shall publish them II you insist o
leaving me. 1t is due TO myself"
II shall certainly leave YOU"
"Then shall certainly publis
them"
Twenty minutes later a four-wheele
drove up to the door, and Mrs Stedma
and her children quilted the vicarage
Next Sunday the Rev. Mortimer too
the extraordinary step Of alluding to II
matter from the pulpit
Il feel. he said, with evident trac'
CT emotion in his pale face, that it
due to myself and 10 you to take IN
opportunity Of offering a few words
explanation on the unfortunate diffe
ence which, as you are all aware, hi
arisen between myself and my wife. III
cpuse is TO be found in certain lette
written to me by a lady, which my wi
found and read. She considered the
improper letters. but | cannot see tn
she has any grounds for that opinio
The letters, 1t is true, are affeetiona