A Mythical Monster

Al.out four years ago I became the hnsband of a very charminsigirl inone of our easteriï ieal oard cities. In my márriage svith Ma bel Laneall theconventionali; ies were fulfilled. She was a few yeava my junior- modest, domefll ie - and thia, I sincerely believehor i! t.u Inmnt. Even our complexions presen ted the proper extremes, he being a perfect blondo and I da ik brunette. I loved lier sincerely. I was in comfortablecircumstiinces.and on our wedding-day I saw no renson wliy our in ar ried life should not be bathed in pérennial sunshine. Such would probably have been the case had it not been for tin unfortunate defect in my dis' posilion. I may as well state bero tli.it before our marrJAge I had devoted myself pret t y largely to that agricultural pursuit known as sowing wild oats. I cannot say tlixt I was vicious, but I loved the company of goöd fellows. Lato hours liad a peculiar fascination for me, and the pop of a champange cork firedmeas the report of a cannon is said to thrill a war-horse. These thipgs, which were never countod more tlian 'wildness' in a sinule man, I suddenly found became heinous vices and utter depravity in a married one. Like many another I had difficulty in adjusting myselt to the changed condition of aft'airs, and there the troublc began. So il was that after spending all my evc-nings faithfully at home for a month I began to drift back into the old routine and pleadéd anincrease of business toMable asan excuse for later hours. Idftl this gradually. Now and then (jiialnis of conscience would conquer force ot habit, and I would beentirely domesticand devoted forseveral days at a time. Then I would backslide and come home at 1. It was not that my affection for my wife diminished. On the contrary, it increased. I was never ao happy as when in her eompany, but I think it must have been a etrain of old Bohemia in my veins that drew me with a subtle force back to the boys. All this, though, was as nothing compared to the actual downfall that bagan one night in earnest. I recatl it Bhudderlngly, hesitattngly. As I entered Qirrcate nnunu.sual lightwarned rne that Mabel waited for me, ar.d I sluit my Ups tigtrt with annoyance and contrition as I look at my watch and saw it was after 12. I found her in tears. "0, Frank!" sho sobbed, "I am very unhappy!" "Not unhappy with me, are you, Mable?" 1 asked. "No, no" she said, "but unhappy because I am without you so much. I am surtí it can not be business that keeps you out at these awful hours. 0, Frank, teil me, what was it kept you so late?" "Well, Mabel," I answered, feeling it useless to resort to the old story, "the fact is I met afriend of mine who is something of a bore, and he held me in conversation for a couple of hours." "Who was be?" "Bancroít," I said desperately, using the first name that into my mind, "a fellow named George Bancroft." "What does he do!" I feit that. I was in for it and told her he was the accountant at Reed's tea-store. There were a few more tears, but her suspiciona were lulled and peace was declared. I went to sleep, I blush to say it, with a sort of guilty Batislactiori that I had done a smart thing. Little did Idream of the precipice on which I was treading. A few niahts afterwards, when I was late again, Mabel met me with the inquiry: "1 Buppóse you were aut with that Bancroft?""Yer, dear," I replied, catching at tlie straw, "Bancroft is a pretty good fellow after all, Mabel. He has a scheme on foot for some real-estate nvestments, and we were talking it over." "Vhat, has he money?' she said in surprise. "Then he must be of a saving disposition. Perbaps he is a better man than 1 thought. Teil me BOmething about him Frank. Where he live?" " He has a room at - at - 20 Staunton place; No. 12, I believe." I choose Staunton place upon the inspiraüon of the moment because it was a lonc: distance from where we lived and consisted oí only two short blocks, so I was quite sure Mabel would never íind or penétrate them. To my fireat relief she did not pursue her investigatioiijj furtlier, bui threw mn into consternation at the table next lay by looking at me wistfully and saying: "Frank, I am quite curious about friend, Mr. Bancroft. Doea ho look like you?" "Nu," I sáid, giving my imaginación rein, "he is shorter and of light complexión." "Does h.3 wear a beard?" "Yes, a full beard, cropped close." "What color are bis e Some foul liend prompted meto sad he was cross-ryeil, and that one organ was blue and onegray. "How vefy singular," said Mabel with growing interest. "I