The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-18
MIR. AND MRS. NUWED.

a trip. OF course Mrs. Nuwed cried when
it was first announced, and then after her
husband had convinced her both of the
urgency of his errand and the reluctance
with which he left her, she resigned her.
self as best she could to the prospect Of
such separation. But in spite of all her
fortitude she found herself sobbing and
snuffiing surreptitiously when it came to
packing his valise, which probably &C.
counted for her putting his socks into his
collar box and leaving out his collars en-
tirely.
Luckily Mr.. Nuwed, who was himself
wandering around in detected style, re-
tanned sufficient presence of mind to slip
in a couple of clean shirts, otherwise the
valise would have contained little besides
slippers, lunch and tears. This was an
other evidence of his state of mind for
none other than a newly married man
would submit to Juggling valise full of
lunch on a road where dining cars and
restaurant stations abounded. As it was,
the tears evaporated, but the lunch re-
manned with him until the trip homeward,
when he providentiaHy threw 1t out.
Then husband and wife proceeded to bid
each other goodby. The process was too
extended to be described in detail. 1t COM
menced in the early morning and contin-
ued until the train carried Mr.. Nuwed out
of his wife's fearful vision. OF course, he
promised to think Of her every minute and
write every day, while she assured him
that her life would be bowling wilder
ness until his return. Her last words,
which had been frequently reiterated be-
fore, were, Telegraph me, John, dear, II
anything happens"
And so they parted. Mrs. Nuwsd re-
turned home to solitude and tears, and for
once in her life she did not in the least en-
joy a real good cry" Neither was Mr..
NuWed feeling SO clipper as was his won't.
He curled himself up in corner of the
smoking cabaret, smoked viciously and
thought long, delirious thoughts, in which
all the horrible calamities which could
possibly or inpossibly happen to the wife
Of his bosom Inarshaled themselves before
his excited imagination.
But by and by good dinner, followed
by smoke and friendly game of cards
with Some congenial fellows on the train,
coupled with the fact that he quit winner
enough to put him on the good side of the
porter and secure nightcap, - served to
divert his mind from these g1oomful fore
bodings and send him to bed to rest as
well as one ever does in a sleeping car
bunk. After that his business absorbed
him most Of the time and although he
wrote regularly every day he did not, truth
to tell, think of Mrs. Nuwed every minute
business, battle or the chase man may di-
vert his mind from gloomy thoughts, but
woman left alone at home can only think
of her lost lover. Her very household du-
ties are painfully reminiscent, since it was
for him that she used to perform them.
Now that he is gone they seem hollow
moekeries. Left to herself-for she is loath
to confde her woes to her friends for fear
of their laughter-terrors multiply them
selves in her mind and it is small wonder
that she is reduced to the verge of hysteria.
All these things are cited in explanation
and to some extenuation of the state Of
mind in which Mrs. Nuwed found herself
about the third day after her husbands
departure. OF course the chief fund for
alarm, which increased by constant brood
ing over it, was the possibility OF a rail-
road wreck which might involve her be-
loved husband. The fact that he carried
large life insurance did not occur to her
once as a consolation, which goes to prove
that she was young and truly loved him.
Night after night she would lie awake,
recalling all the horrible disasters she had
ever heard of and conjuring up in mag
ination fresh terrors to add to them. Then
she would fall into an uneasy sleep, only
to dream of crashing timbers Kissing
steam, Ieaping flames, cries. shrieks and
groans from poor, nlangled passengers,
among whom Mr.. Nuweii was the first to
meet her sight. BY day these grim visions
faded away, and after she had perused the
morning paper with fear and trembling
she could almost afford to laugh at them,
but at night, under the cover of darkness,
| these ghosts of the imagination returned
with redoubled vigor.
just at this time it happened that the
mail missed connection OF Mr.. Nuwed
neglected to post his daily letter in time
although he strenuously insists that he did
and Mrs. Nuwed went a whole day
without hearing from him. The last pre-
ceding letter had announced that he was
going to make q short side trip up in the
country, and she remembered that it must
be over a ramshackle little road where
wrecks were not an uncommon occurrence.
To cap the climax, one of her friends
called in the afternoon, apparently to re-
late terrible dream she had had about
Mr.. Nuwed the night before. 1t is aston
ishing how far friends will travel and
what trouble they will take to relate such
things. A bit of real cheerful news may
remain locked in their bosoms for ages,
but when anything uncomfortable occurs
it must be communicated at once to the
one it will disturb most. That is part of
q friends duty.
Asnight approached Mrs. Nuwed was al
most on the verge of Mysteries. She could
eat no supper and cried herself into a
state of exhaustion. Then came an cmi-
nous ring at the doorbell. There was COL
loquy with the maidservant in the hall
below.
Telegram for Mrs. Nuwed," she heard
some one say.
Rising hurriedly, she rushed out to re-
ceive it.
The yellow envelope fairly burned her
fingers, which tremblcd so that she could
scarcely tear it open.
Tho crumpled yellow slip seemed tan
gled up in hard knots when she tried to
unfold it.
At last-it seemed ages-the ink stained
page lay open before her. She read:
"Express''-
A blur came before her eyes. but by in
] tuition she knaw the rest, Express train