The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-02-09

Wl1u0 was L W w w ECS VuS W tA'S
house and away from this complacent
quack, whom / was beginning to hate?
Obviously, I must send for some n
to identify me. Mr. Spencely, 1 remem
bered, had q late engage n mt in the
question. / could not obtrude such a
ridiculous thing upon heron her we'd
ding eve, too. Between you and me,
reader, I think I 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
At last I had it. / would write a brief
note to MI. Mason, our Junior principal.
He would be away from business by
this time, but a messenger would soon
60 to Wimbledon, where he lived, and
return furnished with evidence
Of my identity, which would
sanity. DIR. Fitzsimmons smiled dubi-
ously as he took my missive.
"Who is this Mr.. Mason?" he asked.
"The Junior partner in Spencely and
Mason, where 1 am employed
'H'm-yes. quite so"
He said nothing more, but I heard
him dispatch the messenger, and at last
I began to breathe freely. / was left
to myself. as if in q dream began to
recall, M by one, the various events
Of this the most miserable day in my
existence, which ought to have been
II Of the happiest. 1t was now near
ly eight o'clock. I remembered, with
q start. that at nine the employees Of
u firm, were to meet me to present
me with aw edding gift, and it would
be a case of Hamlet" without the
Prince of Denmark. And what would
Ella think? I was to meet her as soon
as the presentation was over. That,
too, was impossible, for I could not
hope. to be released in less than two
hours. I recalled, too-and the recol-
lection gave me a moments fright
that she had said to M in her fathers
and Mason's hearing, in jest. of course:
If you stay too long with your
chums, Harry, I shall conclude that you
do not want me next day
I was doomed to stay too long, but
not even the widest flight of magma
ton could have converted DR.. Fitsim-
mons into a chum of anybody. How
ever, Mason would make it all right,
and everything would be properly ex-
planned, and all would ga as merry as
a marriage-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 man has seen Mr.. Mason" he
said, land he assures him he never
heard Of you before-knows nothing at
all about you
Here was a thunder-clap. I began at
length to think that l must be subject
u decisions, to wonder if Mrs, Hall
could possibly be my wife, and if so,
who in the world /, myself a ] 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 I tell you 500" Too
much, I mean, for my equanimity.
Acting on his suggestion, 1 tried to
swallow a mouthful Of supper, for I
had tasted nothing since morning, but
it was in vain. 7 retired to bed, and
had the very qualified satisfaction Of
hearing moro t''"1 one door carefully
locked u.u-l lie, and of feeling that if
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 po-
sition. I heard every hour strike all
through the night. At twelve I half
expected it 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 I 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 once more stirring into
life. And when lat last six rang out
sharp and clear, it was a sigh of inf
mite relief I thanked Heaven that the
long night was over.
I rose and dressed after a fashion.
Suddenly I heard a carriage drive up.
A few moments more and I was sum-
moned down stairs, and ushered into
the room I 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 go.
my terms are quarterly in advance,
and Mrs. Hall paid ESQ down. BY
Jove. I did not examine the note par
ticularly; she vas quite a lady, you
know" and here the doctor looked
foolish enough to qualify for a passive
position in his own establishment.
The note proved all right. Mr.. Spence
~ took it's number and we set off.
On the way home Bob Edwards, in a
low voice. told me the story of their
search for me. in every likely quarter,
and in some unlikely nes too, for the
police-stations had not been omitted.
AS a last the livery-stable
keepers in the West-end were canvass
ed. and with success. Ella had been in
Mysteries, but was recovering.
Our wedding came off at the time Or
iginally fixed. though ! fear that nei,
Their of us looked as radiant, as the pro-
verbal bride and bridegroom. Our
vigil had told upon us both.
On III return from our honeymoon,
Mr.. Mason explained that it was q
brother of his who had seen the mes
senger I sent from DIR. Fitzsimmonss.
He himself by some unlucky change