The record-union., 1895-01-12


line, probably. Dumped into the hos
pital at the end. Potter's field next.
| Toughp'
Can see her moment, Charlie?''
w by. cert. This way, Bob. Friend
of mine, Mrs. Prime" This to the mat
ron, who nodded kindly. "Now, Bob,
what do you think OF that for pict-
ure?"
tiny woman lay quietly upon her
cot. Her great blue eyes held an un-
Wonted brightness. She stared vacantly
at the men beside her but saw them not.
Her sweet, pitiful face lay white against
pillow Of brown curls. To the Sensl-
tive beholder the impression Tor mo-
ment came that living death was being
looked upon.
''Y es, yes, yesn' she said appealingly.
| "pli be there in a moment, dearsV She
stopped suddenly. Her fingers worked
curiously and rapidly as if in toll. Then
she burst forth coolngly, "Once upon
! time!' 'Once upon a timev' "Once
upon timen stopped suddenly again,
and, but for the strange luster in her eyes,
lie seemed to have ebbed away with the
silence of her saddeniDg voice.
! Lord, Bob, what's the matter? Your
face is as white as the girPsn'
ION, nothing, nothing. l am not used
to this sort of thing like you. L must go
! out of here Instantly"
The reporter led the way. As they
passed the matron his companion grasped
her hand.
Il know this grip he whispered 81
! Will see you early tomorrow. l will
prove my gratitude to you if you will
nave all done in human power" And
then aloud to Burroughs, who was re-
gardlng him keenly, Yes, yes, yes!
\ ou reporters do meet with strange hu-
| man episodes"
"Romances, you might say. And if
Pm not mistaken, this is one Of them.
Into my first novel you go, Bob!"
las you like. Charlie, il it turns out
only romance! But, if tragedy?" he
said appealingly and with lowering
| voice.
Being a gentleman as we'll as a re-
porter, Charlie Burroughs drew his
! friends arm through his own and, as
they passed out into the city lights and
shadows together, made answer ten
derly:
Then it must stand among the sacred
| slIences. But let's hear about it when
you teel like talking, Bob"
Five years later it began to be bruited
| in political circles that the Hon. Tillman
| Plumley was threatened with paresis.
In fact, Mrs. Yillman Plumley, after a
| long consultation with the Plumley fam
! lily physician, in which the good man
was as conscientiously guarded against
! sustaining any of the lady's surmises as
was consistent with retaining the Plum
ley family practice, had herself ad-
vanced the theory that the Senator is
| failin'."
During the consultation the unfortu-
nate word ''paresis'' had been dropped.
1t had fine, aristocratic sound, it's symp-
| toms exactly accorded with what Mrs.
| llIlman Plumley privately termed her
husbands -pambyness," his
! failure to respond with vim and energy
to the repeated political demands of his
| country, and, particularly with his late
| habit of wandering away to New York
! without being aoIe to properly account
! for his absence and return, with what
seemed TO Mrs. Tillman Plumley an al
most idiotic and smiling reminiscential
| contentInent.
'Pve put him where he is," she feel
lngly admitted to her maid, as they were
one day packing the Plumley trunks
preparatory to a years sojourn in Eu-
! rope. to which her husband stoutly pro-
tested, 'an' it'll prob'ly be my fate to
have him break down on my hands an
drivel on for yearsW
She was folding one of her hus-
! banTs vests. crumpled bit of paper
protruded from its inner pocket. No
ticing 1t she sent the servant out of the
room, opened the dainty note and read;
| Darling Pdpa: Don't fail to come Saturday
evening for all sunday. You can come down
| to engage your steamer stateroons Well
have that delicious, dear old Boston Sunday
morning breakfast you SO love-brOwn bread
and coffee, baked beans and fish! DO come!
| Little 11llman is now babDling your name.
| How precious OF mimi Don't forget we are
now in our new fiat in Harlem. It's perfectly
! lovely-1O16 JaniUor Avenue. lake the
/ Sixth Avenue Elevated. Kisses from little
Iillman. DORA.
Mrs. Tillman Plumley was monu-
mental calmness itself when alone in the
! presence of calamity. She simply ut
tered the word "Monsters!" thrust the
note in her reticule, donned her bonnet
and wrappings, was Immediately driven
! to the railway station, and, in two hours
| time, was touching the electric bell but
ton OF the PIumley flat at l016 Janitor
Avenue.
What if I should ketch 'em in flag
| ranty delicterH' she muttered, tapping
softly at the door.
y songful woman tripped along the in
ner hall, followed by a child shouting
| baby talk IN joyous expectation. The
apartment door opened just as two men
! entered from the street below. Mrs.
Iillman Plumley grasped the songful
woman with one hand, clutched the Joy
Gus child with the other, marched them
without a word to the little parlor,
pumped them into separate chairs and
stood before them gIaring and mumbling,
Yes, it's his! Looks jess like him! on,
| you-woman ~ as the Hon. Iillman
PIumley and Mr.. Robert Plumley entered
the parlor and came TO a sudden and ap-
palled halt, as the tragic scene and the
| woman confronted them.
! "St-St-st-St-St-st Wouch! St-st ~
shrieked Mrs. Tillman PIumley, falling
in a heap upon the floor at her instant
| comprehension of her mistake, and, as
instantly attempting to palliate it with
! her ever-ready hysterical recourse.
Father, shall L ring for an ambu-
lance?" quietly inquired Robert Plum
| ley, as he gently gathered little Dora and
his child in his arms.
YES, yes! Call an ambulance! Call
| the police! Call every body!"
His wife sprang nitnbly to her feet and
fastened hystericless towards the door.
The Hon. Tillmau Plumley sawed the
air 3with his oratotic arms and continued
wildly:
Here, Cynthy Ann! Here's your
I tickets. Here's your money. 'Paresis'
| don't count. Tillman Piumley don't 90.
! Tillman Plumley stays right here. Can
ter and gallop aud tower all over the Eu-
ropean continent. and keep on cantering,
galloping an towering till you can come
| back here and give me rest on politics.
ana give me an our children a white
| mans homei Pve found a homeI pIl
stay in it till things straighten out. Gym
thy Ann, this is solemn, final!
The last words reached Mrs. Tillman
! Plumley as she was disappearing upon
the street. But they renamed with her,
took root. and, though late in lie, Till
man Plumley lived 10 know the blessed
days OF home content, while even his soft
1 ened helpmeet, as the autumn days of
living came, looked back with thankful
ness and gentle regret to all the sadness
and giadness that had come with her
who had first breathed among them the
magic spell OF, "Once upon a time,"