The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-12-12

mySo1I. 6ldeOn Will DE coming DOWN,
and I must be prepared to break the
news to him.; and with great self-com.
mand Mrs. Maggleby wiped her eyes
and seated herself at the table. AS she
did so she caught sight of her husbands
note, which she eagerly opened.
HE has gone!" she exclaimed de.
spairingly, when she had read it. ~
am left alone to bear the TRAIL All,
Gideon, you little know how cruel you
are. But I must follow you. We must
concert measures at once"
Once she went up stairs. She
put on her bonnet and cloak; she GOV.
cred her flushed face with q thick veil
and without saying a word to any oil
her servants, she left the house, and
made the best of her way to the nearest
q b-stand.
Meantime, Mr.. Maggleby had been
driven to his place of business in Mine.
ing Lane. He entered his office, and
sat down as if dazed. in his private
room. Hearing of his principals unex-
pected arrival, the head clerk, MI. John
Goddard, almost Immediately appeared.
He, too, was scared and breathless.
Read, sir, read!" he gasped, as he
thrust anropen letter into Mr.. Maggie
by's hand.
Mr.. Maggleby mechanically took the
letter, and read aloud as follows:
On BOARD s. S. CAMEL,
OFF PLYMOUTH, Tuesday.
DR.. MR. GODDARD: AS you are probably
not expecting me, l send q line ashore to lei
you know that 1 hope to return in time to be
at business at the usual hour on Thursday.
Please take care that there is a good fire in nv
private room, as a visit to Demerara always, a.
you know, renders me particularly sensitive to
cold and damp. l am writing to Mr.. Maggleby.
We have had a capital voyage 30 far, but the
weather in the Channel threatens to be rather
dirty. l shall land at Gravesend, and if YOU
can find out when the Camel is likely to be
there, You may send down some one to meet
me. Yours faithfully.
SOLOMON PUDsTER.
II know It'll" calculated Mr.. Maggie
by. II have just received the letter
that he speaks Of"
"What does it all mean?" asked Mr..
Goddard. Il seem to be dreaming, sir.
We buried poor Mr.. Pudster eight
months ago, didn't we?"
$50 l thought" murmered Mr.. Mag
gleby vaguely. "But this letter is Ger
tainly in his handwriting. And look at
the post mark. There it is, as plain as
possible: Plymouth, Mar. %, 1868
That was yesterday, andto-day is We'd
ncsday, and he pulled from his pocket
y missive, which he handed to his clerk.
Mr.. Goddard read as follows:
On BOARD s. S. CAMEL,
OFF PLYMOUTH, Tuesday. be-
my DEAR GTnEnN. Haro 7 nm, ,l,,,,% -
home again. l fancy that you didn't expect to
see me Just at present; for I wasn't able To
write to you before we left Demerara; 80 as
we are now sending ashore here l post you a
few lines to prepare you for the surprise. 1t
is, as you know, quite unusual for vessels of
this line to call at Plymouth and therefore |
haven't time to send you a long letter; though,
if we also call at Southampton, I will write
again from there. l nave told Goddard to
send some one to meet me at Gravesend; let
him take down any letters that you may want
me to see at once. Yours afectionately,
"Well, T never did!p cried Mr..
Goddard. "Yet I could swear to Mr..
Pudster's handwriting anywhere. It
is q terrible thing for a man who ought
to be lying quietly in his coffin to come
back like this, and upset every ones
calculations"
you are certain about the handwrit-
ing?" asked Mr.. Maggleby anxiously..
quite certain" replied Mr.. bod
dard. "What a frightful thing for
poor Mrs. Pudster!"
"Mrs. Maggleby, you mean! !" said Mr..
Maggleby. Eyes, I don't know how to
break it to her. Its bigamy; isn't it?"
Let us hope for the best, sir. Mr..
Pud 'ter won't prosecute, ! fancy, con-
sidering the peculiar character Of the
circumstances. It's his fault. That's
my opinion. I could swear, even now,
that we buried him. He must have
revived in his coffin, and been dug up
again by the grave diggers; and must
then have gone over to Demerara, in
order to avoid shocking his poor
II wonder our Demerara agents didn't
say something about it when they wrote
by the last mall" asked Mr.. Mag
"Oh, of course he kept them quiet,
sir. But Its q cruel case-that's all I
have to say. And though 1 have known
Mr.. Pudster these thirty years, and
him too, I don't hesitate to
say that he's not behaving straightfor-
in this piece of business"
"Hush! Wait until you know of his
motives" said Mr.. Maggleby.
"He can't excus himself, sir, I tell
you," rejoined Mr.. Goddard warmly.
IF he comes back, 1 go. So there!
And I say it with all respect to you, sir.
When a mans once dead, he's got no
right to come back again. 1t isn't nat
ural, and what's more, it isn't business
The bitterness of Mr.. Doddard's re-
marks in this connection may be partly
accounted for by consideration Of the
fact that Mr.. Maggleby had a few days
previously announced his intention of
the head-clerk into partnership
at IN early date. Mr.. Pudster's return
would of course knock this project on
the head.
"Well, Goddard" said Mr.. Maggleby,
1--WE can't mend matters by talking. We
only wait; and perhaps when we
see Mr.. Pudster, we shall find that-n
But Mr.. Maggleby's philosophical re-
marks were suddenly cut short by the
unexpected arrival of Mrs. Maggleby
upon the scene. She rushed into the
room, stretched forth a letter,
and fell sobbing upon her husbands
neck.
Mr.. Maggleby placed his wife in a
chair, opened a cupboard, gave her a
glass of wine, took the letter, and read
it. Like the others, it was dated from
on board the Camel, off Plymouth.
MY Own DEAREST WIFE" it ran, TN
. few hours from this I shall, I hope,
be with you one more never again to
leave you. ought to have already APP
prised you Of the proba BILE date OF my
but at the last moment before
| had no opportunity Of writing.
How glad I shall be to see you! My long
absence has been a great trial to me, and
I feel sure that it has also tried YOU: but