The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-03

drawers?" he began, attempting, not
very successfully, to put a bold face
upon the matter
"Prying?" she snorted. mo, you viii
lain, 1 was not prying. l was looking
for something else when l accidentally
came across Girlie's' letters. Who is
this creature-ths 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 I are very much attached to
one another. Our attachment, however,
is purely platonic,' declared this repro
bate. obstnately.
Mani she gasped, "you must be
possessed by a devil. Nothing else can
account for the shameless impudence
with which you are brazening out your
exposure. But I will give you one more
chance. Who is this 'Girlie?' l shall
not ask you again. Will you tell me?'
NO" said Mortimer, with dogged de-
fianee.
VERY Well" replied his wife, in
tone of awful resolution, II shall leave
the vicarage this very night, with the
children, and take lodgings in the
neighborhood. What's more, shall
make a point of letting every one
know why l have done so' she said,
with savage determination.
She turned and stalked into the draw
ing-room. Mortimer followed her. The
fatal letters were lying in a heap on
the table, as Mrs. Stedman had left
them when she brought them out of her
husbands study.
Give me those back" he demanded.
II shall do nothing of the kind.
mean to take them with me to show to
my friends if they ask any questions.
Besides, it is my intention to find out
who this hussy is by the evidence of
the handwriting"
They are mine. You shall not take
them!" he cried, making, as he spoke.
a movement towards the table.
She darted forward to intercept him.
He pushed her aside,
You brute! You coward" she
screamed, "to use force with wo-
man."
"Letitia," he said, Il wish you would
be reasonable"
No reply. Only a vicious compression
of the lady's lips and venomous CLINT
in her black eyes,
IF you We're not blinded by jealousy
and prejudice you would see that there
is no real harm in these letters"
In fact" continued the vicar, $50
confident am | that no sensible person
Will find any harm in these letters that
l have declded-in the event of your
making public scandal OF the matter
to publish them in my own defense.
Then every one will be able to see what
Il mountain you are making out of
molehill."
Spare me your bravado" she replied
frigidly. "As if you would dare publish
the letters!"
Il shall publish them if you insist on
leaving me. 1t is due to myself"
II shall certainly leave you"
Then l shall certainly publish them"
Twenty minutes later, a four wheeler
drove up to the door, and Mrs. Sted-
man and her children quilted the vicar
age.
Next Sunday morning Rev. Mortimer
took the extraordinary step of alluding
to the matter from the pulpit.
II feel" he said, with evident traces
of emotion in his pale face, that il is
due to myself and to you to take this
opportunity of offering a few words of
NNPi""oioi VII lhe unfortunate ullter-
ence which. as you are all aware, has
arisen between myself and my wife
THE cause Is TO be found in certain
letters written TO me by a lady which
my wife found and read. She consld-
cred them improper letters. but cam
not see that she has amy grounds for
that opinion. The letters, it is true,
are affectionate letters. They We're
written to ME by one to whom | ann
very much attached, But our affection,
as | assured my Wife, Is of a purely
platonic description.
Some of you, perhaps, do not believe