Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

30 articles on this Page

To-day's Short Story. * k…

News
Cite
Share

To-day's Short Story. k w Ilir » ——————— HER ABSURD JEALOUSY. Of coarse, pemaan. most inf&ulfwae Mrs. I Jack, who w--a irrationally and absurdly I jealous. She wanlted Jack aJI to herself. She was jealous not only ofevery woman to whom he epoke, bat of all hate men friends. She was, jealous of his amusements, of his club, of bis profession. On the offioe, however. depended not only their bread and butter, i but the chicken and cbampagne and other unconsidered trifles wh"ich make up the sum of household comfort, so she was obliged to put u-p with a rival in ilhat. With the club and Ulaertriends she would not put up; and as husfeauds, even the beet of them. can be surfeited with purely domestic bliss. at the end of a ryear Jack began to feel bored, and yearned rfor male society and aa occasional rubber. A strong man would freive said. I shall dine at the club to-night," and talken the oonsequenoes; but Jack wasn't strong. He had a horror of scenes, and preferred to descend to stratagem. The first rase succeeded, the second evoked doubt, and the third distrust- Mrs. Jack sent a wire to the office just after eeven o'clock. Jiaek <kVI not find it until the following morning, a-id the excuses he offered for the discrepancy were shame- fully inadequate. It wmc. weak of him, too, after his old theatrical frisiicl Kitty, thinking him alone, had given kim a somewhat effusive greeting on the beivace of the Star and Garter, to try and explain that she was merely a client; and Mrs. Taek, who had witnessed the rencontre as ghetfatne down the steps to join her husband, did not believe a word he said. She made inquiries among her friends as to Kitty's identity and antecedents, and, ad a result, she made up her mÜ d that Jack was carrying on a, clandestine flirtation with the pretty aetress. That surreptit ious investi- gations of his letters and perscxnal effects produced no evidence of the existen oe of such an affair only eonsrinced her of his deep duplicity. She ransacked his draw ers and boxes and turned out the pockets of his roats without disco-wring any compromising iocurnents, bat ^be did find an old itoto- craph of Kitty, which she prom Vtly destroyed. Jack. who had forgotten its v'ry existence with his evaporated interest in Ûte fair original, never discovered his loss, ami his consequent silence was set down by his wife as the sign of a guilty conscience. It was unfortunate tha.t in this frame of mind Mrs. Jack should have accepted an invitation to combine afternoon tea with an inspection of the inner workings of the Post Office. Given a small and select party, a care- fully-considered impromptu feast, and a very big official as your guDie. there is no more interesting field of exploration, and Mrs. Jack was both pleased and interested up to the fatal moment when among a heap of unsorted letters her eyes fell on a square <envelope addressed to "Miss La Dene'' in a hand which struck her as singularly familiar. The temptation wm sudden, and presented itself with irresistible force. Some one was pointing out a highly original address, and Mrs. Jaek. leaning forward to look at the object on which, for the moment, general attention was centred, dexterously contrived to sweep half a dozen envelopes on the floor. Oh. -I am sorry; how dreadfully careless of me," she. replied, stooping to collect the scattered letters. Then Mrs. Jack, her eyes alight, her heart beating- in most audible throbs, and every nerve tingling with excitement, passed into the next department, with a letter addressed j to another woman concealed in the fluffy folds of her la-oe parasol. 111. her cab home she opened the stolen letter. It was dated from Jack's club, and it get forth that the writer had arranged for a dinner, a deux. on Sunday at 7.30, pri- vate room. Wouldn't darling Kittum's cha-nge her mind and come? Wouldn't she wire "Yes to the club as usual, and if by any chance she should arrive nrst. remem- ber to ask for No. 47, and go straight up- stairs. The note was signed, Yours ever, Jack Rigrby." Mrs. Jack clenched her small hands at the signature, for Rigby was Jack's second name. ? To act on impulse is a.lmost invariably to commit a folly for which no subsequent re- pentance can atone. Mrs. Jack acted on impulse, when stopped her cab at the nearest post-office, wen't in. and despatched a telegram. After this she returned home and "dissembled," meeting her husband with an over-ela.borate air of simplicity aad meekness, in which an experienced man would instantly have detected danger. Jack was an ho-f later than usual. He had been "detaii^K^y a client," and was immensely surprisei-- and relieved to find that Mrs. Jack, instead of sulking, was sweetly sympathetic; her method was supe- rior to Jack's. "By the way," she said carelessly, when they had adjourned to the verandah for coffee, "I have almost promised to go to