Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-03-19

aAtCt stdSc eHeCt, concluded she was
acting, and laughed at her.
All! You mock me, vile thing!
Quit my presence, and go go to your
wife and childrenr shtieked the fair
one evidently in earnest.
"Clementina. don't be stupid" |
said here is Il mistake. | know to
what YOU allude You have been 20
my rooms and read stupid note ad-
dressed to me tell YOU IL is all a
mistake"
And a pretty mistake for met cried
she But thank heaven, have lis
covered II in time, before il became
irreparable, oh, YOU monsterw
Hear me, Clementina. like the sem
sible girl I've always taken you to be-"
| pleaded. Il tell YOU the whole thing
is an error, delusion, without word
of truth in 1t, will have the
wretched business cleared up at once.
Besides think moment The idea Is
preposterous, II YOU could bring
yourself to imagine me the husband OF
another You surely could not believe
me at my age the father of half
dozen children. II is too absurdr'
And | smiled sickly smile at tt
folly Of the thing.
How can tell? Perhaps You
have deceived me in your age as we'll!
or what value is mans unsupported
wordP But leave me; SO, and let me
break my heart in soltudew
In, IA 10 81 ia, .,t,
refusing to he comforted, until the
thing got so hot that seized my hat
and rushed to my lodgings In despair,
with the intention Of forthwith tying
myself to the bedpost. instead of
week hence to a wife. On consldera-
ton, however. | decided to postpone
the fatal act for day or two, in order
that | might have time to arrange the
disposal of my worldly goods and
chattels as | did not wish there should
be any wrangling over the possession
OF my hat boxes after my decease. In
this determination retired early to
rest TO enjoy the sleep of innocence.
But | did not have things quite to
myself, My uneasy slumbers of the
night were a fearfully enlarged edt-
tion of the days proceedings. The s'I
children, quickly multiplied up
sixty shared my distressful couch, am
made the night merry with their
FRANKS They danced hornpipes on
my chest; turned somersaults on the
bridge of my nose; seized me by the
hair OF my head and whirled me
round tie room in u manner that
would have surprised MI; Maskelyne
himself, tossing me over and over like
Il Shrove Tuesday pancake
Needless 10 say that awoke In the
morning with splitting headache,
and feeling generally so unwell that |
decided 20 pass the day indoors.
II was afternoon, and ] had thrown
myself into an easy chair and filled
my pipe with the intention OF spend
inG half an hour in the regions or
oblivion and tobacco smoke, when
violent rat-tat at the outer door caused
me to jump to my feet. A few sec
onds later the door of my own room
was thrust suddenly open and
powerful female voice exclaimed Go
TO your father, my dears, and let him
see how YOU love himt'
In an instant half a dozen brats OF
every conceivable degree OF dirtiness
rushed into the room and made for me
A couple caught hold of each lie
while the others pinioned me secure9
by the arms, and the whole Of them
burst into cracked chorus o
Daddy daddy!
The scene was probably ludicrous
and | believe | could have laughed a
II myself, but that through the open
door thought | could see Clementina
with a scowl upon her face.
"What does all this mean? Take
these brats away shouted, yainly
struggling to free myself from the en-
braces OF the young wretches.
A woman of masculine build
bounced into the room and turned her
glaring eyes upon me.
"It's the wrong mani she shouted
and then, turning TO the imps, said:
Come away. my dears, we've made
That's not your fatherl"
"Then what do you mean by sending
me this lying letter and coming to me
In this way" demanded of the
woman, Indignantly
Il thought you were my husband"
she replied. coolly. You've got the
same name
Clementina now stepped forward.
"Is not the gentleman, then, your
husband mn'dm2'' she asked, timidly'
The woman regarded her contemp-
tuously MY husband, miss, wretch
as he is, II man. was her reply,
adding insult to injury
Clementna laughed loudly. As for
myself, have seldom felt smaller IN
my life. was quite aware OF my
youthful appearance; In fact, prided
myself upon H. believing 1t point N
my favor. But to have thrown i as
me In this way was most humiliating
However II seemed to settle one
and Tor all the insinuations OF the let
ter. and evidently convinced Clemen-
tina herself, FOR shortly af.erward,
with the assistance Of the landlady,