Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-10-02
WHERE WAS MIR. BLANK?
His Absence Causes His Wife
Much Trouble.

Pretty Mrs. Blank had very unpleas-
ant experience in Bay Grove, n. j., and
it was all due to mistake.
When she moved herselfa and 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 q heartlcss detective had
appeared at feast and had carried
away with him one who for a 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 hesitating Mrs. Blank lost
the dinner.
She was bright, her maids caps were
irreproachable, what flirting she did
was artistic enough to be 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
bell for many day and until somebody
ill-naturedly asked question.
Where is Mr.. Blank and who is hep"
qucrIed this busy body.
Nobody but Mrs. Blank could answer
this, and she didn't volunteer any infor-
nation on the subject So gossip, hav-
ing nothing to feed upon, grew rapidly,
as is generally the way, and in a week
Bay Grove began to believe that some
thing must be very wrong somewhere.
Now it happened that Mrs. Blank had
brought one letter of introduction to Bay
Grove. This epistle had been hurriedly
pcnned by young woman about to take
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.
81 do so hope you will like Mrs. i" it
ran. "Shc can see so little of her hus-
band, you know, that it will be very
dull for her out there unless you look
after her bit think she frets over
her husband sometimes, but how can it
be helped now? But then she has
And here the writer drifted into mat
tors 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 Ee very, very wrong
with Mrs Blanks spouse. 1t came
about therefore, that Mrs. Blank was
soon put to the question.
"Whcn are we 10 see your husband?"
asked one of her friends in a guileless
way.
Mrs. Blank pouted. Really, l don't
know" she sail HE is in Auburn
now with that poor wretch Kcmmler, l
believe"
Auburn happens to contain a prison.
kcmmler was then in that prison. 1t
is not difficult to put one and one
together and get dozen, if you are in
a proper frame of mind for the achieve
ment So it happened that when Mrs.
Blank entered church the next day
there was rustic of silk all through
the pews and with it general feeling
that the sermon should deal with
hypocrisy But it didn't 1t was de-
voted to mere. Which only goes to
show that preachers are not always in
touch with their congregations
When Mrs. Blank joined the group
in the vestibule after the services, the
church thermometer hanging there
dropped half dozen degrees Nobody
quite cut her-the sermon had been
really a good one-but the social at
mosphere was full of little icicles.
Mrs Blank went home alone, wonder
ing what was tho matter.
The next day one of her closest
friends called upon her. Just as the
visitor was departing she INDUCED in a
sort of spoken postscript, saving the
important part of her business for the
last, just as if she were writing a let
ter.
"How is Mr.. Blank?" she queried-
'tHe has been sent to Elmira, was the
answer.
As there is reformatory in Elmirs,
this proved to be very unfortunate re-
sponse- Bay Grove posted itself on
New York's penal institutions, and the
next day three acquaintance of Mrs.
Blank failed to see her on the street.
Nobody called, and her name did not
appear on the list of patronesses Of .
strawberry festival the village was
pledged to make glorious success.
She attended the festivities and was
greatly puzzled by her treatment So