The Irish standard., 1890-09-13
WHERE WAS MIR. BLANK ?

His Absence Causes His Wife
Much Trouble.
Pretty Mrs. Blank had a very unpleas~
ant experience in Bay Grove, N. j., and
1T was all due to mistake
When she moved herselfand her baby
and her pug and her other household
goods to Jersey, along in the spring, the
villagers seemed to be ready to take
her to their arms and their hearts.
They gave her teas, they showed her
all the show sights of the neighbor-
hood. they posted her on the proper
church to attend and the proper peo-
pie to know. They almost gave a
dinner in her honor, and that is some
that had not been even dreamed Of since
an unfortunate affair of several years
back, when heartless detective had
appeared at a feast and had carried
away with him one who for brief
month had all Bay Grove at his feet.
1t was the remembrance OF that touch
ing incident that made people hesitate,
and by their hesitat ting Mrs. Blank lost
the dinner
She was bright, her maids caps were
irreproachabla, what flirting she did
was artistic enough to DO pleasant to
look upon. But it was seldom that Mrs.
Blank was artistic in that way, and
therefore She was popular with matrons
and maids. The men liked her, too.
and ali went merry as a marriage
ball for many a day and until somebody
naturally asked question
"Where is Mr. Blank and who is hep"
quorled this busybody.
Nobody but Mrs. Blank could answer
this, and she didn't volun teer any infor-
nation on tho subject. So gossip, hay
ing nothing to feed upon, grew rapidly,
as is generally the way, and in week
Bay Grove began to believe that some
thing must be very wrong somewhere,
Now 1t happened that Mrs. Blank had
drought one letter of intrOd NC ton to Bay
Grove. This epistle had been hurriedly
,penned by a young woman about to take
q flight to Europe, and, under the scru-
tiny of a female committee OF investiga-
ton, it appeared to lack satisfactory de-
tails about the nominal head Of the
Blank family.
ST do so hope you will like Mrs. B, it
ran. 'sShe can see so little of her hus-
band, you know, that it will be very
dull FOR her opt there unless you look
after her a bit. / think she frets over
her husband sometimes, but how can IL
be helped now? But. then she has"
And here the writer drifted into mat
tiers that were never intended for the
public eye. When the letter was re-
ceived the sentences about the husband
had attracted no attention; but now,
with suspicion resting heavily upon
them, the committee women agreed that
something must he very, very wrong
with Mrs. Blanks spouse. It came
about therefore, that Mrs. Blank was
soon put to the question.
eWhen are we TO see your husband?"
asked one OF her friends in a guileless
way.
Mrs. Blank pouted. Really, I don't
know she said. HE is in Auburn
now with that poor wretch Kemmler,
believe
Auburn happens to contain prison.
Kemmler was then in that prison. 1t
together and get a dozen, if you are in
81 proper frame OF mind for the achieve
raent So it happened that when Mrs.
Blank entered church the next day
there was rustic Of silk all through
tho pews and with it a general feeling
thai the sermon should deal with
hypocrisy. But it didn't, IT was de-
voted to mercy. Which only goes to
show that preachers are not always In
touch with their congregations.
When Mrs. Blank joined the group
in the yestibule after the services, the
church thermometer hanging there
dropped half dozen degrees. Nobody
quite cut her-the sermon had been
really good one-but the social at
mosphere was full Of little icicles.
Mrs Blank went home alone, wonder
ing what was the matter.
The next day one Of her closest
friends called upon her. Just as the
visitor was departing she indnlged in
sort of spoken postscript saving the
important part Of her business for the
last, just as if she were writing a let
ter.
SLOW is Mr.. Blank?" she queried.
''He has been sent to Elmira. " was the
answer.
.3a AS there is reformatorY in Elmira,
this proved to be a very unfortunat to re-
Spouse. Bay Grove posted itself on
4 New York's penal institut ions, and the
nextday three aequaintances OF Mrs
Blank failed to see her on the street.
Nobody called, and her name did not
appearon the list Of patronesses OF a
strawberry festival the village was
pledged to make q glorious success.
/ She q attended the festivities and was
\ s a.rteat AL by her trea tment zv-s
erxbodY sssesnad ~ shnn her except 80.
M pnlarIj unds.