The Evening critic., 1885-05-01
MY WIFE, MY PARD AND l.
A STRAY LEAF FROM LAS VEGAS.
RICHARD GERNER.
IConyrlghl

Take your wife and baby along ex-
claimed DIR. Sumner: "Never why, the
poor little thing isn't six weeks old.
couldn't think Of permitting you to expose
its frail existence to the rigors of winter
on the New Mexican plateau. 1t wouldn't
| live a month. And as for your wife, she's
| got enough to do to take care of herself and
the baby, IN comfort and at leisure, with
out having to nurse you and endure hard
ships into the bargain
| All this was spoken rapidly and before
could intofpose word. | nvoluntarily
| lifted my hand as If in remonstrance but
let II drop again, and silently admitted the
| force Of the argument.
you must leave her with her mother or
with yours until she IS ready to follow you %
said DIR. MeCready
| Aud so IL was. My poor little wife, 1t
nearly broke her heart. But 1t couldn't be
helped. Within week | was ready. The
| good.by was awful.
That is how | came to 20 to New Mexico.
| Time hung heavily ON my hands, and be-
/ tween reading stories in the newspapers and
| writing melancholy letters to my wife
| just managed to escape committing suicide
| A position was promised me with promi-
/ rent citizen of Las Vegas, who needed the
services of one just like me, but he was out
Of town, and wouldn't be back for several
weeks. ! had this time to kill.
| Idleness is a bad thing for any man, aud
acquaintance are made in spite of oneself
| | was at leisure to make the acquaintance
of young fellow few years my senior
one Tony Scott late of Chicago but now
on the road for New England mercantile
house. Circumstances compelled him to lay
over in Las Vegas for couple of weeks.
He was fine fellow, as the saying goes q
perfect gentleman, with thorough knowl-
edge Of the world and a sociable companion
par excellence. He did me the honor to
come TO my room, smoke my cigars, drink
my liquor and win V or an X of me- now
ard then, at various little games took a
sort Of liking to him, and he did to me, for
known reasons and so we became more or
less intimate after while. st any rate
be knew all about my coming to New Mex
leo; what / knew of him doesn't matter.
/ only dragged in the mention to give
| you to understand how we spent many an
hour together between the drinking, smok-
ing and playing. He did the smoking my
| physicians told me might smoke any day
| was ready to put an end to my existence.
Tony was immensely pleased with the
portrait of my wife | carried about with
me. He. himself was bachelor. At first
| was battered by his compliments to her
brought the subject up almost every time
he came, began to feel annoyed about it..
when is she coming on to Join you ?" he
| asked me one day.
"'Pon my word 1 don't know" | re.
piled, CURLY.
81 don't see how you can get along with.
out her.
"Well can't very well but then fell
low must make up his mind to great many
things" And heaved deep sigh.
| III were as sick man as you were, I'd
have my wife with me to nurse me, you can
bet" he went on.
poured out a finger of "blue grass" and
gulped it down. | didn't have a word to
say for myself. i wanted to have the sub
effect this when Tony asked, with quick
persistence;
"Have you written her of your ills?'
| had but l didn't say so. 1 shook my
head.
"Noble fellow ~ exclaimed Tony.
| bit my lip. He smiled ironically.
III were your wife and knew you to
lie down here sick among strangers I'd
come on by the next train and throw all
secondary considerations to the devil, he
continued.
l arose from my scat impatiently and
confronted him.
If it is going to give you any satisfaction
to know it," / said sullenly, "then let me
tell you that I'm afraid she's on the way
here now, but do sincerely nope she ism t.,
for she would go to pieces in this hole in
no time"
The weeks went by and obtained my
position. / was so we'll satisfied with the
salary, and felt so far improved in health
that / wrote my wife to pack up and come
at once.
hadn't seen Tony Scott for some time,
and he had quite escaped my memory.
i had not thought but that my cherished
darling was coming on, and would be
here soon. Everything was in readiness
for the reception
Five days passed by, and then there
was placed in my hands "a telegram. 1
tore the envelope open with an eager
gladpess.
"she has telegraphed me, Immediately
on receipt of my letter, that she is COM
ing at once" L soliloquized, smiling all
over my face.
A passer-by gave me q startled look.
must have turned as white as a sheet.
The dispatch was from my mother, and
read:
"Your letter a mystery. Emmy has
left here two weeks ago. Answer imme-
diately."
A stronger and weaker pen than mine
would have attempted to analyze my feel
ings, but mine must be spared the task.
only wonder that didn't go mad on the
spot My sober reason abandoned the at
tempt to solve the mystery, but my heart
instinctively pointed out an imaginary tell.
tale finger at Tony Scott Men have fallen
in love with portraits before to-day they
have been villains, schemers, abductors and
seducers before to-day and had been eal-
GUS OF his admiration of my wife's portrait
before to-day.
| ran to the railroad depot at once and
asked everybody employed there more
questions than they could have answered
under any circumstances but didn't get
the least satisfaction out of any Of them, or
stumble upon the smallest clue. All could
learn was that Tony Scott had gone East
about ten days ago. The ticket-seler
thought he had sold him ticket to Kansas
City, but he wasn't sure.
On the wings OF the wind | fastened TO
my employer, told him my pitiful story,
and begged him for leave of absence The
request was Of course granted Immediately.
threw my valise full Of things and de-
parted for Kansas City at once, barely CATCH
ing the train. thought my path lay twice
across the equator, so long 1t seemed. |
never saw train crawl so much In all my
life before. l had arrived at the central
metropolis of the United States more dead
than alive, and ran at once TO the ticket
Office both of the road and Of the Pullman
Company.
"On what night did a Young lady with a