Year: 1873

1
out into the street, saw my wife pass


ing by the door, and, perhaps, you cal


imagine my surprise upon discovering


that she wore brand new bonnet, on,


OF the most gorgeous and expensiv,


kind; and | thought-although it MAJ


have been imagination-that smile o.


triumph Illuminated her beautiful


countenance as she passed the door.


L had hardly time to recover my sur


prise when Captain Dodger passed me


as | stood in the door looking after my


wife, and methought that a smile OF


triumph Illuminated his countenanee


too


Now I am not of a jealous disposition


naturally, l believe; though, for that


matter, Othello declared that he wasn't t,


Notwithstanding the fact that we've ali


seen him smothering goed-lookine


young women upon the slightest sus-


picions but don't think that [ was
jealous of Captain Dodger at this time
though it is possible that was Just a
little suspicious, you know, like Othello.


Here were the facts Dodger was an
old lover of my wife's. He was hand
some, winning, agreeable and wealthy.
For some unaccountable reason, Miss
Blogstar chat was my wife's maiden
name) had rejected him and accepted
me. 1t wasn't unreasonable to suppose
that she had regretted it. Only that
morning she had said, go, why didn't
marry him p meaning Dodger, and
now at two o'clock in the afternoon, she
was parading the street in q new and
costly bonnet, with Captain Dodger
following close behind her.


0, no I wasn't jealous but [
would have given twenty-five dollars at
that moment to have known who
bought my wife's bonnet, and the more
L thought of it the worse felt about it,
until at last-although [ assure you 1
was not jealous--I was wrought up to
pitch of-well, we will say mild lunacy,
that rendered me decidedly unfit for
business, although it was impossible.
in the existing state of affairs, for me to
leave the store until very late hour
that evening.


1t was nearly eleven when I started
for home. I had taken the horse-cars
at first, but they were to slow for me, or
| was too nervous to sit still, and so [
got out and walked, or ran nearly all
the way home.


AS | turned the corner I was pleased
to see that light was burning in my
chamber


"My darling is waiting for me-" I
said, forgetting for one moment my
suspicious. "But hang it, cried [, as
they all rushed back upon my mind,
" where did she get that splendid
bonnet ?"


By this time had reached the house.
Below it was all dark they had even
turned off the gas in the hall, and no
light was to be seen save that cleaning
from my chamber window, and, as [
raised my eyes, perhaps youcan imagine
what were my feelings to see the shadow
of man distinctly outlined on the
curtain [ was sure it was man, be-
cause he was taking off his coat.


Iyelled, "This is to much If Cap
tain Dodger chooses to give my wife a
new bonnet, it"


At that moment the shadow took off
his vest, and [ seized my revolver and
rushed up the steps of the house, in
tending to burst in and shoot the cap
tain in his tracks.


| ap not a very bloodthirsty indi-
vldual, and [ don't make q practice of
numbering every man that happens to
smile sweetly upon Mrs W. II. Jack
spratt; but there is such thing as 60
ing too far in these things, and this
shadow had certainly got beyond all
reasonable limits, considering that nv
wife was a married woman. Don't Won
think so gentle reader?


With my revolver in one hand and
my latch-key in the other, [ attempted
to open the door, but it was locked. Il
think l did begin to be little Jealous
then, and if my memory serves me,
L think made some remarks about the
perfidy of woman, and declared nv in
tentlon of waaing in blood up to my
shoulders.


Excited as I was, it was very difficult
for me to make any plans for entering
the house without disturbing it's in
mates. L was in such o terrible rage
that 1t IS wonder to me now that [
didn't break the door down, and rush
In upon the perfdious Mrs. Jackspratt
and her military lover; but by a power
full effort [ restrained myself, and Creep
ing cautiously around the house I had
the good fortune to find window open
In the basement, through which [ !
crawled into the kitchen but as [ was
not very well acquainted with that
locality, the moment [ stepped away
from the window [ stumbled over q
chair, and my revolver coming in con-
tact with the table, one of its chambers
was discharged, and the report, of
course, woke everybody in the house.


u, how the women screamed and I |
could easily distinguish Mrs. Jack
spratt's musi cal yell above all the rest. |
AS for myself, my only fear was that
Dodger would make his escape in the
confusion, and SO I rushed up stairs,
revolver In hand, hoping to intercept
him in the front hail.


The women were still screaming, but
they didn't dare to leave their beds. and |
above the general clamor I could hear a
man s voice commanding them to be
quiet, and he would protect them.


But Mrs. Jackspratt wouldn't be
quiet. She was positively sure that
they would all be murdered in their
beds, and she was bound to die scream
ing and o, how she did scream I
wonder that her cries did not penetrate
my heart but I suppose it was harden
ed by the thoughts of Dodger and her
infdelity.


At last amid the uproar I distinctly
heard his footsteps on the stairs, and
saw through the gloom his tall form
descending toward me.