The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-28

eyes and SAID reckleSSly:
II don't care'
To prove this she summoned Jane, paid
her the amount due and dismissed her.
Fate, or whatever it was, showed its
entire satisfaction at this little tempest by
being very kind to Mr.. Bagly all day.
When he reached his office, he found q
man waiting to pay bill he had long
counted as lost money. Several other equal
ly pleasant incidents occurred, tending tc
put him in a good humor.
He dined at restaurant with a couple
Of friends and forgot all about his spouse,
her Jane and her what not. In the even
ing he made the purchase of new hat, a
felt one, and paraded about the town with
chum until quite late, when he made
his way home.
Meanwhile Mrs. Bagly was experienc-
ing agonies of doubts and fears as to his
nonappearance. Ever since it became dark
she had been in a state of frenzy. Never
before had she been left alone in the house
after nightfall. She lighted all the lamps
and retreated up stairs to tremblingly
await his coming. Her imagination ran
riot. Every noise, from no matter how in
nocent cause, represented to her the APP
proach of burglars, who would bind and
gag her, and then, after ransacking the
house, would, without the slightest rea-
son in the world, cut her throat and leave
her weltering in gore.
She wondered what he would say then.
How his conscience would rebuke him
She found great deal of satisfaction in
this thought. Indeed it made her quite
resigned to her fate.
But what if he did not come back
What if she had driven him away-if he
had deserted her?
Five minutes after this alarming
thought entered her head she was positive
ly certain such wac the case. Perhaps he
had gone with another womanl
Yes, the cruel truth was now laid bare
He had eloped and left her alone to be
murdered Little he caredl
Hark; Her heart gave great bound
and Thea stood still. Was not some one
trying to open the front door? She went
to the window, which was partly raised
and looked down. Yes, standing directly
below, she saw in the dim light man
with SLOUGH hat working softly at the
lock.
Skeleton keys and all the significance
pertaining thereto Immediately flashed on
her mind. What must she do to brighten
him away?
Strangely enough, the idea of calling
aloud never entered her head. Scarcely
knowing what she was doing, she seized
ON large white pitcher filed with water
and in another moment had poured the
contents on the villains head. Then she
closed the window with bang and crept
into bed, to shiveringly wait for develop
ments.
A mans tones of surprise and anger
reached her. Probably they were impreca
lions and threats of vengeance. Hark! The
door was being tempered with again. This
time it yielded She heard heavy foot
falls on the stairs, and cold chills ran over
her frame Nearer and nearer they came.
She tried to scream, but her throat was
paralyzed with fear. He had reached the
door. She saw it opening, and then every
thing swan before her, and she knew moth
ing more.
When her senses returned, she found her
self in the arms of her husband, who was
vigorously rubbing her hands one mo-
ment and dashing cold water in her face
and down her neck the next.
"Where-where is he?" she asked, cling
ing to him in terror.
ssWhere is who, Martha?o
sThe burglar"
tsI don't know anything about any bur
glar, my dear, but it does seem kind OF
curious that man can't come home lit
tie late without having barrel of water
upset on him out of an up stairs window"
he said in aggrieved accents.
'I-I thought tit was housebreak
er."
"And why! Do look like one?'
"You had tall hat on when you left
could only see the hat from above"
eyes, I bought new one. just look at
it noyl" holding up limp, shapeless af
fair ana gazing at it mournfully.
81 am very sorry. II am sure didn't
know. I supposed you had run away"
she said pathetically.
"Run away from wherea Who FRONT
Obi How did I know you were going tc
throw it? You didn't give me any time
to run away" he protested, hopelessly at
sea.
Finally he was made to comprehend how
matters stood, and then he laughed i'm
moderately.
He chuckled while removing his wet
clothing. Mrs. Bagly awoke in the middle
of the night and found him still chuckling.
Next morning he stopped to chuckIe
while reading a paper and surprised his
clerks by dawning on them with an i'm.
mense grin distorting his face. He was
still wearing it when he came home ia
dinner.
~ say, Martha, it's too good to keep
I'll have to tell Ogy," he said.
"Who?" she added sharply.
s'Dedlin.'
Her face became the picture of horror.
"James Bagly, if you ever dare to
breathe word to that horrid story writer,
Here she paused to think OF
to do justice to the occasion,
but failing simply said, II don't know
what I'll do"
This terrible though indefinite threat
had the desired effect, and he was dumb
as an oyster on the subject ever after.
How, then, did I learn of it? Dear
reader, she told me herself in less than
month.-Exchange