M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-07-31


slightly affected in the upper story. Did |
not see her with my own eyes7 And as to
myself, had only imbibed twice that day.
| was saving up in truth, for the party. for
| knew Mrs. G. had cellar Of glorious wine,
anl had no desire to mix it with anything
Indifferent"
"Well, what occurred next day?"
"Well, a policeman called at my office and
asked me Tor private audience. lie beg.
ged NE to see the chief of police, Mr.. Mat
sell, at once. The officers, he assured me-
were on my track. A description of my
person had been teegraphed in all directions,
to make certain ofmy arrest should attempt
to leave the city"
"But what fort"
"That is exactly the interrogation put
to my City Hall friend. But il was clear
that he only looked on it os an innocent rus.,
for he simply lifted his eyebrows, shrugged
his shoulders, gently commenced whistling
Casta Diua and walked off,"
$50 you went to see the chief"
without losing moment, told him
had learned that was wanted and accord
ingly was on had. He was an old friend, and
hence ] felt certain of good treatment"
"But.why don't you give the woman up,
Harry7' said the chief. 81 you do not,
shall be compelled to hand you over to the
bands of justice. But stop! Here comes
the gentleman himself whose heart you have
broken, Harry; whose home you have des.
poiled; whose hearth you have made desc.
late'
"And who should walk in but Mr.. Will
som.
"Oh. sir, he exclaimed as the chic intro.
duced me, 'ior Gods sake return to me the
wife OF my bosom; and the child of my af-
fectlon. Do not, | implore you,lob me Of all
that makes life dear to me! Do not, il YOU
have the feelings Of a man, drive a broken
hearted husband and father to absolute de-
spair."
"Why, what in the mischief had you
done. -
Nothing Nothing whatever; but they
all insisted that had carried Off Mrs. Will.
son the night before. as we'll as her child"
"And had she really eoped, after all7"
81 didn't know. They said so. They
bitterly accused me of abducting her, and
Mr. Wilson would listen to no details on my
part Of my innocence in the affair. | ad-
mitted that had been at Mr.. Wilson s house
that | had seen his wile-.-that | furtively
made my egress as he came in; but of course
| refused to betray the ladies, and | could
not betray their whereabouts"
"My admissions very naturally increased
the suspicion against me. Even the chic {
took me aside, and privately told me, as
friend, that he would advise me to drop such
shameful piece fgallantrT, and grew. quito
eloquent in his description of the domestic
misery was creating. In vain prot0ted
my Innocence. 1t only annoyed him. At
last, however, a thought struck me. At
what hour Mr.. Wilson, did you say your
wife left you?"
"kt eleven o'clock last night, the neigh.
bors say, in carriage, with the ch lid and
her trunks, and accompanied by q gentleman
very like Yourself"
"lt did not take much time to prove an
dlibi, you may imagine, in such case as
this. The chief soon ascertained that, at
eleven P. NJ, had eaten my supper at Tay-
lor's and found no difficulty in bringing
friends who had spent the entire evening with
me, and accompanied me home at II 2. NJ
to rest"
"But who did Mrs. Wilson elope with"
"Ah! that was the question. l never
found ont mysHlf for nearly year after
ward"
Zone day | had gone to Baltimore on bus
inesS, when, in Pratt-street, near Eutaw,
was astounded by my meeting my OUn mis-
sing suit Of clothes! ] recognized them in
moment. The weaTer of them seemed to b
perfect stranger to me. My first impulse
was to collar him as thief. But then wa.
in strange city, and where was my proof?"
"The rogue's GOODNESS was delicious. HI
appeared to comprehend his position in mo-
ment Yet he paused in front of me, look
ed me keenly in the eye, and burst out into
uncomfortable laugter You may fancy wheth
er or OF not was indignant. And then he
had the audacity to walk up 10 me and ex-
tend his hand, with Harry, my old boy
how are your just as il we were old acquain
tances.'
by JUve! it must have been Antoinette
in male attire"
you're perfect WIZARD exclaimed Har.
ry.
"And it was she, then, who had gone tC
your room, disguised as your washer woman
carried off your suit of clothes, and in tina
very apparel eloped with Mrs. Wilson ant
her child"
Exactly so--leaving me to endure tn,
suspicion and all the unpleasantness."
"And furnishing you with the materials
for this sketch?"
"You could not have hit the facts more ac
curately, had YOU been the hero of the ad
venture yourself"
"And the gentleman who passed the win
dow just now"
rs the Mr.. Wilson I alluded to, and
hope he will pardon me for reviving this sol
rowfal episode in his life-hiStory."