Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-09-19
The Vicar S Valentine

band see plainly that you'll have no
more Of it. | know that's what
should do if my Frank was to attempt
to treat me in the same way
"Ah, that's different. You have had
| complete control over Frank from the
| first; but | have none over Silas and
never have had"
Entirely your own fault, Muriel.
| You shouldn't have begun by letting
him have his head. If you'd ridden
him on the curb from the outset, he
would now be as amenable to your
| control as Frank is to mine"
But. you see, l knew how devoted
Silas was to me in those early days,
and | believed that his love was the
surest guarantee of his constancy.'
Goodness me, Muriel! What a SIM
pleton you must have been! Now, did
you really believe that?'
q did And SO would you have done
if you had been in my place-had seen
Silas hanging on your every word and
look-had heard his passionate pro-
testations OF undying devotion"
Indeed, / should have done nothing
Of the sort, Muriel. | myself, you must
know, went through exactly the same
experience with Frank He, too, hung
on my every word and look. He, too,
made the same extrayagant protesta-
tons Of undying devotion. But do you
think was deceived by them? Not l..
| knew men too well. They are all
like that in the days of courtship and
early marriage I just said to myself:
Now, my dear, is your opportunity.
Accustom him to give way to you now,
while he is in love and can refuse you
nothing, and then when he is out OF
love. he will still continue to give way
to you from sheer force of habit
you mean to say that Frank is
devoted husband, not because he loves
you, but simply because devotion has
become a habit with him?'
Precisely"
"And you are content with that?"
Quite"
However, we are getting away from
our original topic-your husbands
f.bominable treatment of you. Some
thing must be done, Muriel. This state
Of things can't go on; otherwise we
shall be having a parochial scandal"
ooh! It's not so bad as that. Silas
does f1irt, in a very silly way, with the
lady members of his congregation, |
know. But | have nothing worse than
foolish Irritation to accuse him Of
"And neglect of yourself.
"Well, yes he does neglect me more
than he should. I don't deny it. But
still, his flirtatiOns are of such very
wholesale character, and-after all,
there's safety in numbers, isn't there? :"
I'm not so sure
What do you mean, Mollie?' de-
manded the other sharply Have you
any reason to suppose that my nus
band has-has-some particular favor
tie, whom he has singled out Tor MS
personal attenti0ns?"
1t was evident that her friends
words had suddenly awakened Mu-
rels dormant jealousy.
well I can't say more at the mo-
ment than that l have my suspicious,
was the guarded rejoinder.
Come Mollie, you do know some
thing. Tell me, at once. | have the
right to know"
Certainly, l will tell you all that
do know. happened to see your hus-
band last evening-tEough | do not
think he recognized me - walking
along with lady. with whom he ap-
peared to be on very affectionate
terms"
where was this?''
In the path through the fields to the
church, while l was on my way home
from the Jevoneses."
And who was the-the-lady, as
you call herr"
'Tt was too dark for me to see.
But have you mono idea-no sus-
picion?'
mo. 1t was, as say, too dark, and
she was thickly yelled But did
catch scrap of their conversation as
| passed them
what were they saying?"
Something about not forgetting that
Wednesday next was st. Valentines
day: and It struck me, to say the least
of it, as significant. If | were you, Ia
keep my eyes open, Muriel, and
watch your husband carefully, as he
opens his correspondence on that
morning. For it's more than likely
that it may include some token OF ar
lection from this unknown damsel.
so | will" replied Muriel pursuing
up her pretty lips, grimly. i have
never hitherto had anything tangible
against Silas-but if | do find him out
in this sort of thing, I'll PHI
The two "dramatis personae" in the
above dialogue were Muriel Webb and
Mollie Gibbings, young married Wom-
en- and bosom friends, while the sub
iect of their conversation was Rev.
Silas Webb, husband of the former.
The information had thoroughly
reused little Mrs. Webb, and like all
meek people when they are aroused,
she was in very dangerous mood In
deed.
OF course she said nothing to her
| husband of what she had been told.
! She wasn't, going to put him on his
guard and thus give away her chance
of catching him. On the contrary, she
| meant to bide her time, to wait for
Valentines day, and then see what
| happened
This resolve she carried out. Val
entine's day arrived, and with it, while
| she and the Rev. Silas sat at breakfast,
the mornings letters. Mrs. Webb,
| while pretending to be engrossed with
! the newspaper. watched her husband
| keenly while he opened his cores