The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-28
THE RING And THE LADY.

few round to St Matthew's vicarage'
where she had a lnog private inter
view. When the curate went next
morning for his days instructions, ne
was greeted by his superior in the
sternest and most frigid of tones.
Come in here, if you please, Mr.
Bisgood." said the vicar, leading the
way to his study. q have something
very unpleasant to discuss with you"
The curate wondered.
BE good enough to explain to me"
demanded the vicar, "how it is that
you were seen to go into the house Of
that bad woman yesterday, and to re-
main with her for an hour and 16 min
utes?"
Eth? What on earth do you mean?
To whom are you referring?" cried the
curate, in establishment and indigna-
ton.
Don't pretend ignorance, sir. You
know very WE'LL" retorted the vicar
witheringly. Whom should l mean
but that abandoned creature who calls
herself Mrs Robinson-a woman
whose name is a by-word, in the town,
and whose house no self-respecting
person would be seen to enter-much
less a minister of the gospel, like your
self"
The curate looked much taken
aback Mrs. Robinson bad charac-
ter? Impossible! That she was viva
cious had been obvious enough to him
during their hours agreeable tete-a-
tete But that there was anything
seriously amiss with her he could
scarcely believe.
Il did happen to go and see a Mrs.
Robinson yesterday, under rather pc
culiar circumstances" he answered.
Very peculiar, l have no doubt,
interposed the vicar, with biting sar-
casm.
My ealing upon her, however, was
the purest of accidents"
"Oh! of course" said the vicar,
more and more sarcastic
Il beg you will do me the justice Of
hearing me out" rejoined the curate,
his color rising. And he told the vicar
the exact circumstances.
The vicar listened with offensive in
credulity. "A very pretty and ingeni-
Gus story, Mr. Bisgood. I really don't
know which to commend the more
your ingenuity in concocting it, or
your effrontery in telling it,"
DO you mean to say you don't be-
lieve me?" demanded the curate, be-
ginning to grow hated.
The vicar laughed 81 wasn't born
yesterday" he sail and even of had
been, I should still have thought your
story rather thin-especially your hit
ting on the woman's name accidental
ly, without any previous knowledge of
her"
Robinson is common enough
name And, likely, or not, it is pre-
cisely what happened" answered the
citrate.
Again the vicar laughed his scofing
laugh. You must have heard Of so
notorious a person" he said. "a wom-
an who is constantly visited on Sun
days by fiashy acquaintances-m mostly
men-in motor cars, and who enter
tains them in the small hours with
music and feasting and reveling. Why,
sir, the goings on are the talk of the
town. And you expect me to believe
that you had never heard of her No!
no! Mr. Bisgood. Try that story on
somebody a few years younger than
am"
The curate was by this time in a
white heat of passion.
You're the first man who has ever
dared to call me a liar; and I've a
good mind to thrash you for the in
suit, yOu-you-smug Pharisee!" he
cried in a voice that trembled with
rage.
The vicar slipped hastily round to
the other side of his study table. He
was not a warrior, except 1inguistical-
ly.
You are not improving your posi-
ton by insolence, Mr.. Bisgood. Had
you been penitent and contrite, l
might have given you another chance.
But the sooner you leave Tootham, the
better"
III so today" calculated the cur
ate.
The pious vicar was SO much upset
that it was some days before he re-
covered his equanimity. However. an
encouraging letter from the patron of
the living of St Peters, which the
vicar received on the third day after
the curate's departure, did much to
soothe his rufied feelings. The letter
ran as follows: