St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-05
MR.. BLINKS.

an injured sigh. but might as well sit
up as not. I've often told you that never
sleep wink when YOU are out late"
Nonsense. said Mr.. Blinks. You can
be under no anXiety-nO reason why you
should not go to sleep"
Mrs. Blinks breathed another sigh. which
spoke more deeply of injury than the last.
Very well, William" she said again;
''I'll go through the form of going TO bed,
if you like"
Then Mr.. Blinks having finished his
breakfast, went through the form of kiss
ing his wife and family and departed for
that mysterious region known as down.
town, where he transacted business. He
had certain feeling of triumph in that he
persuaded o: coerced his welded Eliza TO
retire before his return. Her apparition in
a night-cap and crimping pins, long night
robe and small shawl and fat toilet slip
pers damped all his jollity when. after a
nice little evening, he entered his
own door about the ''wee sma'
hours" She never scolded, but she
was so meekly injured; she inquired in
such softly reproachful tones whether the
clock really was right, and she begged him
in such sad, imploring way not TO wake
the baby.
Mr.. Blinks was jovial, and hated to have
his spirits lowered. Mrs. Blinks was very
serious and rather fancied high spirits GRIM
inal.
They had married rather late in life, for
she was 30 and he past 40 on their wedding
day; and they had fixed opinions on all
such subjects. and could not give them up.
If ever it had entered their minds that il
was pity that they had agreed once, and
made a match of il, il was on Blinks' con-
vivial evenings when he stayed out late and
his wife kept vigil in consequence. AS
Miss Partlette. Eliza never had to sit up
for any one. AS bachelor, Blinks tumbled
home when he pleased.
Mr.. Blinks had a very jolly evening-jol-
lier than usual for the knowledge that he
had forbidden Mrs. Blinks to sit up for him
inspired him; and at 2 o'clock in the morn
ing he made his way home, singing TO him.
self occasionally, and now and then COM
PEELED to laugh aloud at some joke that
flashed across his memory. Always before
the fact that Eliza was sitting up for him
caused Mr.. Blinks to be somewhat abste-
mious as to wine; but now he had ordered
her to retire. He had arranged matters SO
that they were all in his own hands, and he
was not as steady on his feet or as clear Of
comprehension as he might have been.
felt his way up to the spare bedroom he
muttered to himself:
''This is just as it ought TO be. Eliza
shan't sit up for me again."
Then, having bumped his head against a
bed post. he took off his coat and boots.
gave up the rest as bad job, retired.
tangled ineXtricably in maze of counter
panes. and fell asleep. In short time he
was awakened by strong smell of tobacco
smoke. Lifting himself on his elbow, he
looked about the room and saw in the moon
light by the window figure draped in some
kind of gown and smoking a short pipe
A hazy idea that this was Eliza, who had
disobeyed him. and had also taken TO to-
bacco entered his mind.
Il told you not to sit up for me, my
dear" he said, rebukingly, land when did
you learn TO smoker"
And then masculine voice cried:
"What the deuce -"
The gas flashed up and he saw before
him a stout man in a dreSsing-gown who,
having stared at him moment, cast away
his pipe. tucked up his sleeves. and ad-
vanced toward the bed. Blinks was still
dreamy. He tried to remember whether
there was any reason for this strangers
presence, and was he stranger? Did he
know him? At last
''Why, who are you?" he said. "And
what do you want in my house?"
That's very nice dodge" cried the
other, but it wont do"
80 / understand il now" said Blinks,
quite wide-awake at last, and COM
pretending that this was burglar who
had hidden in the spare bedroom, and.
without a word he spraDg from the bed and
grappled with the stranger. The other
grappled with him. Each was in
tent on the object TO thrust the other out
of the door. They tumbled down stairs to-
gether, smashed the hall hat-stand. fell
through the lights in the door stumbled
bruised and scratched-Out upon the veran-
dab, and, clutching each other tightly,
roared: "Polce"'
At the same moment a window next door
went up, head in cap and curl-papers was
thrust out and a female voice screamed:
''Policew also.
1t was Mrs. Blihks. firm in the conviction
that burglars had arrived at last.
A policeman heard the cries. He sum-
moned another. The usual course of events
would have been procession to the station
house; but these officers were men of great
minds and wonderful discernment
One of them asked ''what was the mat
ter9"
II found this man burglariously con-
cealed in bedroom of my house" said
Mr.. Blinks. Il give him in charge"
''Bahr' said the other. This is deeI
rascal. / found him in bed in my room.
live at No. 90, here. The rest of my
family are in the country, and I'm, so Il
speak, keeping house. Jilkins-I thinl
you know me. officer"
''Why. yes, / know you very well, Mr.
Jilkins," said the policeman. "We spoke
TO each other as you passed me half an hOul
ago-said good evening. But this-this !:
Mr.. Blinks, of No. %? Know him well
and he passed me about an hour ago, sing
ing and quite jolly. You can either Of
you make charge if you like. but it seems
10 me you'd better think il over"
Mr.. Blinks looked at Mr.. Jilkins. down
wi cheek long scratch was beginning
to grow red and whose eye was blacken
ing.
Mr.. JillIins looked at Mr.. Blinks. OF
whose temple was arising large blu'
bruise the size of a hens egg. and whos'
upper lip was putting up like pin-cushion
and both tried to look judicial.
Its mistake" SAID Mr.. Jilkins. ''This
/ presume, is the effect of glass too much
You have entered our house instead of you
own. and naturally"
1.-The mistake was owing TO the similarit,
of the houses. Mr.. Jilkins said Mr.
Blinks. But gentleman WIN had no
taken a drop too much would scarcely hav,
taken me for burglar"
And then a plaintive voice descended
from the second-story window of No. %.
Mr.. Blinks will anoloRizs in the morn