The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-16
Printed by Specie, Arranssnep,-copwigA,ed lsss.
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
BY A. L. DUANE.

Among all contemptible things have always
particularly despised liar. There never seemed
any excuse for anybody but scoundrsl and
coward telling lies; but / seriously doubt II any
man ever lived who told the whole truth-espe-
cially il he happened 10 be husband There
seems to be some morbid quality in woman
that makes her search out the things she knows
will break her heart" and when she finds
them, If they dissppOint her, she pinches, and
twists, and dIstorts them until they can make a
very unpleasant showing. Long experience as q
married man teaches one TO hide those little
things very deity. Only sometimes he fudsthat
the hole he has dug il big enough to swallow him
self up. But my intentions were perfectly fair
and honest last summer when proposed taking
a sea voyage. had been working myself al
most to death, getting a new plant of machinery
adjusted in the factory. aud the reaction had
come in the shape of acute insomnia
/ tried everything for remedy-from moral
magazine tales to late suppers Of onions and
beer. 1 think perhaps the last might have
done some good except that Julia objected.
She said she had known men older than 1 to
find drunksrds' graves from beginning with a
doctors prescription.
met Ssnsensy on the street one day, and he
advised a sea voyage. Said he had taken one
the year before and it had worked like charm
He had gone on the Ella from Baltimore to
Bremen, and had day or two in Paris. and re-
turned on the same ship. Il only cost about
$50 all told, and be had been sleeping like
Q top ever since. went home aud told julia,
and asked her 10 60 along, but she refused I'M
La L rzza Jchu and he habr nd
had q conviction that absence from Johnny
and the baby was strong Ingredient of the pre-
scription, declined
went over to Baltimore Monday morn
Ing, meaning TO lay In a supply Of cigars and
literature, and cid friend, If possible, to keep
up during the long voyage 1 found the
first two very readily. but the last was about
20 give up in despair when met Jim Blair.
IL ever there lived the prince OF good fellows,
who 10 always according TO bis friends, about
TO step int ais kingdom by royal right and
clamstBon, it wss isl Jim Blair. Hospitality
and welcome beam from his sunny brown eyes.
The world has gone easy with him from his
cradle ND Into that infant nest dying uncle
poured two million dollars aud Jim has made
playthinss OF them ever since. Ii is one of the
regrets of my life that 1 little of him.
Until married he was my other self; but mat
rImony means q greater severing from old ties
ihan any man ima2ines until he tries it; and
then there lie another thing that, under anv
other Circumstances, i should hardly like to
mention Jim has q sister. She is for a woman
Just what he is for man.
handsome, gay. cordial and clever. In my
young days, before knew Julia, was desper-
ately. head oyer ears in love with Madge Blair,
and she refused me- The Lord only knows
what possessed me ever TO confess that affair to
Julia IL must have been done in the early days
of our eourtship when my brain. memory and
everything. were Houefed and poured out be-
fore her. I've repented il often enough. The
consequence has been that she Insists that Madge
Blair repented her refusal, tdoes the woman live
who does not think that every other woman
would have been glad to have married her hus-
bandit and has kept single on my account "Oh,
you needn't tell me- she always says when |
demonstrate with her upon her monstrous fool
ishness- That woman il dead In love with you
this minute. and wouldn't be cold IN my grave
before she would marry youss A nice step-moth-
or she would make for the poor children! A
woman who has lived about IN hotels with that
fast man-aoOuE-town, jim Blairl'
There was no use in saying ore word had
let our friendship die down out OF sight Isonly
strong. ready to send up its old time shoots and
blossoms at the least encouragement. And
when felt the cheerful grasp of his band in the
Altamont Office, | felt that If / could only
persuade Jim to take that sea voyage with me,
there was nothing more To be desired.
dIcn have time to broach the subject at
once. rs my old friend carried me off upstairs 20
see Msdge. hadn't seen her for FIVE years and
her ripe, rich beauty burst upon me as il / had
never seen it before She seemed as glad to see