should like to see him. Teil me about his real estáte scheme." I feit that if I besitated I was lost, and laying down my knife and fork, ] eutered into a detailed account of a series of tictitious investments cont'inplated by Bancroft and myself . ] did not originally intend togosodeep but her questions drew me out, am succesaive step was necessary for preservatióii. As 1 walked out of the front gate I feit like aconvicted fellow Hojsever, themythica! Banfroftwas a convenient personage, and I ronclud ed that, now that 1 had invented hin aid ijut my foot in it, po to speak, ' might as WL-11 use him to all possible advantage. Consequentie : Bancroft was pleaded night after nigh with success, althoueh the continué questioníng of my wiie involved me ii ', a tissuu oí falsehood so monstrous that I wasafraid to contémplate it. About this time I became alarmei lest sheshould visit bis Bupposedplac j of business to read him a lectura up i on his habits, and told her he had lef Reed's and gone to an up-town store This necessitated goinginto all the de tails as to why he left, which I gav I shamejtossly. My ccnscience was In such a oondition by that time thai 1 was lesa i rouble I over my tabrí"0 ion oí coinplicftted lies than I Was thn I slionUl croas inyself in some ol theni. How ihtricate, liow manifold and multiplied they werecan be imagined when I say tliat a(. tho end oí two years Mabel was still unsuspicious. Sbehad however.conceiveda violent dielike, growing into an ntter abhorrence, of the man. Tliis was engendered bya peculiar turn which the fiction happened to take. One night tlielirst pencilings of dawn were Bhowing in the skies when J returned lióme. I hart not intended ti stay so lato. 1 re&lized with a siidden and humiliating forcé that I was a brute to leáve a young girl alone, nnprotected, anxious and afraid througli the longnight. I felt ashamed, mortilied, and above all alarnu'd for I was weU awnre a scène awaited me. With beating heart I entered the house. Mabel was in bed, and turnedher head slightly without lookingat moor Bpeackihg. 1 feit ïntuitively that she was orying. At that instant, any plan, any He, uo matter how black, that would have celieved the poor girl's distress would have seenied noble to me. So it was with no pang of conscience that I Bank into a chaii and exclaimed in a hollow voice: "O, Mabel, if you had Been what I have seen you would be sk'k at heart." "What was it, Frank?" she asked with instant curiosity, sitting up in bed. This was the efïect I had calculated upon, and for a moment I said nothíiiKas if too much overeóme to speak. Thcn in a low tone I continued: "Bancroft is m j;iil?" "O, Frank!" she cried, her eyes suddenly dilating. what has he done!" AgainI was overeóme with emotion; I had to have time to tliink. "You know how Bancroft ia when he is drinking," I said, linally. "Yes," she replied, eagerly, "very uavrelsome." Exactly. Well, we were playins a amo of billarda last night. I hadn't loticed that he was undor the influence of llquor, but he got into a dispute villi n clergyman, who was a perfect tranger, and took bis billiard cue and " "Killed ti ie minister!" shrieked Mabel. "Xo, thrust it down hW throat and jroke it otl!" Mabel stopped herears and Ipaused or breath. "Of course," I went on, "he was arested and I went out to get bail for lim." "What business is that of yours!" asked Mabel, staarply. "For your sake, dear," I replied. 'Although no party to the affair I ealized how the linking of my name vith it would pain and mortify niy ittle airl, so I detormined to sink my pride and aak some of my friends o go on Bancroft's bond to hush the matter up." "You dear, olddarling," saidMabcl, mpetnously, "can yon ForgiVe mev I forgave her, and, assnning the mein of a martyr, went to bed. From ;hat moment, however, she regard ed ïancroit as my bad angel, and hated lim with all the cordiality of indiglánt womanhood. Meantime Bancroft had commenced ;o haunt me. From being a naturally rank and open disposition, I becanio ireternaturally vigilant and alert, earful each instant that I would )etray myself and realizing that each day put mefurther from the possibiliy of an explanation. I grew pre-occupied, moody, moróse. My ñervos, quivering under the tensión, were givng way. I looked scared and guilty. The very narne of Bancroft was hatenl to me, and when my wife harped ipon him I feit that I should go mad f I did not get away. He had become astonishingly real to me, and I feit niy ersonality becoming mixed and neshéü with this myth- this man of air and nothingness- in a marnier that ipset all my previoua Rotions of idenity. I alinost believed that I hadacually met Bancroft. at some time, or that I was living a dual existence. 