Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-02-15
"ohr, said Mr.. Cassidy. "YOu never

"OhF' said Mr.. Cassidy. "You never
got the cablegram?"
IF it's like telegram, I never did"
said Mrs. Cassidy. ''Why, Tom, haze
you been to Europe?"
'Tve been to England" said NJ
Cassidy. "You see, as went down the
street with the oyster can, / heard a
carriage behind me and it stopped, and
somebody called me--Cassidyp /
stopped. 1t was Billings-you know
Billings? Jump in says he; want to
talk to you, and I'm in hurry
$50 in jumped. He told me he was
going on board q steamship-the
Spread Eagle-and that as thered been
a delay, she'd start about three in the
morning, and he wanted me to see him
of. Well, Selma, couldn't say mo-
Billings is my particular friend-and /
went with him. Knew you'd excuse
me, and went on board, and we looked
at his state-room, and we-had bottle
or two of ale and-well, then l said /
must 60, and he went out OF the
state-room to get card to write his
London address on, and / thought I'd
try whether his berth was comfortable,
and / stretched out on 1t. 1t had little
blue curtains to 1t, that drew up and
down. drew them down.
"Well, Selma, that's the last knew
until it was broad day, walked up to
find Billings looking at me.
HE had come back, and, as the cur
tains hid me, supposed I'd gone of.
Felt angry that l didn't say goodbye,
went on deck to see the last Of land
and was just going to bed himself.
There was a pretty kettle Of fish; I'd
been carried of. sent for the captain.
He was like rock; inclined to believe
me sort Of stowaway at first raved,
l roared, made spectacle OF myself
before strangers; but when people un.
derstood that left wife who expected
me home in ten minutes and my bust
ness at skies and sevens they COM
passionated me. If we'd met the right
steamer could have got home, but we
didn't. went to England. Good Lord!
how wretched I've been! / had to bor'
row Billings shirts and stockings / had
enough with me to pay my passage back,
but hid that. cabled instantly on
my arrival, and I came back by the first
steamer. And now find-well, find
I'm dead-dead and buried. I'll kill
Jack first, and then 60 and drown my
SELF"
But Mrs. Cassidy understood now
She had taken of her bonnet and vail,
and she was petting him and crying
over him as If he had been baby; and
begging him to tell her it was not all
dream. And then, a ring at the bell.
And there was Jack, with Grape
around his hat and prayer-book in his
hand.
He took his "blowing-up" quietly,
and wrote paragraph for next morn.
ing's papers while it was going on, head
ing it:
THE DEAD ALIVE!
HAPPY RETURN OF THOMAS CASSIDY.
And he once more took time by the
forelock.
lie uubeIUleu IHc uuo1hOoo, DOuHAs
back the house and furniture, induced
the stone mason to take back, at slight
reduction, the shaft which marked the
grave Of the poor drowned tramp who
had been identified as Mr.. Cassidy, and
had the satisfaction of restoring his
friends to their old quarters as by magic.
And so, one evening, as the two sat
together IN their little parlor, Mr.. Cas-
dy said to his wife:
"Selina, we haven't had these oysters
yet. If you'll see to the frying-pan I'll
20 and get some. And swear I'll not
mysteriously disappear this time"
He did not. And as they ate the fritz
tiers Mrs. Cassidy declared that 1t was
all exactly like a dream, q horrible
dream, that she could not bear to think
about.-M Mary Kyle Dallas, in N. Y.
Ledger.