The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-10-04


rapidly down the street. He had no
particular destination in his mind, but
he hurried along with vague notion
that he might perhaps go TO a hotel
when he felt calmer. In a few mo-
ments he came TO the railroad depot,
not far from his dwelling. 1t was
brilliantly lighted, and, as he looked at
it, he remembered that train started
for New York at midnight. He
walked into the waiting-room. The
minute hand on the huge marble clock
indicated three or four minutes of
twelve. Mr.. Whitaker rushed up to
the ticket Office and bought ticket
for New York. Then he hurried into
the car and took a seat. He had upon
his head his velvet smoking-cap, so
that his appearance did not excite re-
mark. Presently the train started,
and Mr.. Whitaker actually felt kind
of malicious Joy as he thought he
would soon be far away from his
wife.
1t was a slow train, and he had
plenty of time to think, and as he
thought his passion began to cool, and
the conviction began to press in upon
him that he had been behaving very
foolishly. How absurd it was to blame
poor Ellen because he had locked him
self in the cellarl He pictured her
lying by the side of the baby, calm in
the belief that he was still sitting in
the library. This recalled to his mind
her deaf ear and her fondness for sleep
ing with it up. Then he had revul-
sion of feeling and he began to grow
angry again. But this was a mere
fash Steadily he advanced toward a
more reasonable view of the situation,
and as he did so he concluded that it
would be a great act of folly to go all
the way to New York. He asked the
conductor the name of the next sta
tion. 1t was Bristol. He made up
his mind to get out there and go home
early in the morning. He really felt
badly to think how much alarmed and
distressed his wife would be when she
discovered his absence
When he stepped from the train at
Bristol rain was falling quite rapidly,
and one feeble light in front Of the
station shone through the deep dark
ness. Mr.. Whitaker inquired of the
man upon the platform the way to a
hotel, and then he started to go to it..
In descending the wet and slippery
steps of the platform he lost his foot
ing and fell. He was very much hurt
and found that he could not rise. He
called for help, and when the railroad
man-the only man who was any
where about-came to him, he discov-
cred that further assistance would be
required, for Mr.. Whitaker's leg was
broken.
The man soon brought three other
men, and placing the hurt man upon a
board they carried him to the hotel and
sent for doctor.
If Mr.. Whitaker, sitting in the car,
had thought himself very foolish
man, what did Mr.. Whitaker, lying far
away from home in a wretehed hotel,
with his leg broken, think of himself =?
Mr.. Whitaker thought that if there
was a colossal idiot on this earth he
was that parsonage.
Early in the morning he sent tele-
gram to his wife, urging her to come
to him at once, and right speedily came
reply from her, saying that she would
take the train which ordinarily reached
Bristol at 9 o'clock.
From the windows of his bedroom
in the hotel the invalid could see the
station and the railroad, and as he
watched them, while he longed for the
train to come, he tried to arrange in his
mind, for his wife, an explanation of
his conduct which would present it in
its best possible light.
Senseless anger is one of the things
that defes justification, and a mans
very sense that his wife's love makes
her capacity for forgiveness almost il
limitable, only tends to deepen his
shame when he is conscious of having
wronged her.
Mr.. Whitaker resolved, after think
ing the matter over, that the best thing
to do would be frankly to confess his
fault and to throw himself upon his
wife's mercy.
He heard the whistle which an
nounced the approach of the 9
o'clock train. The train came in view
and drew up to the. station. Mr.. Whit
aker looked eagerly at the persons who
got out of the cars, but Ellen was not
among them. She had not come. He
fell back again upon the bed with a
sigh and began again to grow angry
with her.
But the poor woman was on that
train. Alarmed by the discovery when
she rose in the morning that Mr..
Whitaker was not in the house, her
alarm was increased when she received
the telegram sent by him. What
could be the explanation of the mys-
terry Of his disappearanee2 She was
so agitated that she could hardly pre-
pare for the journey. But she reached
the depot and got into the car and