The Portland daily press., 1878-03-02
though, wasn't itp or he wouldn't have got
home tonight.


man to the smart parlor maid who answered
his knock at the door.
eyes, this is Mr.. Jones's," answered the
maid.
"That's the name right enough Here's the
card they give me; Mr.. Owen Jones, No.
99.' Well, look here, Miss, I've brought your
| master from the Welsh dinner. He've been
enjoying Of his wine goodish bit, should
/ say, and I can't wake him up nohow."
"You don't mean to say he has taken
| too much? '
swell, Miss, that depends. [ don't think
myself, in a general way, a gentleman can
| take too much; the more the merrier, says.
| But he's pretty far gone, anyhow"
The maid rushed in to her mistress, who
was sitting in the dining room.
so ma'am, here's master come back in
| cab from the Welsh dinner, and the cabman
| says he's fast asleep and quite tosticated."
"Nonsense, Mary" said her mistress, an
grily, and advancing into the hall; "there
must be some mistake"
mo mistake, maam," said the cabman,
touching his hat respectfully; GIVE brought
| the gent from the Welsh dinner, and here's
l his card"
| "Good heavensw said Mrs. Jones, recog-
nizing her husbands card, sit is too true. o
dear, however shall l survive this shocking
disgrace? Mary, go down stairs; l know
L Gall rely upon you uub W say WOAu vi
| dreadful misfortune to the other servants"
Mary retired accordingly, and Mrs. Jones
continued
"Cabman, must ask you to assist Mr..
| Jones up to his bedroom it is the front room
on the first floor; you will find the gas ready
| lighted. | can give you no help, for think
| it would kill me to see him in such condi-
| tion''
'sLor, don't take on so, ma'am,' said the
n q otrJro afr,tf
when you're used to lit. Why, some O. them
nobs does it every night. My old horse'll
stand steady as a church, and I'll have the
gentleman up stairs in jiffg."
Poor Mrs. Jones returned into the dining
| room, holding her handkerchief to her eyes;
| after a moments pause she was made aware,
by sort OF scuffling in the passage, accom-
| panied by EXPLANATIONS of "Wo-ho," 'Hold
| up" and other CALCULATIONS of horsey ma
| ture, that the cahman was assisting Mr..
Jones up stairs. After an interval of about
ten minutes which seemed an age, he reap
peared at the dining-room door, and said in
confidential manner
'pve got the gent into bed quite comforta-
| BILE, ma'am. He was a little orkard to I'M
| dress, but done him at last proper; and he's
| sleeping like babby."
Mrs. Jones dismissed the man with fee
beyond his widest expectations and resumed
Il uSA cCdb, iCCluS d. Ill uST pSdCe Vi mluu Was
forever lost She felt that she could never
have the same respect for her husband again.
lie who had always been model of all that
was dignified and gentlemanly, very pat
tern husband, to come home helplessly drunk
from tavern dinner! 1t was incredible; and
yet the fact was beyond question. Surely
there must be some mystery about the mat
ter. Could he be i'll? But no; he had never
been in better health than when be left her a
II oIxx or,1& 10 4 g.
would be to publish his disgrace. Could his
wine have been druggedS But surely at a
public dinner, at first rate place of enter
tainment, this was out of the question. There
seemed no alternative but to suppose that,
| carried away by the excitement OF the occa-
sion, Mr. Jones had fallen into one of those
sudden frailties to which poor human nature
even that of the noblest. is subject. At first,
the weeping wife had felt as if the offence was
beyond all pardon; but gradually softer
feeling came over her, land she felt that though
the wrong could never be forgotten, it might
in time be possible to forgive it. And then
she mentally rehearsed the painful scene
which would take place between herself and
her erring husband on his return to con-
seriousness and self-respect; and she had just
arranged few little speeches, to be spoken
more in sorrow than in anger, when suddenly
latch key was heard IN the door and i'm
walked Mr.. Jones himself calm and unruffIed
without hair on. of place, or crease on his
snowy shirt-front. Mrs. Jones gazed on him
for moment scarcely believing her own
eyes.
"Owen land soberw she exclaimed: then
flung herself into his arms and went into
fit of decided Mysteries.
MY darling wife, what on earth is the
matter?'' ~
"Oh, Owen, am so thankful said the
little wife a G horc nhc la
speak. II am so thankful! But, then who
is the man in our bed?'
1.-The man in our beda ~ said Mr.. Jones.
Whatever do you mean?"
"Ob, Owen dear,you can't tell what have
gone through. A cab came half an hour ago
and brought you home from the dinner; at
least the cabman said it was you, very tipsy
and fast asleep, and he had your card and SO
told him to put you Il mean to say HMM
our room, and there he is now.'
1.-THE devil he .is!' said Mr.. Jones. ct
must have look at this double of mine;''
and Selling candle, he strobe up stairs
Presently he again entered the room.
II think see how the mistake happened.n
said he. "This fellow up stairs was at the
dinner tonight, and had had more than was
good for him at an early period of the evening.
ne was rather rude to me; but it was no use
to be angry with man in such condition: so
merely handed him my card, and told him
when he returned to his senses he might come
and apologize, though can't say had much
expectation that he would. What became of
MIN afterward l can't say. I smoked cigar
with our friend Grffiths, and then walked
leisurely home. Meanwhile, suppose, this
fellow was to drunk too answer for himself:
and finding my card about him, they assumed
it was his own, and sent him here accordingly.
The only thing that puzzles me is that Won
Ql0n f. find tho mic 20
'Well dear, to tell the truth. I was so
shocked and Mortified that you should be, as
l supposed, in such a condition, that 1 would
not even see you, or let Mary do so either: SO
sent her down stairs, and told the cabman
to take the wretched man up to sour room,
But whatever shall we do now? The idea of
filthy, drunken wretch in our bed! It's
too HORRIBLE
"We mustn't be too hard upon him, dear.
l could see at glance that he was one OF our
poorer brethren; daresay hard working,
sober man enough in general way, but the
temptation of good dinner and Unlimited
liquor was to much for him. Besides, dear.
We must consider the occasion It is the i'm.
memorial privilege of every Welshman to get
drunk, if he likes, on st. David's Day. Some
OF us waive it, but that's not to the purpose,
we must move into the spare room for to-
night, that's all. You had better give Mary
orders accordingly; and at the same time it
VIII be as well to restore my blackened char.
acter by showing he: that am not quite SO
far gone as she imagines."
Mrs. Jones rang the bell.
80 Oven, she said, fondly kissing him
and Wavering between smiles and
tears, ''it is such relief, I can't tell you. /
am so thankful it wasn't you."
Mary's face, when she opened the door.
was picture.
"Lor, ma'am! Lor. Sir! she said, looking
from one to the other,
ut is all right, Mary" said her master
you will be relieved to hear that the gentle
man up stairs is another Mr.. Jones. There
has been little mistake that's all; and your
mistress and are going to sleep in the spare
ROOM"
CHAPTER III.
Evan Jones woke on the morning following
the eventful dinner, hot and teverish. with q
tremendous headache, and an agonizing
feeling of thirst.
SO my poor headp' he groaned. "Betsey.
my gal," imagining his wife was beside him,
for mercy's sake get out and get me drink
O. water, there's good SOUL"
There was no answer sT s;noso ebo,s o,ono