Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-21

Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE MISSING WIFE.
BY WITHERsPOON ERvIl
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
"Gone !" exclaimed old Captain Player, as
he lifted the pipe from his mouth, and stared
up, in surprise, at his wife, who was sitting at
the opposite corner of the chimney. "Why,
Susan, where on earth could she have gone
to; and what could she have gone for?'
''That is the news they bring, Mr.. Player,
answered his wife, as she laid her knitting
down in her lap, and adjusted her lace cap
"but what could have led Matilda to leave
her husband-if she has left, really-is more
than I can imagine don't think he is alto
gether the best and most affectionate husband
in the world, but don't know that he has
ever treated his wife with Intentional unkind-
ness, or been cruel to her"
"No; he's good enough sort Of man, |
believe" rejoined old MI. Player, as he puffed
more vigorously at his pipe, which, in his sur
prise, he had nearly suffered to 60 out. IL
don't think he would be exactly cruel to Ma
tilda, but have always thought him one Of
those kind of men that don't know what a
tender thing woman is, and how to humor
all her little weaknesses. But never thought
him right down bad man at heart"
maybe you don't know him we'll, Mr..
Player"
"I'm sure, Susan, he always conducted him
self very we'll, so far as we know"
eyes; but we don't know everything, Mr.
Player"
"Well, can't deny that. Susan" rejoined
her husband, who felt posed by the manner in
which the statement had been put, and who
seemed looking around for some means Of
controverting so unfavorable proposition /;
"but think we ought to know Tom Galloway
pretty well by this time, since he has been
living almost in sight of us for ten years; and,
I must say" added Mr.. Player, in more de-
cided manner, as if urged to it by suddenly
recurring sense of justice, "that in all that
time Tom Galloway has made very good
neighbor, and acted pretty squarely with eve
ry one He is not a cross-grained man, am
sure. You never knew any harm of him, did
you, Susan?"
"Well, no-o," answered Mrs. Player, in a
manner that implied the censure she hesitated
to express.
"I think, Susan, you are rather too hard on
Tcm," suggested her worse half, mildly.
"Why, bless me, Mr.. Player| CALCULATED
his wife, "what have said about the man ?"
and she fixed heney upon him with that
peculiar gaze that requires categorical an
swer.
"said% asked Mr.. Player, looking up in
surprise, and casting about in his mind to
gather up the words of his wife that had made
on his mind so strong an impression. "You
said-didn't you'll don't mean exactly in
so many words-that you didn't think Tom
treated his wife kindly"
81 didn't say so" rejoined his wife.
"Well, don't know that you did-that is,
in 80 many words-but' '-continued the old
man, with flourish of his hand which seemed
to intimate the winding up and conclusion Of
the whole afair-"I came to the opinion that
you thought so"
Gift wasn't so, do you think Matilda would
have run off and left him without word /;
and she such a gentle-looking, affectionate
and quiet sort of creature"
"Oh! Susan," rejoined the old gentleman,
spreading out the mantle of charity to its
widest extent, 81 expect Tom Galloway makes
a right good sort of husband"
"Well, if he had courted one of our daugh-
ters instead of Matilda, and had come to you
to ask your consent, you would have been
glad to have it so, I suppose?' asked old
Mrs. Player, with shrewd twinkle in her
eye.
"No, no, mol" calculated her spouse, with a
start that emptied the contents of his pipe into
his lap, and kept him busy for some seconds
'that would never have done Tom Galloway
for son-in-law! He may be good enough
neighbor, Susan but son.in-law I couldn't
stand that, Susan Heain't altogether
the fact, Susan-he amt kind.hearted enough
for husband"
"Now, Mr.. Player" rejoined his wife with
an air of satisfaction, you have gone much
further in speaking about the man than did,
You have come to the point, at last! You
don't think, any more than I do, that Mr..
Galloway was as kind to his wife as he should
be-"
"Well but, Susan, we don't know these
things" insisted Captain Player, "and there
fore it won't do to whisper them but, tell
you, Susan, think I'll ride over in the morn
ing to Tom Galloway's"
"And what will you do when you get there,
Mr.. Player2" asked his wife, regarding him
with smile of curiosity. "It won't do to ask
the man if his wife has run away and left
him 2'
mo, I had no thought of doing that" re-
joined Captain Player, as he pufed away very
thoughtfully at his pipe; "but I'll just feel
my way around quietly, and learn all about
it."
"You will not learn much about it if any
thing unpleasant has occurred to drive Ma
tilda away from home," returned Mrs. Player.
81 doubt if you could remedy the matter in
any event. You could scarcely expect Mr..
Galloway to be very communicative on such
subject. If I were to run off from home
"Youw exclaimed Captain Player, staring
up in surprise as he sat smoking and using
the end of his knife as a tobacco stopper.
"Yes; you would not think it very civil in
neighbor to call upon you and to pry into