The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-17
A SEASIDE EPISODE.

The explanatory Interrogation was adj
dressed to u wellk known New York mer-
chant, man of middle age and the hus-
band OF wonderfully beautiful young
wife, as he sat in the corridor of the West
End last night. 1t WAS late, and the
friend who spoke was just returning from
caucus at the Pennsylvania club, where
he ant .veral other distinguished poll
ticians AMI amateur statesmen had been
trying to influence Mr.. Philip DAILY. The
hour WAS exactly half past IL. The second
speake- continued, speaking less eng
maticaliy:
1T. bar j. closed; have you anything
in your room, old MANI"
Ii wls eyaient that the sick man
was sui .r:u. f-1n the effect of a men
tai sho- % ma kind. He was perfectly
sober.
When ley were seated together the
mcr,h 80 rev confidential, and bit by
bit. T., r..-ieve,i his Overburdened mind,
he r,-tc4.rd one of the most curious fam
lily cps, IS jLat have ever come to the
persO.sti knowledge of your correspon-
dem. IIcuceforwarl the story will be
told in the words OF the mutual friend,
who, since he finds that all the ladies in
the house have been gossiping about the
matter to-day, feels justified in repeating
the incident with all their eXtenuating
circumstances.
a.
the confidential friend of the elderly mer-
chant "my sad, distressed companion fin
ally said:-Tt was like this, you see. l
can trust you with what to me is an awful
secret. l accepted an invitation some
time ago from my friend Harry French,
vero jolly fellow, to make cruise in his
yacht. \ small party of clever men were
to be acoard- was glad to go-not that
love the sea, for don't Curse it, hate
it. But the novelty of the experience
caught me, you know. / joined the pretty
little steamer at New York, expecting to
be gone week at least Yes, that was
last "Wednesday. thine has moved SO
rapidly in the last few minutes that /
have 10 check it off to be certain Pm
right We sailed eerly in the forenoon.
Harry is a bold bucaneer, and we put out
to sea at once. The wdter was very rough
--ough, rs rough as country tin lantern
/ was beastly sick for two days, but late
this afternoon we spoke pilot boat
bound inward The skipper said he would
land me ut Sandy Aook wharf for a valu-
able consideration. / was rejoiced at the
prospective end of my seasickness, and
with considerable difficulty was trans
ferred to the schooner. Blessed il now
remember how it was accomplished I
felt if only could get my feet upon dry
land again I'd be the happiest man in tho
entire uaiverse. Alas! you behold me a
miserable wretch, who, when you spoke
to me, was contemplating suicide
'He thought l would speak, but 1 only
looked very hprd at him and kept silent.
About D o'clock we reached the Horse
shoe and was landed at the pier my
companion resumed, signing heavily.
The last train TO Long Branch was gone.
Still, didn't worry. / found couple of
strong railroad workmen who agreed for
so TO bring me down to Seabright on a
hand-car. Once there knew could h ire
team TO bring me home, and l did. i
was right glad to get on land and see my
poor, anxious wife, who knew must miss
me very much To cut it short, l sprang
out of the carriage here exactly half an
hour ago In my impotence l didn't
wait to say word to any of the "regu-
lars" who were moving toward the bar
room for the final ball" but I climbed
the stairs to my wife's-our room. 1
knew the number well enough-19S, on
the third floor. had gone to it many a
time under less advantageous circum-
stances-for / was perfectly sober, upon
my word as / regret to remark, am yet
Strange to say, / couldn't find the door. I
went back and followed up the numbers.
Yes, they were all in regular sequence
1914, 1876, 19S; but as there is a, God above
US, \ pair of mans shoes sat in front of
my doorp
uph OciACNC IL. pAoippbAy
rupted.
But | saw them
"'You are grossly slandering a good
woman; and the mere circumstance that
she is your wife, sir, does not Justify
Don't lose your temper
How can / keep it when hear a man
that have known for fifteen years care
lessly blast the character of a most anna
BILE and virtuous woman. Now, shut up
and 90 to bed You are either crazy or
drunk, don't know which. Get out!'
He moved toward the door, not be-
cause he was oyerawed, but with bouy-
ancy, a clearly defined sense of relief, that
his eyes-iudeed, his whole manner
showed. Plainly words, his glide
toward the hall said:
Perhaps l am wrong
"He got as far as the middle of the wide
corridor. Then he came back just as
was about to close the room. His appeal
was almost pathetic, as he stammered:
= "'Will You come with me as far as my
door; Pm a trifie uncertain of myself, as
you say When l hesitated for a mo-
ment he added: You're a severe friend,
and candid one but l forgive you. Only
come with me. Do?'
THE affair was none Of mine, but as /
was morally sure the merchant had mis-
taken some mans room for his, / finally
consented to do a foolish act. l took his
arm and we started. Turning corner
in the hall instinctively noticed that the
husband peered forward. with something
like ths intensity that hydrophobic
patient stares at a bowl of water. What
was he trying to find? Oh, yes, L forgot,
the shoes | chuckled at the laugh I'd
have To myself about the matter.
But, where was the room? glanced
ut the nearest door. Odd number on the
'front.' o. the house; even numbers at the
back Then his room faced the lawn in
the rear OF the hotel Ali we We're get
ting wsIn,' rs the children say. Here was
us; Eext was 2nt; then came ZOE; a stair
way followed; 300 was the first door and
l!S was the-Sood God, there We're the
shoes,
Il h;'t them in my hands in minute.