The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-01-25
A LETTER
AND......
A LESSON
By Howard Fielding
Copyright, 1901, by Charles W. HOOke.
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When Mr.. Paul Caryll entered the
Breakfast room, lie supposed that his
wife was there, but she had not yet
appeared. Some letters lay beside his
plate with little silver knife for
opening them. He slit the cnpelopc
that lay upon the top Of the pile and
was about to take the letter out of it
when his glance fell upon the address,
and he perceived his wife's name in
stead of his own.
Annoyed by the incident, he remain
ed for some seconds with the envelope
in his hands, and quite unconsciously
he noted the postmark, which was I'M
usually distinct The letter had been
mailed in the town of Lanark.
Mr.. Caryll felt 4 sudden chill, follow
ed by a sensation of warmth and pres
sure in the region of his forehead and
temples. At that moment Mrs. Caryll
entered the room, and her husband
hastily and awkwardly tossed the let
ter across to her side Of the table. She
appeared not to see the act. Passing
behind him, she took his head in her
hands and kissed him on each eye an
endearment swectly familiar.
When she had seated herself, she
took up the letter and glanced hastily
across at Paul, but she said not Il word.
at was over here" he Stammered. Il
cut the envelope before | noticed that
it was yours
She smiled ana nodded as she pro
ceeded to read the msSive Having
come to the end Of It, She laid it in her
lap.
1.-THE horse show opens today" she
said. "I'm SO sorry you're going out
of town.
every unfortunate" he replied But
you can see the horses under some one
else's escort"
She studied him for Il fraction of a
second before replying, "Oh, yes; l can
60 with Mrs. HeLIunway."
''You can" said he, with emphasis on
the word but will you:"
'What DO you mean"
"Let me answer the question Yankee
fashion by asking another" said he.
"What made you think of the horse
show"
"Why, I've been thinking of it for ten
days" she cried. "Whats the matter
with you, Paul? You're queer this
morning
1t is a singular fact that no one will
ever confess to being queer" On occa-
sions like the one now under considera-
ton, when an individual has something
on his mind which he is perfectly we'll
aware prevents him from behaving like
himself, he never fails to resent the sug-
gestion that he is doing so. And the
queerer he knows that he is the more
ardertly he repels the accusation.
Nothing of The sort" he protested.
II am feeling exceptionally cheerful"
''At the idea of leaving me for five
days."
j ''No; that's what makes you cheer
full" he rejoined. 'It may be, however,
that the spectacle of your resignation
helps me-"
Eat your breakfast like a good boy
and don't try to be witty" said she.
Caryll attacked his breakfast with
faint courage. In his mind he was say
ing: "The letters from Chandler, of
course. But what of it? | don't care.
Chandlcr's dead issue But why
doesn't she say something about it? It's
not right to make n secret of it. But
I'm dumb. Not word out of me!'
He had formed in his bachelor days
the bad habit of reading at breakfast,
and he would sometimes relapse into it
even after year Of better company ut
table than the morning paper. The
reach, and in this emergency he picked
up one and ran through it without see
ing anything until suddenly Il page de-