The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-12-15
HIS WIRES ALARM.
It Was Caused by the Lies Of a
Rascally JanitOr.

not married man, l should go to the
races on Monday and put all I'm worth
on Razzle Dazzle
"Why don't you?" asked Tom Muir
ply.
'Why?" said I. ''Oh, I'm married
man, and my wife has horror of the
races. I've promised her to keep away
from them. A promise is promise.
And good enough you've made it,
SIR" said our old porter. Honest Jim
we called him. MANY q man has gone
down to ruin and degradation on ac-
count of them races. The lady is wise.
She is wise. I'm telling you what L
name. Obey the lady, and you'll never
see yourself in difficulties
Honest Jim was fond of giving ad-
vice, and he broke up our chat with
these words Murphy and Virgins
went away to get glass of beer before
they parted, and l took the train home.
A brooding storm broke just as [
reached my cottage, and glad enough
was to escape it. We had supper to-
gether and went into the parlOr as
usual What night it was, to be sure!
A wild night, bitter night, q night
when there seemed to be strange voices
in the wind, and those within the house
were likely to fancy knocks upon their
doors and unbar and unbOlt them and
cry: 'NVho is there?" when 1t was only
the blast that had caused them to rat
tie. Yet it was on this night that my
wife, nv little, delicate, beau tiful wife
Fleda arose from the fireside and tell
ing me that she would return shortly,
left the room.
To leave the room was nothing. but
when I heard her leave the house l
could scarcely believe my senses. She,
who was SO tinid-she who Why,
no. it could not be. [ went about the
house calling her. Igrew alarmed, and,
fearing to find her lying in q swoOn
somewhere. carried the lamp low and
looked in the garnet, the cellar, the lit
tie kitchen where cooking was done IN
summer-cverywhc in fact.
She was gone, and SO was the cloak,
that usually hung in q certain place,
and hood she wore about the grounds
on cold days. What could have taken
her out? Had she heard our pony
fidgetiag his stall or the peep Of some
stray chicken? Was she anxious about
the day-all calf? We had all these
rural belongings in the small boundary
of OFF little summer-hOme.
If so. why did she not mention it to
me? It was, no doubt, that cold OF
mine, which had made too much fuss
about She went herself rather than
to expose me. | tossed on my water
proof coat, pulled an old hat over my
ears and went out upon the porch.
The lantern was gone.
"Fleda!" / cried, lifting my voice,
"FleCa, say! Where are you, Fleda?"
l heard no sound, but shortly far
along the road, 1 spied a yellow blur
waving near the ground, and knew,
when | had watched it for some time.
that il was a lantern carried by some
one to light her steps along the irregu-
lar foot-path. 1 say ''hcr," because
shortly I could see the drapery of q
woman's dress. It was my wife, re-
turning home. I was certain Of that
now, and l called to her at once:
"Fleda, why on earth are you stray
Cling about in the storm? Why didn't
you send me to do what you wanted
done? The wind is strong enough to
carry YOU over the hills I've been wild
about you"
Il did not know the wind was so
strong.''
And 1 asked no more questions. My
anxiety for Fleda swallowed up every
ether thought. However. she was per-
E.2ctly well next day, though curiously
depressed and distracted.
have not yet introduced myself. I
am Henry Darlington. My business
was that Of cashier with the Dayto
Brothers. My wife and ! lived simply
in a Tiny out-of-town cottage in sum-
mer; in a TIMER fla in winter. I had
never been extravaganza, and nay only
great folly had been to risk certain
sum OF money, LETT me as q legacy, at
the races. backed the favoritc and
lost every dollar. Fleda was very
much distressed when I told her the
news.
Not at the loss OF the money,
Henry" she said, but that you should
risk it at tle races. My uncle once en-
ployed q young man who became dis
honest and was finally arrested becansc
Of going to the races and betting and
all that. Pray, pray, be careful"
The week passed quietly. Pay night
came again. It often happens that the
same night is stormy for several sue
ceeding weeks. This night, however,
was not as bad as the one on which my
story opens. However, it was much
more comfortable indoors than out.
And yet, just as l was in the middle Of
paragraph l was reading to her from
the evening paper, looked up and saw
that Fleda mad vanished. Again l
searched the house Again l found
that she had left it. Again the yellow
light of the lantern told me of her re.
turn. She was not out OF breath this
time, but she was pale and trelnbled
little. She shook her head when ]
asked her where she had been, and said:
Nowhere. The house felt close. I
wanted a little air. That is ALL
You did not find what was reading
inleresting?" said I.
Il assure YOU" she began, then
broke off suddenly. Don't talk about
it, she cried. Don't! Don't! I pray,
don't talk about it,"
did not talk, but thought good
deal, and / had reason to think. Day
By day noticed that Fleda was cradrl.
ally growing thinner and paler. Her
spirits were DESERVING her. And when
the same day of the week came around,
she left the house as rysteriouslv as
oe1ofe. Inc presence Of q guest pre-
vented me from following her; but I