the Marshalls on Sunday. They are in town for a week, and I havea't seen Dora since ab* married. She has made such a point of this visit. You won't mind my leaving you for one afterurom,? Jack fairly jumped at the proposal. Of course, he did not mind. He was delighted that she should have a little change. It was really an excellent arrange- ment, too, for his old chum, Arnold. had asked him down to Maidenhead on Sun- day, and he had only hesitated, thinking: she might be dull, etc. Mrs. Jack listened, with a smile on her lips and rage in her heart. She knew what it was worth, this story of Arnold and the river, but she was some- what nonpldased when Sunday came and Jack departed in flannels by the nine a.m. train. She would have understood it better if he had taken a bag; but how could he dine at the cafe in flannels.? "He means to change at the club," she thought; "he must keep some clothes there on purpose. I hate that woman; I hate Jack, and to-night I'll let him know it-the mean, horrid, deceitful wretch." 3be spent the rest of the morning in per own room crying, and the afternoon in medi- tating vengeance. At a quarter past, seven Us&- Jack, divinely gowned and looking her best. descended from a hansom at the entrance to the cafe and, with the calmness of innocence and a righteous CauBe, inquired for Mr. Rigby and No. 47. Mr. Bigby was not yet arrived; but, after some hesitation, the head waiter, with an Air of discreetly veiled surprise and curio- sity, led the way Ufpetairs to a small dining- room, luxuriously upholstered in crimson plush, where covers were laid for two. She turned her back on the table and looked out of the window through a mist of tears. Someone rattled the handle of the door. Not so very late, after a.U!" cried a i voice, which made Mrs. Jack jump as if she had been shot, and then stand rigid, paralysed with dismay, while she stared helplessly on the face of a tota,l stranger. A big, blonde young man, in evening dress, had come round the screen which stood before the door, and Was regarding Mrs. Jack with undisguised astonishment. "I beg your pardon," he said, after a prolonged scrutiny, but I think there must be some mistake." With a desperate effort Mrs. Jack found her voice. I—I am so sorry," she otaminemd, white to the very lipk; the waiter told me the wrong room. I asked for—No. 47. and completely losing her head-" and Mr. Rigby." But this is No. 47, and my name is Eigby." Then with a sudden, inspirations You haven't come from Kitty, have you? She isn't ill or—anything?" Mrs. Jack threw, out her hands with a gesture of despair. No!" she cried, almost choking1 with shame and confusion. "No, no, no! It is all a dreadful mistake." Without waiting for further questions she pushed past him, fled downstairs into the street, hailed a cab, and before the astounding Rigby could recover his presence of mind, his uninvited gueat wrags tearing home as fast as a good horse and the promise of a double flare could take her. When Jack r-e-turned from the river in the I best of spirits, and nobly tanned by hiis eight hours under the July sun, he found his wife had gone to bed- I In the morning he asked her how she had enjoyed her visit to the Marsha lis. Mrs. Jack turned a way her n-eoo, and blushed. I I did not go, after all," she said, with some hesitation. When I got to town I felt so ill. and-and wretched, that I took a cab and came straight home again." It was a very subdued Mrs. Jack who crept about the house fof" the next few days. starting guilty at every knock and ring, and turning white at the mere sight of a post- man. Jack might have dined at the club four nights a week without remonstration, but he was worried by his wife's depression, and insisted on staying at home to cheer her up. He nearly drove her to distraction by inquiring what was the matter, and the prolonged tete-a-tete under his affectionately scrutinising eyes became so embarrassing that the conscience-stricken woman was thankful when a dinner invitation relieved her of the prospect of at least one long evening alone with her husband. I It happened that they, from some un- ( avoidable delay, arrived rather late, and i 'had hardly shaken hands with their hostess iSefore dinner wat, announced, and Mrs. J^sck found herself confronted by a tall, blode. young man, whose appearance inspired her with the most acute sensations of hosror and dismay. Mrs. Jack, her eyes on the ground, felt ,herself turning Ted and white. Had he i recognised her? ITer knees were shaking under her as she laJQ her fingers on the proffered arm of the man whom she had last met under such eqroi-wocal conditions. The soup went around, and people began to talk. The dinner was a big one. and general conversation impossible. As the buzz ot voices rose to safety pitch, Mr. Rigby turned to his neighbour. I have known your husband for some time," Tie said; "we are both members of the same club, but I hadn't the least idea that you were .his wife. I never was more surprised in my life than I was to see you here." Mrs. Jack wa 16 silent. But I am particularly glad to meet you," puœued her to?'mentor blandly, because now you will be a?le to explÜn how you ea.me to be in-in ?