Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-23
A QUARTET
fOriginaLl


In the spring of 1879 young couple,
Mr.. and Mrs. Chaplin, appeared in a
western city, and, having found lodg-
ings, the husband sought employment.
lie developed striking business talents,
and it was not long before he was en-
gagged in a small manufacturing enter
prise of his own. The article he made
was patented, and the business became
very valuable Mr.. Chaplin bought a
house in the best part of the city, and
the couple entertained considerably.
But it was not long before it began
to be whispered that all was not well
with the Chapins. A young man, Ar
thur Gilman, was deyoting himself to
young Mrs. Chaplin. 1t appeared TO be
one Of those cases wherein a husband
having perfect confidence in his wife
fails to see what every one else sees
either this or seeing he pretends not
to see. Chaplin, at least SO far as the
world knew, gave himself no concern
as to his wifes attendant, seeming to
be himself absorbed in a friendship
with one Of his own sex. He and
Fletcher Ford were inseparable. They
constantly drove out together. attended
amusements together and at social en-
tertainments would sit chatting togeth-
er instead of devoting themselves to
the women.
"What fool" said Madam Grundy,
ito be so devoted to a man friend as
to let his wife drift into trouble"
The world did not see all that was
going on in the quartet. If Chaplin did
not hear of the scandal of which he
was the one most interested, Fletcher
Ford did He took it upon himself to
admonish his friend that, though per-
sonalIy he considered Mrs. Chaplin per-
fectly innocent, society was becoming
shocked.
The admonition was taken in good
part. Chaplin admitted that he bad
noticed Gilmans attentions, but his
confidence in his wife's purity was
absolute. The only change that came
from Ford's interference was that Gil
man and Mrs. Chaplin were seen less to-
gether in public. But Gilman was still
so much at the ChapinS home that
Ford, who was a witness of the fact,
told his friend he was beginning to lose
respect for him. This seemed to trouble
Chaplin, but he did not seem to have
the courage to break up his wife's liai-
son. Finally Ford became SO irritated
at the sneering remarks he heard that
he went to Chapin'S house one evening
and told him that their friendship was
at an end.
Chaplin at this thrust broke down,
and Ford was astonished to see a tear
in his eye 1t was the first evidence
he had seen that after all there must
be something in the affair that had not
been explained. But above all Gilman
was made aware OF Chapins value Of
his good opinion. Ford afectionately
laid his hand ON his friends arm and
besought him to give him his conf
dence. The young husband, though
much moved, would not reveal what
was troubling him. Ford pressed him
to confide in him, but Chaplin suddenly
sprang up and left the room, saying
that he would confer with his wife and
see what could be done to mend the
matter. Ford was much affected at
seeing his friends emotion and seized
his hand as he left the room with
view to comfort him. But Chaplin broke
away from him and went upstairs.
Ford was puzzled. He could see no
evidence of trouble on his friends mind
pertaining to his wife, Chapin's sole
grief seeming to be at losing his
friends respect and the parting that
was imminent between them. He re-
NAMED waiting in the library where
Chaplin had left him for some time,
then was about to depart, when he
heard a rustling of skirts on the stair
case and Mrs. Chaplin entered, accom-
panied by a lady whom Ford did not
at first recognize. Yet there was some
thing about her that struck him with
establishment. She was so like his
friend Chaplin that she must be his twin
sister. Her face aIternated between
bushes and pallor, and she seemed i'll
at ease in her feminine apparel.
"Henry Chaplin exclaimed Ford.
what do you mean by getting your
self up in womans dress?'
II am not Henry Chaplin; l am Mar
garet Eaton. This is Blanche Eaton,
my sister. When we were thrown on
our own resources after a life Of lux
ury l shrank from supporting myself
and my sister-for she was too delicate
to shift for herself-clogged by won-
ans skirts, Woman's disadvantages. I
put on mans clothes, and we came
here where he were not known. We
were prospecting when my sister fell
In love with Arthur Gilman, and, IN
fortunately. he fell in love with her.
Nor is that all. Failing to induce US
to reveal our secret, he married her
clandestinely and has been living with
her for some time as her husband.
Arthur she called, and Gilman, an
amused look on his face, came in from
one of the other rooms.
When Ford left the house after
long consultation with the others 1t