Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-12-13

"Ah, just what your good lady said.
We will get you round, never fear"
/ looked helplessly at he doctor. My
brain was in a whirl. "Just what your
good lady said" How did that odious
schemer learn / was to be married on
the morrow? But inquiry as to that
might well stand over. Meanwhile,
what was / to do to get out Of this
house and away from this complacent
quack, whom 1 was beginning to hate?
Obviously, 1 must send for some one
to identify me. Mr.. Spencely, l remem-
bered, had a late engage n mt in the
city. Ella was manifestly out Of the
question. / could not obtrude such a
ridiculous thing upon heron her we'd
ding eve, too. Between you and me,
reader, l think / felt somewhat chary
of letting her see me in such a plight.
The same consideration made me fight
shy Of any Of our fellows. 1t would be
food Cor jokes for months to come.
AT last / had 1t. I would write a brief
note to Mr.. Mason, u Junior principal.
He would be away from business by
this time, but a messenger would soon.
go to Wimbledon, where he lived. and
return furnished with evidence
Of my identity, which would
also be conclusive as TO nv
sanity. DR.. Ftzsimmons smiled dubi-
ously as he took my missive.
WHO Is this Mr.. Mason?" he asked.
"The junior partner In Spencely and
Mason. where / am employed
"Hm-yes. quite 10.
He said nothing more, but I heard
him dispatch the messenger, and at last
/ began to breathe freely. I was left
to myself. as If in a dream began to
recall, one by one, the various events
of this the most miserable day i'm nv
existence, which ought to have been
one OF the happiest. 1t was now near
ly eight o'clock. I remembered, with
a start, that at nine the employees of
our firm, were to meet me to present
me with aw edding gift, and 1t would
be a case Of Hamlet" without the
Prince Of Denmark. And what would
Ella think? l was to meet her as O
as the presentation was over. That.
too, was impossible, for I could not
hope. to be released In less than two
hours. l recalled, too-and the recol-
lection gave me a moments fright
that she had said to me in her fathers
and Mason's hearing, in jest, Of course:
IF you stay too long with your
chums, Harry, / shall conclude that you
do not want me next day
L was doomed to stay too long, but
not even the widest flight Of magma
ton could have converted DIR. Fitsim-
mons into "A chum of anybody. How
ever, Mason would make 1t all right,
and everything would be properly ex
planned, and all would ga as merry as
a m~arriage-bell.
The messenger dispa tched TO VIM
bledon returned at last. My straining
ears could detect that the doctor met
him at the door. and that a hurried col
loquy took place in the hall. I put on
my gloves and hat, and was ready to
start as the doctor entered.
"My "a has seen Mr.. Mason" he
said. "and he assures him he never
heard Of you b~efore-knows nothing at
all about you
Here was a thunder-clap. I began at
length to think that / must be subject
10 decisions. to wonder IL Mrs, Hall
could possibly be my wife, and if so,
who in the world I, myself was. l felt
that that way madness lay" and
sought to collect my scattered senses.
The doctor was sympathetic, after a
fashion. but his evident pride In the
correctness Of his diagnosis gave him
too much the look Of one who would
say: Now, didn't l tell you soT" Too
much, 1 mean for my equanimity.
Acting on his suggestion, / tried to
swallow a mouthful Of supper, for 1
had tasted nothing since morning, but
1t was in rain. I retired to bed, and
had the very qualified satisfaction of
hearing more than one door carefully
locked upon me, and Of feeling that IL
I could not get out, there was little
chance Of any unauthorized person get
ting in to disturb me.
Sleep. was of course, out Of the ques-
ton. Every passing step in the square
made me start from my recumbent POI
sition. l heard every hour strike all
through the night. At twelve / half
expected II would strike thirteen, and
recalled the story Of the sentry at the
Tower Of London who saved his life
by proving that he heard a church clock
strike that number Of times, when
charged with sleeping at his post.
Would / have my reason? My disap-
pearance would be in all the papers to- |
morrow. and crisp journalistic para
graphs would describe me and dismiss
the subject. At three I heard the lum.
bering wagons and their loads OF gar
den produce for market, and knew the
great city was C more stirring into
life. And when at last six rang out
sharp and clear, 1t was a sigh of inf
mite relief / thanked Heaven that the
long night was over.
/ rose and dressed after a fashion.
Suddenly / heard a carriage drive up.
A few moments more and / was sum-
moned down stairs. and ushered into
the room / knew too well for my peace
of mind. Judge of my relief to find
there Mr.. Spencely and Bob Edwards.
There was no question now of my SAN
ity. I had been made the victim Of a
clever schemer. who had got clear off
with her booty.
And how were you to be paid, doc
tori" Mr.. Spencely asked, as we pre-
pared to 60.
my terms are quarterly in advance,
and Mrs. Hall paid ESQ down. BY
Jove. / did not examine the note par
ticularly; she was quite a lady, you
know" and here the doctor looked
foolish enough to qualify for a passive
position In his own establishment.
The pnfa prnval oil ,tybt Nh. Snapca