Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-02-09

tending to be engrossed with the news
paper, watched her husband Ieenly while
he opened his correspondence. Letter
after letter he opened, glanced at, and
tossed carelessly aside Nothing sus-
picious so far. At length he came to a
more bulky envelope; he opened it; Just
looked at the contents; then. with an air
of embarrassed confusion, thrust il
hastily into his pocket.
But he was too late. His wife'5 sharp
eyes had caught sight of the contents of
that envelope-a padded and scented
card with a fancy border-and she was
down on it like thousand bricks.
Before he was aware. or could prevent
her, she had sprung forward, with flush
ing cheeks and blazing eyes, and snatched
it by a protruding corner from his pocket.
A valentine-yes And what
valentine! The picture of a nymph.
highly colored in warm flesh tints and
attired in the merest apology for raj
ment, at whom Il cupid, with extended
bow. was in the act of aiming an enor-
nous arrow.
Beneath that significant picture was
this still more significant doggerei
couplct
Q he mine, as am thine.
Thus implores your Valentine.
"Sias'!" demanded Mrs. Webb, trans
formed by wrath, jealousy and disgust
from her usually meek little self into
veritable Medusa. "Silas! Who has
sent you this-this disgraceful and in
decent thing? And you clergyman,
too. Answer me, sir!"
My dear-really, my dear"
Don't call me your dear Reserve
such tender phrases for the-the creature
who has sent you this. Who is she,
Silas? | demand to know"
Really, my-my dear, II can't
can't tell you; for II don't know my
self, he stammered.
That's a falsehood, Silas. You do
know"
Il DIDN'T, repeat"
Very well. Since you won't tell me,
| shall take steps to find out for myself
In the meanwhile, | shall keep this dis
graceful thing in safe custody, until |
have the opportunity of hinging it back
in the sender's face"
With that she sailed majestically from
the room her husband being too much
taken aback to attempt to stop her.
In the course of the morning she went
over, with the valentine in her posses
sion, TO show it to her friend Mollie
Gbbmgs, and to consult her as to the
best way of finding out the sender of the
mlssive
You were right Nlollie," She said
That creature whom you saw walking
with Silas the other night did send him
a valentine, as YOU suspected she would
and most disgraceful and indecent
one, too. Here it is. Did you ever see
anything 50 flagrantly shameless"
Mollie took the precious thing and
looked at it. She was in the habit of
using masculine slang in moments of eX-
element, and she did so now
We'll, must say this is a trine in
delicate" she said
But he must know who the creature
is with whom you saw him walking the
other night"
Mollie Gibbings smiled
oh! that was all a myth" she replied.
Il just told you the tale to arouse your
jealousy and make you look out for this
valentine, the discovery of which was to
force you - assert yourself and give
you. for the future. the whip hand of
your husband No doubt he really be
ieves that one of his numerous flames
did send it to him. And so long as he
eherishes that belief. and so long as YOU
keep the valentine to hold over his head
like a sword of Damocles, I'll be bound
you'll see an astonishing change for the
better in his behavior"
"Mollie, what do YOU mean? Then.
who sent him that disgraceful valen-
Il joJ
why, YOU goose, ! sent it myself. of
course chuckled Molle Gibbings.-
Truth.