Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-10-02

erybody seemed to shun her except one
young man who was popularity under
stood to have gone very wrong in big
wholesale store in the city. He had
never paid her much attention before,
but now he treated her like friend and
q sister.
Finally there came another caller at
the Blank cottage. She came up like
one bent on business that is distasteful
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, he has gone to Sing Sing" re-
piled the hostess, wondering at her call
er's manner. She was still more sur
prised at what she heard next
when 1 was a girl we were taught to
be truthful above all things You are
younger than /, and perhaps times have
changed; but prefer that my daughter
should not meet you after this"
And then she swept away, full of dig
nifty, to lay before Bay Grove the prob
lem how any one man, no matter how
wicked he might be, could be in
Auburn, Elmira and Sing Sing within
month. AS for Mrs. Blank, she was
very indignant, and then she wept, and
then she was indignant again. Then
she wrote letter.
The letter brought an answer in the
shape of a young man in a SLOUGH hat,
who came down by a late trainan went
directly to the Blank cottage. He sat
with Mrs. Blank on the piazza, and
they talked earnestly for long time.
1t was nearly midnight when the con-
ference ended. Then the young man
started for the gate. Mrs. Blank fol-
lowed him, and they stood talking to-
gether by the post for two or three
minutes. 1t was beautiful, clear moon
light night, and anybody in the neigh
borhood could have seen the young man
kiss Mrs. Blank when he went away.
| He caught very late train for the city.
Now nobody in Bay Grove would will
ingly play the eavesdrOpper or the spy.
That goes without saying. But, as a
matter of fact, several pairs OF eyes saw
the parting in the moonlight, and as
many pairs of ears heard tho man say:
"Well, dear, I'll be down here in a
week, and then it won't matter what
these people say or do"
A pretty woman, with a husband in
three jailS in month and mysterious
midnight visitor! Bay Grove was scan
dalized. There could be no doubt after
that that nobody in the village knew
the offender. She seemed to have
gained invisibility. Nobody saw her
when she went out; at least, nobody
| give any sign of seeing her. Even the
scapegrace gave her up which meant a
great deal, for he believed that he had
only his wickedness to pride himself
upon.
Six days passed and caller again
rang the door-bell at the cottage. He
noticed with shudder that the wire
seemed to be getting rusty for want OF
use. That touched him, for he was the
landlord and he hated to see the prop
erty depreciate. He had come to tell
| his pretty tenant that she must seek
other quarters. She paid the rent regu-
larly, but pressure had been brought to
bear upon him-and his family had So
cial aspirations, and he couldn't afford
to disregard pressure.
| He stammered, but was firm. Mrs
Blank was amazed, but loquacious. He
explained that the cottage must be
vacated at once. She declared that
such proceeding was unheard Of She
| tried to break down his resolution, but
failed. Then she showed signs of get
ting hysterical
"Oh, if my husband were only here!"
she walled.
Eyes, madam, if he were, but he
| amt" That was as near to sarcasm as
the landlord ever came. lie was a phi
| lanthropist by nature and preserver
of the village morality by necessity.
''Hullo, what's all this?" said some
body in the doorway. Landlord and
tenant turned like flash. Mrs. Blank
gave Shrek of delight and threw her
self into the newcomers arms. The
landlord looked disguised. He merely
saw a young man in a sbouch hat, no
doubt the midnight visitor
81 think you had better go as soon as
you can, both of you"
"Well, that's cool. Eve paid the rent
of this house and 1 mean to stay, es-
pecially as it suits my wife, or did until
the neighbors went crazy" This was
from the young man.
The landlord looked dazed. Your
wife?'' he said. ''Why, then. you're hel
husband?"
Naturally" said the young man.
dryly. And now," he added, whats
all this TODD about, any way?"
He heard all about it in the next ter
minutes, although it Wa a sadly discon
nected story. Still he got the gist of il
pretty clearly. Then he addressed the
| landlord;
Look here; you don't deserve an ex'
PLANTATION, but I'll give you one. Ny
business is to see things and to write
about them. / have been employed by
a magazine to describe certain features
| of prison life in New York. To see
them have had to study the prisons
carefully, and 1t has TAX en- six weeks
| of hard work. In that time I've had
| Just time enough to spend one evening
at home and then hurry back to work.
| And now l come down here for rest
and find that you people have gone
mad and treated my wife Gisgracefully.
Somebody is going to smart for this"
As a matter of fact, good many
persons did smart, but only mentally,
and, therefore, they survived and were
anxious to make amends. The land.
lord withdrew his demand, and agreed
to put in new well-curb. Those who
knew him say he suffered enough over
this to atone for all he had done. Then
came focks of feminine yiSi tons to the
cottage, full Of tears and eztpla nations