Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-09-25
WHERE WAS MR.. BLANK
ms Absence Causes His Wife
Much Trouble.

| IL WAS All 0No 70 NiloN0kt-
When she moved herself 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 a 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 hesitating Mrs. Blank lost
4 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 Tho men liked her, too,
and all went merry as a marriage
bell for many day and until somebody
ill-naturedly asked question.
Where is Mr.. Blank and who is hep"
querled this busybody.
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 week
Bay Grove began to believe that some-
thing must be very wrong somewhere.
Now 1t happened that Mrs. Blank had
brought one letter of introduction to Bay
Grove. This epistle had been hurriedly
penned by young woman about to take
a fight to Europe, and, under the scru-
tiny of female committee of investiga-
ton, It appeared to lack satisfactory de-
tails about the nominal head of the
Blank family.
al do so hope you will like Mrs. b" 1t
ran. "She can see so little of her hus-
band, you know, that 1t 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 now9 But then she has"
And here the writer drifted into mat
tiers that were never intended for the
public eve. 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 TO very, very wrong
with Mrs Blanks spouse. It came
about therefore, that Mrs Blank was
soon put to the question
"When are we TO see your husband@
asked one of her friends in a guileless
way.
Mrs. Blank pouted. Really, don't
know" she said HE is in Auburn
now with that poor wretch Kemmler, |
believe.
Auburn happens to contain a prison.
Kemmler 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 1t happened that when Mrs.
Blank entered church the next day
there was a rustic OF silk all through
the pews and with it a general feeling
that tho sermon should deal with
hypocrisy But it didn't. 1t was de-
i voted to mercy Which Only goes to
show that preachers are ne 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 good one-bnt the social at
mosphere was full of little icicles.
Mrs Blank went home alone, wonder
ing what was the matter.
The next day ono 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
"ae has been sent to Elmira. was the
answer
AS there is reformatory in Elmira,
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 SEQ her on the street.
Nobody called. and her name did not
appear on the list Of patronesses of a
strawberry festival the village was
pledged to make a glorious success.
She attended the festivities and was
greatly puzzled by her treatment Ev-
erybody seemed to shun her except one
roung man who was popularity UNDER
stood to have gone very wrong in big
wholesale store in tho city He had
never paid her much attention before,
but now be treated her like friend and
a sister.
Finally there came another caller at
the Blank cottage She came up like
one bent or business that is distas.eful
but must be done She was, by the way,
the person to whom the letter had been
addressed
"My dear" she said, without parley,
"where is your husband?"
Why, be has gone 10 Sing Sirg,' re-