'n short, I was on the verge of lunacy when the climax carne. One evening when f went home to supper in my usual perturbed state of rmnd there was a strange man at my ;ate. He had a keen, hatchet face, and wore a slouch hat. "Mr. Frank N. Styne, I believe." "Yes, sir." "I am a member óf the city detec;ive foice. The chief wants tosee you at his office." "All right," I gasped. my brain in a whirl. "Wait till I go in and see my wife. "Your wife is at the office," he realied with a peculiar smile. Shocked and alarmed beyond exiression, I plied him with questions, Dut he insisted that he knew nothing of "the case," as he called it, and huiried me alona. Tlie fact that I had not the sligíitest idea what Mabel could be doing at the pólice headquar;ers redoubled my fears. The chief's office wasapproached by a series of passageways, at the end of of one which I saw.as in a field-glass.a room in which were seated my wife and a stout gentleman in uniform, whom I knew by sightandreputation. Mabel did not seem friphtened, but was very pale and wore a determined iook. "Mábel!" I crie3, aa I rushed in, what does this mean?" "Yoar wife," interposed the chier, blandly, "states that you are acquainted with the occupant oi room 12, No. 20 Staunton place. Is such the fact?" " hat about it?" I asked, appreciating the necessity of gaining some more information befo re committing myself. "Have y ou seen th evening papers?" "No." "Then," said the chkf, "I will teil you frankly what I want, for I believe you to be il man of reputation. The occupant of room 10, .No. '20 Staunton place, was muidered last night, and the occupant of room 12 is suspecte;!. We could not f'md out who that individual was, but yourwjfebaa been kind enough to inform us that it is a party, named Bancroft, afriend of yours. We want Bancroft. When and where did you see hini last?" I feit the ground sudden'y slipping from lindel' my feet. TIib whole horror of my eituation flashed upon me. Mabel spoke up; 'Krank," she said "when I saw thatnuruberin the paper this af ternoon I knew that it wás Bancroft. 1 could not keep silent after such a dreadful thing, and I telt that this was perhaps the way open to break your eonneelion with that wretch. So I put on my Ihings and canie down here. It was for both our sakes. O, Frank, teil the gfitlernan all you know of that man and let us at least get our skirts clear of thisawful crime." The chief looked at me fixedly. i'nder certain circumstancea a man's bram will work like lightning. In an instant I had fonnuiated a plan. 'llave you a private room?" ] asked. "Yes," he replied, "come this way." "Wait here, I said to Mabel; "do not be alarmed I will teil him all." When the chief closed the door ol the inner room I said to him very calmly: There is no such man as Bancroft. He is a mere creation of my poor wife's fancy," I said. "Explain yourself." "I will. If you will make the most i inqnii i ? ;■ ■■ ■■ '■■ ' ' ■ t no sin !. ■ l! shc I!1 yon I i :k in lea wloiv": "Yes, I 1 j ;i ■'. e cii 1." "W'ell. inqnire ;r "Rtvil's ftnj yon will lcnni Lliat liu ntfvvi1 hn I anch a man m liis employ, Tli ■ :.!■■■ is, my wife uxhiliita al hiñes certain signé of aberra! ion. Tliis iniíiin.iry man Bancroft ia the inost noticeable une. I liad lioped, sir, to keep tliia seci lockef] foroyer in niy own broa-' i. Ijut t hese ciri'iiin itanws forcb me, ofc iwse, to m.-iki' fi (■oiil'c.sion of ü loyou. I tnist. tu) ;i gentleman, yon wi'l notbeti'ay t h is melancholy conlid; nrr. My pliysician haa ivarned me nol to ilislurb the liallncination, '-l-o I wqnld have warnéfl yon in tln other room. [ sirppose stíe told yon, amon; otlier thines, tlmt Bancroft orco tliruit a billi.ird cue down a dergyman's 1 liroa.t." "Yea, ene did say sometbing about that?". "Well, liow preposterous thal is' fío yon want. próot? Wli a clcivyiiutn be doingaroundabülitird .saloon'.'" The chif was con vinced. ''I notved sonietliing queer about her eyt.j, In1 eaid, grasping my hand sympathlBtieally. "Oepend upon me to kfeep mum." Mabel was anxiously waiting om coming. "It ia all right, Mrs. Styne," saiclthe chief. "Your Imsband has tolii me every thin; andyou can go now. J'm niuch oblided to.you." S!ie crieil a litfle on the way home and wanted to be sure I wás nol. angry. "Where has that inonstereom?" Se ,'isked. "He has (led." I replied, "and nill never bol her ih aeajrr."