\. 47 the other night." But I can't explain," she answered. "I don't want to bO hard upon you, but "I d<)n't want to b*. when a. lady interferes unasked in my affairs I have a rig At to request an explanation, and I mean to" ;set to tile-bottom of this business." I—really don't understate." murmured the unhappy little woman, .with a vain attempt at dignity. Then, I'll explain," said Ri'.by, dryly. I wrote a letter, fully addressed, to a certain lady, asking her to dine wii-b me at a hotel on a given date. Though sho never received that invitation, it is acceptvvl by telegram in her name, and on arriving at the rendezvous I nnd you, a total stranger, in her pla?e. You Mmitted that there had been some mistake, but you asked not only for the room I had engaged by number, bat for me by name. How could you have known either except by reading my letter? The telegram signed with my friend's name was handed in by a, person whose description answers exactly to yours. I think you will hardly deny that you sent it. Now, you don't know Kitty, and you don't know me; what possible motive had you for interfering with our concerns? I want an explanation. Will you be kind enoush to explain?" It had nothing to do with you," she said, with flaming cheeks. I know nothing about you, and care less. I never expected to see you at that horrid place. I-I exppeted Jack." "Expected your husband!" incredulously. The ice was broken; Mrs. Jack rushed her explanation with reckless haste. Your writing Is so like his. When I saw that letter, I thought it was from Jack, and iI opened it. It was dated from his club, and Kigby is his second name. He knew Kitty. She spoke to him one evening when we had been dining at Richmond, and he had her photograph in his desk. I did .send that telegram, and—and you know the rest." •' Yes," said Digby, meditatively, but where did you find the letter? In the street, perhaps ?" Incautious Mrs. Jack instantly fell into the trap. She prevaricated, and was lost. "Perhaps," she suggested, the servant may have dropped it?" Possibly the servant might," replied Rigby, mildly, "if I hadn't posted it myself." He thought a little. Mrs. Jack was incapable of speech. Rigby saw that very little more would reduce her to a faint or hysterics, and in common charity he let her alone for the rest of the dinner, and talked to the woman on his left. Later on in the evening he watched his opportunity, and sauntering over to the corner where Mrs Jack was sitting, took ^he chair beside her just vacated by his host. He had profited by the interval between the withdrawal of the ladies and the men's return to the drawing-room to make a few inquiries, and a mutual friend had con- fided to him several details of Jack's menage and of pretty Mrs. Jack's unfortunate failings. Rigby, with the benevolent sentiments engendered by a good dinner, had begun to feel rather sorry for her, and was willing to accord conditional pardon for the uninten- tional wrong she had done. I don't .suppose you will ever be friends with me now," he said, but I don't want you to go away thinking me a downright brute. I have only one question to ask. and then we will settle this miserable matter once and for ever. Beside that letter, had you any grounds for believing that your W ————'  -—— husband was corresponding with Kitty?" Mrs. Jack confessed with shame that she had none. "Then, said Rigby, "a priest is not allowed to use a confession to the injury of the mnfec-see--and I am next door to a parson. If I become accessory and all that, and promise on my honour never to disclose any of the circumstances attending on and connected with the disappearance of that letter, will you on your part undertak" not to try your hand again at detective work. and more particularly refrain from imagining scandals about women of which they are perfectly innocent?" Yes," agreed Mrs. Jack, with contrition, I promise—on—my—honour." She had a conscientious doubt as to the existence of an honour which had already countenanced theft and scandal. "Then." said Rigby, I swear that neither your husband nor any other liv-ing soul shall hear of the matter from me."

Advertising

For Women Folk.

STRUGGLE WITH BURGLARSI

EARL CAWDOR'S RESIGNATIONI

BURGLAR-HERO LITERATURE I

PETROL EXPLOSIONI

IPassing Pleasantries.

Advertising

Strangiers of Paris

I CRICKET RECORDS

ICARDIFF AMUSEMENTS ..1

I MESSRS. CAMpBELL'S STEAMERS…

Advertising

To-morrow's Racing. T o-morros…

,:. : PAID IN FULL

SWIMMI.NG CHAMPIONSHIP

FOREIGN MAILS

I -GIRL ON FIRE

IRED FUNNEL LINE

Advertising

IDog Detectivesi

' " = I I RIGHT __PLACE FOR…

CARDIFF CARNIVAL

1 -7-I TATTOOED MAN'S SUICIDE…

STRANGE CASE OF LETHARGY

The Fair Sex Supreme! ;——-—x——

INOTED BAPTIST MINISTER

,SCENE IN A CHURCHI

Advertising