Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-02-16


the tomb. After it had been open
ed to company for an afternoon, the
children went round with fiannels
about their threats and drank gin
ger tea. 1t was the handsomest par
Tor in the community, too, and the
family pictures and their marriage
certificate were framed and hung up
there.
When dinner was ready-and it
was a good dinner, too, for Mrs.
Skinner was a notable cook--she ask
ed the children where their father
was.
They did not know. 'a
This seemed strange; she question
ed them closely, but they had not
seen which way he went when he
passed through the room.
Didn't he say where he was 60
ing ?" she asked, wonderingly, for
Mr.. Skinner never went out on Sun
day without his family.
"IIe said he was going where he'd
have more peace" said little Harry
Skinner. M
"Well, we won't wait dinner for
him." said his wife and they sat
down to eat.
But spell seemed to have fallen
upon them, aud when the dinner was
over and cleared away, and they
were in the sitting-room with their
books, there was sense Of dreary
loss, and Mrs. Skinner sat with the
bible open on her Jap, and wondered
why be had gone out aud remember
ed that lie bad looked queer.
1t was in, consonance with her
habits Of living that she got up in
the middle of these speculations to
catch wandering and belated hy
and induce him 70 he annihilated.
"Strange!" she said, as 1t grew
dark F"I II take the children and 20
downto mothers and see IL he is
there, and il he is, I'll just give him
a piece of my mind"
But he was not there, and his
mother said Lot had looked badly
the last time she saw him, and she
thought he seemed worried; hoped
it wasn't business troubles.
No; it wasn't business troubles;
Mrs. Skinner knew that, and she be-
gan to wonder il she had cleaned her
husband out Of his mind. 1t came
over her with sudden force that she
had been in the habit of driving him
from pillow to post at railroad speed,
and at the end of d broom or dust
brush. He actually found no rest
for the sole Of his foot In his own
house. 1t might have worked upon
his nervous system until he had be-
come suddenly insane. Horrible
thought He might have commit
ted suicide. ''sftY ''ss';aass'Hs
" She hurried home with the child
rem. ,sAil was gloom. She went to
his bureau for his razor. It was the
only firearms he possessed--it was
gone! ".' ~ ''-1
Then Mrs. Skinner broke down
and cried, and the children cried,
and it was indeed a scene of desola-
tion, when suddenly the door OF
that horrible parlor opened and an
apparition-no, it was Mr.. Skinner
himsels-stood before them looking
very sheepish. I" 49, 1a'A.
's"'I oversiept myself" he said In a
meek apologetic tone looking at the
clock. aDt.l1 ..ssA aAA8; aD.d
II should say you did," answered
his wife, land the dinner is all eaten
up, but III fix up something NICE"
and she went out taking the children
with her.
How much Of it Mr.. Skinner ever
knew 1t is impossible to say, but
there was an immediate and salts
factory change thatlat FIRST amazed
aad then delighted him. He could
lay down anywhere when be was
tired and his wife would throw q
shawl over him, and leave him in
peace. He has even been seen tolie
down on the sofa In the parlorwhere
he took his Rip Van Wrinkle sleep,
and no one disturbed him. Mrs.
Skinner was at heart woman Of
sense, and when she realized that
one hair OF that grizzlygray head
was worth more than all the pillow
shams In the world to her, shs put
the last ono away In the company Of