The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-03
WHAT'S In A NAME.


broadcast throughout the length and
breadth of the land. 1t is, of course, fine
thing to wake up one morning and ma
ones self famous, but even this apparent
~ has It's drawbacks. did not mind the
crafty appeals for help, the willy prospec-
fuses of fortunes to be made by taxing
shares in this or that bogus company, or
even the we'll laid schemes of horse racing
pools that came in by every post, but when
it came to downright Misrepresentation
thought the limit had been quite over
stepped.
It was about a fortnight after the day
on which my humble patronymic was
blazoned forth to the world as the winner
of much coveted prize that received this
following remarkable communication:
sat last have found you, villain
Your hiding place is no longer secret.
for have read in public print your hate
full name and address! Sooundrel! Those
whom you are bound by every earthly tie
to cherish and support have been cruelty
left to the tender raercies OF the parish,
while you doubtless have lived life OF
luxury! But the gamefs now played out,
and day Of retribution is at hand! l,
your lawful wife, and my six children
your children-will make it our business
to call on you and demand the rights
husband and father has SO long with
heidi Bewarei You have extended to us
no mercy; we will show none to you!
Your loving wife, SUSAN.
To say that was knocked back by this
strange epistae is only to express half
truth. 1t fairly took the wind out OF my
sails. My wife and Ghildren-six of them!
This was surely coming it strong toward
q young fellow who only few weeks pre-
viously had celebrated his twenty third
birthday. I did not even possess that in
dispensable desidsratum to family man
"a wife. True, was soon going to have
one for-and this Is little secret between
ourselves-the bapps Of marriage between
the accomplished Clementina Wilks and
myself had been called for the third time
only on the previous Sunday, and week
hence was to see us united forever in the
bonds of matrimony. This by the way.
OF course / knew there must be some
terrible mistake in the document held in
nv hands. but that knowledge did not
make the perusal Of it any the more agree
able. I could plainly SEQ that it might
easily lead to some little awkwardness at
a time when L least wanted any. How
| wv o~SN S~~->N0
unduly worry me, so, swallowing the mat
utinal tea and toast, shortly afterward
lit a cigarette and set out for the perform
ance of my daily duties, finally consoling
myself By coming to the conclusion that
the affair was probably stupid joke on
the part of some freakish friend, and
should hear no more Of 1t.
At little later than my usual hour In
the afternoon returned to my lodgings
and then saw-a fact of which was not
previously aware-that had stupidity left
this very remarkable communication be-
hind me on leaving home in the morning,
for it lay ON sideboard open for any one
to read. guessed, of course, that the land
lady had, by virtue Of o landlady's in
alienable rights, made herself by this time
familiar with it's contents, but did not
challenge her on tie point. was more
concerned to know If aay one else had
done SO, too, and with that view inquired
if there had been any visitors during the
day.
"Only Miss Wlks," was the landlady' s
reply, with sortaf bottled up smile "She
came about an hour ago, thinking you
would be home, and after staying few
minutes suddenly left"
Suddenly leftI Had she then read the
stupid thing? Doubtless. Although
knew Ciementina to be not more than
ordinarily inquisitiTe girl, the near ap-
proaoh of our marriage seemed to give her
a sort of right to make herself acquainted
with anything that oancerned ny welfare,
and what was mQreaaatural than that she
should feel real In terest In the correspond
enoe of Che man who a week hence would
| be her husband2 Oh, yes, I felt sure she
| had read it; but, then, she was sensible
girl and would surely see the thing in its
| right light. OF course she would. But l
| would much rather have told her about it
myself than that she should acquire the
knowledge Of it by her own means. How
L annoying it all was, to be sure!
It was some time later when I sailed
! forth to the home of my beloved for the
I usual evening visit. How pretty the little
villa looked wherein she dwelt, with its
| sloping grass lawn and beds of brilliant
seraniums! How proudly the tulips rear
| ed their heads above the blue lowered
iris that skirted the garden wall, how
| fragrant the honeysuckle that climbed
around the artfully designed entrance, and
what a wealth of floral beauty was dis
| played in the miniature conservatory that
encircled the drawing room window! But
how much more lovely than all was Glenn
entina herself, as she stood awaiting me
| inside the room in all the beauty OF bud
! ding womanhood, with her brilliant eyes
| and flushing cheeks!
I rushed forward to greet my 6hariner
| with all my customary effusiveness l did
not get quite the reception I expected.
"Monster!'' cried Clementina, drawing
| herself up to her full height of feet and
waving me off with her hands cap
| proach me not Have you the efrontery
to insult me with your polluted presence,
you base many'
| For a woman who In half dozen days
is expected to become ones wife thought
this rather rich, but as knew Clementina
had hankering after stage effect 1 con-
cluded she was acting and laughed at her.
"Ah! You mock me, vile thing! Quit
my presence and go--go to your wife and
chiidrenr' shrieked the fair one, evidently
in earnest.
"Clementina, dent I've stupid said.
"There is a mistake. knew to what you
allude. You have been to my rooms and
read stupid note addressed to me. tell
! you 1t is all mistake"
"And pretty mistake for mel, cried
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