The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-20

possible. settling my business, selling my
home. indeedl Aud / cabled you"
81 don't know what you mean by cabling,
but l know TO go off that way was terri
BILE thing. Tricking me, frightening, me-
without word or hint. II you had been
ILL or met with an accident--but to go en-
and never send me word all this time
oh" said Mr.. Elm, you never got the
cablegram?" -.
eff it's like a telegram. l never did.
have you been abroad ?"
''Pye been to England. You see, as
went down the street with the oyster can, l
heard n carriage behind me. 1t stopped.
and somebody called me. II was Billings
YOU know Billings? Jump in says. he;
want to- talk to you, and l am IN
hurry"
. .S9 y you jumped imp
81 knew you would"
HE told me he was going on board a
steamship-the Spread Eagle-and that as
there had been a delay she'd start al in
the morning, and he wanted me 10 see him
off. Selma, couldn't say NO. Billings is
my particular friend-I went with him."
Il knew you would. sat and waited for
you all night"
II knew you would"
Here they both laughed. and Mr.. Elm
went on with his story.
II went on board and we looked at his
stateroom, and we-had bottle or two OF
ale, and-well. then l said must go. ana
he went out of the stateroom to gel caIT
10 write his London address on, anu l
thought I'd try whether his berth was com,
Portable and | stretched ont on III. IL Hdu
little blue curtains TO IL that drew up dnd
down"
land you drew them DOWN."
Eyes"
" ..Au. ), slept till mOrningP"
''Tom 1 couldn't have believed it of yOn,
and | at homo crazed with apprehension
u was a brute. wasn't I?'
For the time being 1 think you were.
But why. ddn you hurry back next day ?"
II can't swim, if you remember"
on! But why didn't MIR. Billings get
you off before the ship started ?"
w hen he returned the curtains hid me,
and he supposed I'd gone. Felt angry that
didn't say gOod-by, went on deck to see
the last of land, and was just going to bed
himself. There was pretty kettle OF fish!
/ sent for the captain He was like rock
inclined TO think me stowaway at first. /
raved. roared. | made a spectacle of my
self before strangers; but when people I'M
deIstood that l left wife who expected me
home in 10 minutes, and my business at
SKIES and sevens, they sympathized with
me. If we'd met the right steamer | could
have got home; but we didn't. ] went to
England. Good Lord, how wTeched I've
beenl 1 had to borrow Billings shirts and
stockings. l had enough with me TO pay my
way back, but | hid that / cabled in
stantly on arrival and came back by the
first steamer. And now / find I'm dead
dead and buried. I'll kill Jack first and
then go and drown myself"
But Mrs. Elm was Modified now. She
had removed her bonnet and veil and was
pettIng him and crying over him as if he had
been baby, and begging him 10 tell her II
was not all hOrrid dream. And Their a
ring at the bell and in came Jack with a
Grape around his hat and prayer-book in
his hand.
He took his blowing up quietly, and wrote
a paragraph for next mornings papers
while It was going on. heading it, ''The
Dead Alive; Happy Return of Thomas
Elm: And he once more took time. by the
iorelock. He unsettled the business /;
bought back the house and furniture; in
duced the stOnemason TO take back-at 2
silght reducti0n-the shaft which marked
the grave of the poor drowned tramp who
lad been identified as Mr. Elm, and re-
stored the pair to their old quarters as if by
magic.
And so one evening, as the two sat TO-
gether once more in their coy parlur, Mr.
Elm said to his wife,
Selma, We haven't had those oysters yet
Ii You'll see to the frylng-pan I'll 90 and
get some. / swear I'll return instantly.
1omUStones are so expensive"
de did. And as they ate the fritters MRS.
Elm said ii was all so like bad dream she
hated 10 think OF il