Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-12-19

by the way" continued the captain, fol.
lowing me TO the door, "does your wife
read the papers?"
"Sometimes-not often."
Wouldn't she be likely to buy them un-
der the circumstances
"Perhaps."
"Wait Bit" He stepped to desk and
wrote for two or three minutes. "Suppose
you put this in one of the daily papers -
sTNFoRMATIoN wANTED.-of the residence of
Il Mrs Timothy Doray Call at once at the store
Of 'Crutch b Armless 22o Water street"
"She'd know what was wanted. Nobody
else would mind ii, you know"
Excellent. Thank you again, sir. If
anybody comes here for me, you'll know
where TO send them. Good night"
After going 10 the Office Of the principal
daily paper, and losing the excitement of
having something to do to employ my
thoughts, there came upon me as I walked
the almost silent streets, a loneliness and
desolaton that was appalling. I was i'm
PEELED by these feelings to contemplate
without shudder the eternal rest 10 follow
Il sef-imposed death. II was terrible
frenzy, lasting only few seconds, but it
enabled me to comprehend how easily men
and women are tortured by circumstances
into the insanity that leads to suicide. How
ever, shook off these feelings and went TO
hotel.
What miserable, unhappy night that
was! Nearly the whole time was passed
in chair by the window. couldn't sleep.
If my eyes closed in drowsiness, was i'm
mediately beset by terrible dreams about
my wife and child. Awake, my Thoughts
were conjectures and apptebensions about
their safety. I pictured them sick, alone,
in strange neighb jrhood, with no one to
appeal to for assistance. l imagined rob-
hers working al the doors, or ruflians maxi
ing night hideous with their blasphemy.
No evil seemed impossible of success
against those defenseless two, now 1 was
away. AS 1 drowsed, now and then, I
woul@ be aroused by what seemed TO be the
plantive, beseeching cry of my wife as if
she were in the room. An alarm of fire
was sounded, and pictured TO myself the
burning of my house. Such night hope
1 may never again be forced to endure, 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 began
TO move about, tottered out of that dismal
hotel, and went, shivering and weary, into
the half-night, half. day, so that 1 might
walk away from the thoughts that had tor
mn ta1 in bo a lnrl,n
was the hearth-stOne on which the Goals
were red for my coming? Where were
the loving wife and child for whom yearn-
ed with an affection never before tested :?
Why hadn't they come for me? Sometimes
| laughed aloud at my position, which
would be so udicrous when we were again
united. AS the sun rose, so rose my spir-
its, and l stepped of briskly, wandering
here and there in regions TO me heretofore
unknown. The panorama of high life and
low life at five o'c'ock in the morning is
unique, bnt unattractive. Finally settled
down in restaurant for my break fast, and
unfolded my moraing paper. There was
my advertisement. What an odd thing it
was, TO be sure! How we would laugh
over ii some day-perhaps to-day or to-
morrow-wife and l.
"Eh? What is this ?" l cried out to my
self as my eyes rested on this paragraph in
prominent place:-
NTISSING.-Mr. Timothy Doray has been miss
wi ing from his home since the night of April
80. No reason is known forhis mysterious disappear.
ance. Any information left at this Office as to his
whereabouts will be thankfully received by his aict
ed wife"
In all my lie never knew of anything
quite so extraordnary-a husband and wife
lost in city, and each advertising the 9TH
er. / could hear my heart beat with joy as
l realized that at last, there was a clue tc
my home. Not mouthful of break fast
had been eaten. was feasting on the Joy
Of my discovery. l contemplated for g
few minutes, in an epicurcan way, this dc
jeune Of a discovery, then started for the
Office Of that excellent morning paper, tha
valuable journal whose circulation wa;
limited only by undiscovered, unexplorec
lands, ETC., etc That editor was an angel
seen through my eyes, just then, and hi
assistants, printers, all of them were cher
ubs of mammoth development. Glory
I'd have wife and baby within an hour
sure.
was walking brlskly, my eyes fixed o,
the pavement my thoughts hours ahead
anticipating, when suddenly some on,
caught my arm roughly, exclaiming
"Here, you! Can't you stop? A lady ha
been running after you for half block
| You're worse than horse-car 10 stop" ant
| then without waiting, he passed abe i'd. A
I looked at him with angry astonishment
n little hand grasped my arm there was th
rustic of a dress andquickly drawn breaths
"Tim, what is the matter?" said the fig
ure, aud she followed the question right OF
the street by kiss.
OF course it was my wife.
"What's the matter ?" she asked again
"Why haven't you come home? Wher
do you live? o, shameto desert poor Tod
dler and mey' laughing hysterically an
clutchng my arm firmly. l felt like catch
ing her up in my arms, so great was m.
delight, but due regard for the public re
strained that excess of emotion. AS ii was
l looked al her with my hungry eyes, an
with my heart humping up into my throa
and my tongue tangled with a confusion c
words wanted to utter all at once. pre-
sented statue of glad surprise, motionles
as if in stone.
"Why don't you speak, Tim, to you
poor wife? Tell her what has kept yo
away so long Let us not stand still her
with people staring So"
"I'm happy now, wife, TO begin will
Put that down as a credit mark-as long
from here to the North Pole. didn't 8
home because didn't know where TO go.
"Didn't know where to go?" she echoe'
"No! ! lost the location out of my heat
and your memorandum of 1t out Of III