Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-03-07

III AiS CAau1c, AItef singing him back to
the invisible mountains, the clock
struck two, and Mrs. Cuthbert looked
hopelessness in the face.
George was never coming home, she
decided. It was no use watching: he
was never coming home any more.
Then, as the next gust of wind sent a
twig rafting on the gravel, she was at
the window, straining her eyes as she
mad been doing all the evening.
How strange every familiar object
In the house seemed the lights
burned so whitley, and the sitting
room looked so uncanny, with the tea
table spread, and the hands of the
clock marking the small hours. An
unreasonable moth went banging about
the ceiling with what soun0ed ire
mendous noise N that dead silence,
and the fire refused point-blank to be
cheerful, despite the armfuls of wood
piled on it.
now the hours dragged! She seemed
to have lived years since she heard
those footsteps on the porch. Why had
she been such fool?
1t was live O'Clock now, and the
ROSTERS far and near began to herald
the approach of dawn. The sky
turned from black to gray, and a
whitish smudge in the east announced
the rise of the glorious sun.
Mrs. Cuthbert put out the lights and
went to the front-door. A drilling
rain had set in, and the damp raw
air made her shudder. She went
back to the sitting-room, and, in a
dreary, mechanical kind of way, lit
the fire there and in the little kitchen;
then brought baby down stairs, washed
and dressed him as usual, and put him
on the floor to play while she prepared
his bread and milk.
But baby was not destined to get
breakfast just yet, for at that moment
light step was heard in the entry,
and tall young man walked into the
room. The bread and milk were
dropped anywhere, and Mrs. Cuthbert
flung herself into his arms, sobbing,
crying, and begging his pardon all in a
breath.
"Ill never do it again. Won't you
forgive me, George
Forgive what? | haven't any
thing to forgive" said the astonished
George.
"Oh yes, you have. | know it was
dreadfully wicked Of me; but III
never do it again.
What on earth is the matter?"
Won't you forgive me 2" was all
Mrs. Cuthbert's answer.
Eleanor, what is the natter" de-
manded the distracted young man, all
kinds of awful visions flying through
his brain. "What have you done 2"
Why, l didn't let you in when
you came home last night. | only
meant to keep you waiting little
while"
When / came home last night T?
Why. ! haven't been within fifteen
miles of the house since seven o'clock
yesterday morning. I've just come
down on the 4 80 train.
Didn't you come homo last night 2"
gaSped Mrs. Cuthbert.
'Come home? No, of Course |
didn't; | been working at the Office
half the night. Didn't you receive
my tel egram saying that | should be
detained in the city all night ~
mo; | haven't received any.
What does it all mean?"
And then she told him all about it
in rather an incoherent style TO be
sure; but she made him understand,
and he was greatly puzzled rs to who
it could have been.
Mrs. CuthberJ, now that her mind
was relieved, began to remember that
she had eaten nothing since dinner
the day before, and was soon flying
about broiling ham and poaching eggs,
stopping to have Il hearty laugh over
the charred remains of her husbands
supper, which She took from the oven.
Then they sat down to the tea table,
baby and all, and ate their break
fast.
That afternoon the village youth
who did their "choreS" was unusual
ly late in coming. but whom he did
arrive il was with such a budget of
news that his tlriiness was forgiven.
lie had been an eyewitness to the
capture OF two burglars at Squire
Jones they Lad been discovered in
the very act of carrying off the silver.
Laws, how they fit" said the boy.
They smashed Bill Williams head
IN with the plate basket, an came
most near hittin me, an when we
had EN- caught tight, how they did
talk, They cuSsed an swore. an one
ON 'em-a Teller with a powerful ugly
tace--Said rs how they wouldn't hey
been nabbed if they hein't been foolin'
round another house all the evenin' /
an he SeS, Thnre,S one of the nlnrk.