The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-05-02

lis VIC Sii = bi'ti t'IiiuSt, lpgf'tUe
with her bcljet ''tIlat she had gone clean
rav;n' distracted !"
In the 9npantime Mrs. Barnes pushe,
OF towards th8 depot. She carte,
| through the streets and switched roufl,
the corners with a CELEBRITY that aston
shed every one who saw her, but it wa.
| half ,niir distant, and when she reach.
ed the platform the bell was sounding
for the train 10 move.
4irs. Daruea cast hurried and search.
| ing glance around. Hex heart gave a
/ sudden bound. YES, ther2 IL was, t?.pfe
! was her f,ithIrsS husband! His ba"':: was
towards her, bui She sltoul! know him
anywhere. IL was just stepping On
board, and s}ring,ng forward, Sic chung
trantically to the skirts Of his coat.
"What do You want ? Are You crazy,
woman Let go my coat-tails -
Wrenching himself away from hcr
frenzied clutch, the man turned towards
her face, familiar indeed, but not the
one she expected to see.
"EIess my soul and body !" he eiacu
lated, as he obtained full view of his
fair assailant, "if it isn't Mrs. Barnes,
who I supposed was at deaths door, or
near it -
"This is pretty how dye dol" he
added, in dismay. as the train thundprel
past him my wife gone on to New Yorl,
alone, aud left behind What the
dence dye mean, ma'am, by dragging
me of the cars this way p
And the good-hearted, but rather
chole9ic Mr.. Jones stared at his unwit-
ting detainer, with Iuuicrous mingling
of perplexity, establishment and wlath.
Sinking with shame and confusion,
Mrs. Barnes saw, to her great relief, her
husband approaching. lie elbowed his
way through the crowd that had gather
ed round the spot, and taking possession
Of her with very little ceremony, dppos-
tied her ia coach near by. Then,
after interchanging few words with
Mr. Jones, whose similarity of dress and
figure had led to tI:is-especialy to him
-vexati0us mistake, he told the coach
man where to drive and took a seat by
her side.
"WelI, my DEAR" he said, removing
lis hat and wiping the prespira:ion from
his flushed face, "you may b. in u dy-
Ing condition for aught | can say to the
contrary, but | sI.vuldn't care to run
race with you again. caught glimpse
of you, whisking round the corner of nv
Office, and rushed out to head vou off
but might as well have tried to stop a |
locomotive. I suppose I shall know,
what all this hurrah is about, |
but must confess that it is something of
a mystery to me at present.
Here Mr. Barnes leaned back in lis
seat, as though trying to enact the role
Of" Patience on monument" falling
most lamentably.
Mrs. Barnes felt that she was placed
in very awkward position, but was by
no means sure that hebsuspicicns were
after all. g
Well, Mr.. Barnes, Tshould like to
Know tie meaning of tAq1." she said,
taking the billet 'to!n her pocket and
handing it to Ler husband -.
Il don't see but what its meaning is
clear enough" he replied, as he ran his
,ye over it.
"Did you write it -
II did"
land you have the assurance to look
ne in the face and acknowledge it 2"
1t strikes me that you use rather
strong language" said Mr. Barnes, dry
y. 1t may sound foolish now, but
you must remember that it was written
o you in onr courting days, when lit
lie nonsense of that sort is pardonable."
Written to me p
Certainly. Just look at the date of
AS Mrs. Barnes did SO, she discovered
What had quite escaped her notice be-
ore. that it was dated four years back.
Instantly it all flashed upon ermind;
n clearing her bureau the day before,
t had, doubtless, fallen upon the floor,
md by some means got out into the hall.
As she recalled the circumstances under
which it had been written, tears of NOR
ification and regret filled her eyes and
hoked her utterance.
"Who do you think it was written
~ inquired Mr. Barnes, with puz-
led look. ...
"To-to Laura was the sobbing re-
'ly. .;..- .-. -#.
~ 1t was now MI. Barnes turn to BEN
l
And you thought we: were run 1qaFl!l :
e together ha =! ha ha, Mistaking
Ir. Jones for me, poor fellow I never
hall forget how You looked tugging
way at the skirts of his coat! Ha! ha!
ia! No, my dear, I'm sorry to hurt your
ceilings. but it is too good joke to pass
yer; you really must let me laugh"
And laugh he did, and so heartily
hat his wife was forced to join IN it, al
eit her mirth was little hysterical.
Whether it was her race to the depot,
which put her in such a fine pl aspiration,
r the hearty laugh she enjoyed in her
ide back. Mrs. Barnes was completely
ured, to the great joy of her husband,
nd the satisfaction of all concerned.
Mrs. Green was accordingly dismissed
nth kind words and presents, and who
eclared !" that it was the most sudden
nd surprisin' cure that she ever heard ]
I'll of, in all her born days r
-~----~-~e.a@~..~~~-~~
You Cannot Escape Szander.-Let
o one suppose that by acting a good
art through life,, he will escape SANDER.
here viii be those even who hate them
Or the very qualities that ought to pro-
ure esteem. There are some folks in