The Cecil Whig., 1885-11-21

il'ut "SCh NOlh. II HUI DCSll Il lOl
summer, and Tom had found work in
the little office pretty trying sometimes.
He had grown pale and thin, and
little Ruth had actually cried her pretty
eyes red one night worrying about
HIM. SO that this election week, COM
ing on top of the hard summer, was
too much for the hard worked proof
reader. "You will take a vacation
afterward, won't you, Tom?' his wife
had said, and Tom agreed that he
would. And SO he plodded patiently
and wearily on, looking forward visit
fully to the two or three days vaca-
ton.
On this night, in particular, it seemed
TO him that he could not finish his
nights work. His head ached fear
fully; the words danced before his
eyes; a strange dimncss came over his
mental powers. And when he came
out into the bright, frosty night, he
felt as if he should fly into a thousand
pieces. On an ordinary night he
would have delighted in the crisp air
and lovely moonlight; but tonight
nothing pleasureable touched him.
Strange figures danced before his eyes !;
strange and weird fancies noated
through his brain. He staggered like
drunken man, and finally, stumbling
against lamp-post, he fell upon the
pavement. There he lay, or rather,
crouChed, for a few moments, then,
looking around in a dazed way, he
stumbled to his feet, and turned down
a dark alley which he had never be-
fore traversed, and was soon lost to
sight in the shadows.
Meantime the little wife at home
had wakened, and, as was her wont,
was listening for his footsteps. She
thought, with gladness, that this was
his last hard night ; and that next week
they would have their vacation, and
would so away to such pretty, quiet
place in the country that they knew
about. She imagined all the good
times they would have rambling in the
woods, fishing, watching the birds and
flowers, etc. Then she fell to think
ing of the time that she first saw Tom,
of their happy courtship, and of the
bllsSful moment when he told her of
his love and she wondered, as she
always did at such times, how he came
to love her, such wonderful and such
a handsome Tom as he was and she,
so ordinary. (Foolish little woman,
who did not guess how wonderful and
how uncommon such loving heart
was.)
Presently she heard the man who
walked like Tom coming. He walked
some like Tom, though not quite so
finn and manly. She wondered if he
were any like Tom. OF course he
couldn't be SO nice. a wagon came
rumbling along, and two or three men
shuifled past. Now she heard the
lamp-lighter walking brskly along, and
stopping, now and then, to put out
the lights. All at once she noticed
the faint light of early day was strug-
Cling into the room. She sat up in
bed astonished with a little sinking at
her heart. Why, how strange that
Tom hadn't come. How late he was.
But, then, she need not worry, she
said to herself; he was having a very
hard night, and that kept him late.
He would probably be nearly sick to-
day. She sprang out of bed and be-
gan to dress herself.
"I'll have something hot for him to
drink, she said. She hustled out to
the kitchen and set the little oil stove
to burning, and put on some warm
water in the kettle. Then she hurried
about the room, making believe to
herself that she was afraid she would
not have the coffee done by the time
he came, but really to still the rising
fear that was throbbing at her heart.
''Of course he is on the way now,"
she thought ''In minute I'll hear
his key in the door," And all the
while that fear was rising and rising in
her heart till it was like a dreadful
nightmare, and seemed to take shape
and follow her everywhere she went.
Nobody was astir yet in the house,
and it seemed SO lonesome. The tick
ing of the clock grew louder and louder.
The kettle, bursting out into a gay
singing all at once, made her start with
fright. ooh, why doesn' Tom come ?"
she cried in her heart and that fear
seemed to come close to her and clutch
at her heart till she cried with pain.
1t was broad day now, and many
were passing in the street, and she be-
gan to hear footsteps in the house, the
slamming of doors and other such
noises. The odor of the coffee was
filling the room. She put some bread
and butter, and plate and cup and
saucer, on the table She settled the
coffee, and put it where it would keep
hot. And then, fear and apprehension
filling her heart too full to be borne,
she put on her hat and shawl, deter
mined to so in search of Tom.
as soon as she had made up her
mind to look for him she was in such
haste that it seemed to her she could
not walk fast enough. Occasionally
she passed a street that looked out
upon the lake, which sparkled and
danced in the sunlight. How bright