Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-29
MR.. cADwALLADER's WIVES.


Mr.. Hiram Cadwallader ran lightly up the
steps of his house in Washington square one
afternoon in May. A compactly-built little man
OF forty i've yeafs, with round. smooth face
and merry twinkle in his eye, he looked fully
ten years younger than he was.
'1s Mrs. Cadwallader at home Nannie?- he
inquired of the trim maid-servant in the hall.
:" No, sir; she went out about o'clock"
''Are there any letters, Nannie?"
Yes, sir; In your room on the dresser, SIR"
'Thank you. Do YOU know where Mrs. Cad
wallader went71
''No, SIR"
He ran upstairs whistling an air from
"Barbe-Bleu," and took up several letters from
the dresser. 1.-TWO for Mrs. c." ne soliloquized;
''look like bills; here are some wedding cards,
Bonnie De FORESTS, suppose, and here is a
letter from Cynthia. What important commu-
nication requiring four cents postage has she
now to make, 1 wonder"
He opened the letter and ranrapidly through
the first of the closely-written sheets: .Pre-
vented from writing lately on account Of lum-
bago-may 60 to the White mountains this
summer-poor Mr.. Pettto, our rector, in
trouble again-used incense Easter morning
some busybody complained to the bishop-have
been thinking SO much lately of poor, dear
Helen" (Here Mr.. Cadwallader slightly knit
his brows). 81 can hardly believe that it is
fifteen years since-h'm-do you remember
that little sole-leather trunk of my fathers.
which Helen had after she married you? I
came across it in the attic yesterday. where
it is stored with many other relics of by-gone
happy days"
"Oh, thought So" groaned Mr.. Cadwal-
lader. "Why is she forever harping ON these
old relics Of by-gone days2 Why can't people
let such things pass away with the by-gone
He flung the letter impatiently from him and
began walking up and down.
Miss Cynthia Olds was the sister of the first
Mrs. Cadwallader. Mr.. Cadwallader was a
model husband during his first wife's lifetime,
and when she died he mourned her sincerely
for two years. and then consoled himself with
a second wife. He never knew what became
of the effects of the first Mrs. Cadwallader, and,
without the slightest disrespect to her memory,
simply thought nothing about the matter.
Mr.. Cadwallader took up the letter again and
put it in his pocket. "The rest of this will
keep for another time" he muttered whats
this?" as folded bit of paper lying on the
dresser caught his eye. He opened it and saw
few lines written in pencil:
Dearest Hiram:
Il am not feeling quite well to-day and Mrs. Brown
has Persuadsd ms that little trip into the country try
to Short Hills for the day She has an aunt Mrs Wild
come for me this evening On the O'clock tTsin'
With hundred kisses. YOUR n LOVING WIPE ,,o
station and Mrs Brown says anybody can direct you"
"What does she mean by galloping off to Jer-
sey, / wonder, when the last thing she said to
me was not to forget the Wheatleighs recep-
ton tonight. Not feeling wellp She was the
picture of health this morning. And who is
Mrs. Brown? There's something behind those
hundred kisses; she is not ordinarily SO lavish.
I'm glad to see she is paying some attention at
last to what have said to her about her hand
writing and has dropped that monstrous angu-
lar scrawl. Yes, she is evidently making an
effort to please me. wonder what it is she
wants. I'll have to go, of course" lMr. Cad
wallader stood a little bit in awe OF his hand
some wife, "rii just dress now and go and
Leaving the note from his wife on the table
he proceeded to make his toilet.
About o'clock a snug little man, in dress
suit and light overcoat, alighted at the station
in Short Hills. He approached an old man who
stood on the platform with lantern and asked
to be directed to the house of Mrs. Widgeon.
"What Mrs. Widgeon, sir?"
'Tdo not know. This lady lives in large
house near the station, am told"
There never was but one Mrs. Widgeon in
Short Hills that ever heard of, sir. This was
old Widder Widgeon, who's been dead nigh on
to ten years. There's her house, sure enough,
that big one Just beyond the bend in the road.
nobody else of that name here, unless it's some
of the summer boarders, and it's a bit airly for
them"
''Thats queer" murmured the little man.
''Well, that must be the house. Thanks, said
he starting of down the road,
Ten minutes later a lady, heavily yelled,
emerged from the gloom at the other end of
| the platform and approached the same old man.
Can you direct me to the residence of Mrs
Widgeon?' she asked, in mysterious voice.
hat aua2 Lad no oil cfo
| ton master. 1.-THE wilder seems to be in de-
mand tonight"
''Do you know, or do you not?" asked the
lady, sharply.
anybody else around these parts. Many day 8
work I've done for the Wilder Widgeon."
ut is a large house near the station, is it
not?'' Which way am to go2'
''Yes-yes, that's just what the gent said, but
you'll find the party as you're lookin' for in a
very small house now, not moren six by two,
| in the cemetery just back of the church yon-
| DER"
"In the cemetery-at this hour! Isis any
one with her?"
Eyes, ma'am, the old man is right alongside.
| They agree much better there than they did in
the flesh, when they lived in the big house"
1.-The man is Intoxicated" she murmured
''No, Hiram has discovered the loss of the note,
| and thinking he may be followed has
bribed this old scoundrel to throw me of the
| track"
| 81 will find the place for myself" she
said aloud, and walked rapidly down the
| road.
"Good luck to you, maam," the old fellow
| called after her.
sPerfidious monsterr' said Mrs. Cadwallader
to herself. 'It was all could do to restrain
| myself from denouncing him on the train.
How smiling and snug he looked! Little did
he know who was 30 near him. To think Of
my having been SO deceived in him all these
| years! wonder who the creature is. Per-
haps he is really married to her, and I-oh,
horrible! This must be the place." She en-
tered the gate, and, hearing a step on the walk,
| concealed herself in the shrubbery.
Her husband was there.
The big house looked very dark to Mr.. Cad
wallader as he walked up the avenue of trees
leading to it. He rang the bells several times
before a head protruded from an upper win
| dow and female voice called, who's there?"
| sis this Mrs. Widgeon's house?' he asked.
"Yes-what do you want?"
It's the lady at homer
'NIrs. Widgeon is dead"
"Ah! beg pardon. Is-ah, Mrs. Brown imp
"No, sir; she don't live here"
els Mrs. Cadwallader here?'
''Who?"