Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-03-09

L ihh NV wan " 'iiC iOhS vi "i'S "'N
child At 8 o'clock at night who could
tell me where lived? was so worn out
that this prcdicamcnt brought the tears
from my eyes for minute. Apprehcn-
sious eliminated, and shivcrcd. What
would Lettie think of this absence? Where
O where was she ? When itcamc into my
confused brain that she had said something
about Stwart avcnuc-thc number | could
not recall started on run for tina,
street, and reaching it, wandered to and
fro, scanning the Windows to see her face
the houses to note if any of them answered
the description she had given. Vain
labor Sick at heart rctraccl my steps
and went to police headquarters.
"What is wanted 2" said police off
cial
can odd occurrencc-I'vc lost my
wife"
"Yos? Bless your soul that's not odd
Men come here with that news every day.
Do you know the .road-thc train she
took 2" he querieJ
"Pshaw. | don't mean that" with an
angry feeling at his stupidity. "My wife
moved on the first, and have lost the
address she gave me. It's funny, but
dcuccd unpleasant" added, apoloSetically
as two or three men began to laugh.
Well that is odd" the official a cap.
tain, agreed "but can't see how We can
help you"
8 Nor I, just at present. You can ad-
wise me. perhaps Z"
You don't know the street, you say.
DO you know the express man 7"
Never saw or heard Of him." I ans
wcvcd
"Wifo got any friends brothcrs,
sisters, aunts, unc.cs, etc"
Nointiml.c friends or relatives. We're
strangers in the city"
well, well ! / don't know what to do.
Perhaps VIC might find out something in
the course Of three or four days" mcIita-
lively rubbing his cliin.
" No sooner ~ in an appealing voice
"Can't say. Several thousand families
move On the lst of May. Perhaps some
of our men may pick up the family or
news of it; they would not know Of it un-
less appealed to-"
"Wcll, thank you," said, turning away
in misery of heart.
" BY the way" continued the Captain,
following me to the door, " does your wife
read the rapers!'
SomctimcS-no often"
" Wouldn't she tc likely to buy them
under the circumstances
" Perhaps"
"Wait bit"
He stepped to the desk and wrote for
two or three minutes.
Suppose you put this in one of the
daily papers:
JNFOGMATIoN WANTED of the residence
1 of Mrs. Timothy Doray. Call at the store
of Crutch Armlcss, 22o Water street.
She'd know what was wanted. Nobody
else would mind it you know"
Excellent. Thank you again, sir. If
anybody comes here for me you'll know
where to send them to fnd me. Good
night
After going to the office Of the principal
daily paper, and loving the excitement of
having something to do to employ my
thoughts, there came upon me, as walked
the almost silent street, loneliness and
desolation that was appalling. l was i'm
PEELED by these feelings to contemplate
without shudder the eternal rest to fol.
low self.imposcd death. 1t was terrible
frenzy, lasting only a few seconds, but it
enabled me to comprehend how easily men
aud women are tortured by circumstances
into the insanity that leads to suicide.
However shook off these feelings and
went to hotel.
What misrable, unhappy night that
was Nearly the whole time was passed
in chair by the window. couldn't sleep
If my eyes closed in drowsiness, I was
bcsct by terrible dreams about my wife and
child. Awake, my Thoughts were conjec.
lures and apprehensions about their safety
I pictured them sick, alone in strange
neighborhood, with no one to appeal to fol
assistance. I imagined robbers working a,
the doors, or ruffians making night hideous
with their blasphemy. No evil seemed
impossible against those defenseless two
now l was away. AS drowsed now and
then, would be aroused by what seemed
to be the plaintive, beseeching call of my
wife as if she were in the room. An alarm
Of fire was sounded, and l pictured to my
self the burning of my house. Such a
night l hope may never be forced to en-.
dure again, so filled was every minute and
hour with the most horrible of fancies.
When the gray light of the morning
spread through the streets, and people be
gan to move about, tottered out of Tho
dismal hotel, and went shivering and weary
into the half night, halliday, so that
might walk away from the thoughts tha
had tormentcd my soul in the darkness
Where was the hearth h-stone on which tht
Goals were red for my coming? Where
were the loving wife and child for whom
yearncd with an affection never before tes
ted. Why hadn't they come for me
Sometimes | laughed aloud at my position
which would be so luaicrous when we wer'
again united. AS the sun rose, so rose IN.
spirits, aud | stepped off briskly, wander