The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-12

1t was some time before recovered my
full senses. and then l turned homeward.
Half dozen times before I reached there
took that dollar bill out of my pocket and
incredulously inspected it. Circumstances
certainly forbade my attaching any very ro-
mantle associations to it, but it yet had
kind of mysterious fascination for me.
What was her name? just remembered
that never had asked it, but had told the
clerk at the hotel to leave blank, and that
would inquire, and then had forgotten to
do SO. Who was she? What strange idea
for her to have chosen dollar bill as re-
membrance between us! and what could be
the value of our currency in Balloon, that
he mother should calculate that couple OF
ticket could defray her casual expenses from
Washington to Maine? My mind was not
equal to finding out the meaning of it all.
| kept my secret for week and then l
weakly told it. II hope you do not think
that l am making pun.) My wife had
been good wife to me, although she may
not have been very attractive, so in a mo-
| ment of confidence revealed it all. Need /
say that my openness was not respected, ana
| that in after years the very slightest atten-
| ton that l might have felt that was COM
PEELED to pay to any young or attractive girl
would bring that dollar bill down on my de-
voted head in many ingenious ways on my
wife's part, though resulting in exasperating
annoyance to me?
How came to confess the whole story
| may require few explanations-to unmar-
| ried people particularly. The hotel clerk
was bachelor, and owing to this and also
| to an absurd and almost exploded idea he
| seemed to entertain that he was bound to
attend to the interests of his employer, and
not let him be defrauded of his just dues
| (oblivious of how many unjust ones he may
have eXtorted which would have more than
| restored the balance, had interpreted the
hint had given him to charge the morning
I had arranged the girls bill, INTO permits
sion to him to charge the deficit to me. Now
| 1 dare say this was all fair. and had no OBJ
| jections to the obligation, for as you know,
l had the equivalent in my pocket; or with
out it would have been willing to bear the
loss, for had my months allowance in my
| purse at the time; so if our weekly bill had
borne any itemized charge such as "wash-
ing" or "baths'' or even oysters on the half
SHE'LL it would, perhaps have passed I'M
noticed, or at least without comment; but
the thoughtless fellow had fixed up the de-
felt in this way with one fell swoop of his
pen:
18th Dec. Drinks..... ..........S1.50
Now Mrs. Witherton always slept on the
outside OF her couch on Sunday night, so
that she could secure the weekly bill early
Monday morning, although generally timid
about robbers; and as her father, her grand
fathers on both sides. her only brother as
we'll as all her immediate kindred. had been
leaders in every temperance movement ever
instituted, and had always been teetotally
teetotal men, she naturally received severe
shock.
"Mr. Witherton," she cried, suddenly
awakening me, "what has been your object
in treating bar-rOom loafers to drinks? Do
you intend to run for the office of alderman
of this city,"
I was so startled at first that could not
collect my scattered senses, but I was per-
fectly certain that I could positively deny
with entire truth this charge. Il had not
noticed the bill in her hand s'My DEAR"
1 solemnly said, 81 have never offered man
a drink, or paid for one for him, in the whole
course of my life.''
She turned slowly toward me, and situated
as was with plastered wall on one side,
and no escape except over my wife on the
other, felt the might and majesty of a
woman. "Mr. Witherton," she again said
and she was wearing at the time her triple
frilled night-cap, and her black-rimmed spec
tacles to assist her eyes in deciphering the
document she held in her hand-''am to
understand that you, and you alone, imbibed
$3.50 worth of drinks on the 18th of Decem-
Der? Then, if so, thank Heaven that there
are such places as inebriate asylums."
I too then rose up from my pillow as the
nature of the charge began to dawn upon
me. [ took the bill from her hand and pre-
tended to inspect it, although knew but
too well all about it's nature; and then what
could 1 do but make clean breast of it. and
confess all? and l really felt happier when
that was done. My story was rather hard
to tell. You would understand how difficult
if you knew Mrs. Witherton personally; but
still my Maria listened composedIy, only
breaking the silence once, and that was when
[ came to the part where had insinuated to
the hotel clerk that was willing to make
up any deficiency in his charge ON the girls
bill with my money. Then she said some
thing unpleasant. condensed into two words.
1t is true that have forgiven them, and
never even alluded to them since; but sup
pose to complete my story they ought to be
recorded. l can not give her emphasis,
though, which, after all, was the most OBJ
jectionable part of their nature 'sYour
money?' she cried, with prolongation of
fRss fposs sasI VI! p pr5 sS1n.
But too have at last story to tell, and
though the fellows all laugh at it, do not
mind them, for she was just as pretty aud
nice as any girl they ever saw. Thew can
not doubt the truth Of what I saw, because 7
have the dollar bill to show.
have tried in vain since we parted to
learn something of my travelling companion
but not knowing her name, or aught save
that she lived in Balloon, and the subject.
also, being unpleasant to my wife, have la
bored under difficulties impossible to sur
mount; but one of my reasons for writing
this narrative is the hope of its meeting her
eye, and. as Jones says, "weaving one more
link in the frail chain that binds us.' I sup
pose he means the dollar bill.