The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-06-14
A QUARTET
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In the spring Of 1879 a young couple,
Mr.. and Mrs. Chaplin, appeared in d
western city, and. having found lodg-
lngs, the husband sought employment.
He developed striking business talents,
and 1t 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 vas not we'll
with the Chapins. A young man, Ar,
thur Gilman, was devoting 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
rs to his wife's attendant, seeming to
be himself absorbed in a friendship
with one of his own sex. He and
Fletcher Ford We're inseparable. They
constantly drove out together. attended
amusements together and at social EN-
tertainments would sit chatting togeth-
A.. ;~,I>,J 80 ln-,- bnr,ro1y,nS %,
the women.
"What a fool" said Madam Grundy,
80 be SO devoted to a man friend as
TO let his wife drift into trouble"
The world did not see all that vas
going on in the quartet. II 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-
sonally he considered Mrs. Chaplin per-
fectly innocent, society was becoming
shocked.
The admonition was taken in good
part. Chaplin admitted. that he had
noticed Gilman's attentions, but his
confidence in his wife's purity was
absolute. The only change that came
from Ford's interference was that Gill
man and Mrs. Chapih were seen less to-
gether in public. But Gilman was still
10 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 Chxpin's house II evening
aud told him that their friendship was
at an end.
Chaplin at this thrust broke down,
and Ford was astonished to see a tear
in bis 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 Chapin's value Of
his good opinion. Ford ~atfectionately
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 III 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 oom with a
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
cas- 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 alternated between
bushes and pallor, and she seemed Ill
at ease in her feminine apparel.
"Henry Chapin!" exclaimed Ford.
"What do you mean by getting your.