Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-08-23
Gales ano skettbss.
mrs. wHIfAKER'S DEAF EAR.
By CHARLES HEBER CLARK.
Continued from yesterdyJ.


from the house and walked rapidly down
the street. He had no particular destina-
ton in his mind. but he hurried along with
la vague notion that ne might perhaps go
to hotel when he felt calmer. In few
moments Re came to the railroad depot,
not far from his dwelling. 1t was brill
iantly 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-cfice and bought ticket
for New York. Tlen 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 remark. Pres
emily the train started, and Mr.. Whitaker
actually felt kind ef malicious JOY AS he
thought he would soon be far away from
his wife.
Ii 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 it upon him that he had
been behaving very foolishly. How alb
surd it was to blame poor Ellen because
he had locked himself in the cellar, He
pictured her lying by the side of the baby,
calm in her belief that he was still in the
/ library. This re called to his mind her
deaf ear, and her fondness for sleeping
with it up. Then he had revulsion Of
feeling, and he began to grow angry
again. But this was mere fash. Steadi-
ly he advanced toward a more reasonable
view of the situation, and as he did so he
concluded that it would be great folly to
| 90 all the way to New York. He asked
the conductor the name of the next station
II was Bristol. He made up his mind to
get out there, and 90 horne early in the
morning. He really felt badly to think
how alarmed and distressed his wife
would be when she discovered his alb
sence.
When he stepped from the train at Bris-
tol, rain was falling quite rapidly and
one feeble light in front of the station
shone through the deep darkness. Mr..
Whitaker inquired OF the ma1 upon the
platform the way to a hotel, and then
started to go to it. In descending the wet
and slippery steps of the platform he lost
his footing and fell. He was very much
hurt and found that he could not rise He
called for help, and when the railroad
inan-the only man who was anywhere
about-came to him, he discovered 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 board
they carried him to the hotel and sent for
u doctor.
Il If Mr.. Whitaker, sitting in the car, had
thought himself a very foolish man, what
did Mr.. Whitaker, lying far away from
home. in wretched hotel, with his leg
broke. 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 telegram
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
nine o'clock.
From the window 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 ii in the best possible light.
Senseless anger is one of the things
that defies Justification, and a mans very
sense that his wife's love makes her ca
only tends to deepen his shame when he
is conscious of having wronged her.
Mr.. Whitaker resolved, after thinking
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 announced
the approach of the nine o'clock train
The train came in view and drew up at
the station. Mr.. Whitaker looked eager
ly at the persons who got out of the cars.
but Helen was not among them. She had
not come. He fell back again upon the
bed with 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 mystery of his disappearance She
was so agitated that she conld hardly pre-
pare for the journey. But she reached
the depot and got into the car. and began
to move toward Bristol. Somewhat weary
from too great nervous excitement. she
placed her muff against the frame of the
car window and rested her head upon it,
| WHiiC uCi Ntit SoNVttu utl CloSeu eyes.
Unhappily she had arranged herself with
her deaf ear up. and so she did not hear
the conductor when he shouted bristol =
and she was so deeply absorbed in think
ing of Mr.. Whitaker that she did not no.
tice that the train had stopped.
II When he found that his wife had not
come. Mr.. Whitaker made up his mind to
go home at all hazards A steamboat
stopped at the wharf at half past nine. on
: its way to the city; and borne upon lit
ter he had himself carried on board. In
an hour he was at the city wharf whence a
wagon carried him to his house. He was
shocked and disappointed to ascertain
from the servant that Mrs. Whitaker had
gone to see him in the train in which she
said she would go. He could not compre-
hend why she had missed him: and all
day long he lay in bed worrying about
her. and wondering why she did not come.
Mrs. Whitaker got back to Bristol about
noon. and ascertained by inquiry that her
husband had returned. with broken leg,
to the city. There was no train that she
could take until four O'Clock. and she
spent the interval in inquiring about the
accident to Mr.. Whitaker. and in trying
/ ..~1x \.