River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-10

JUICY
-What, next door to 50? Or. mol
couldn't. must go home. Please, doc
tor. IL il -in not disturb Mrs. Mont
gomeTy. do go up and make dreadful
noise at the head of Mr.. Davenport's
bed; it leans up against your parlor;
for he always hears your piano."
The doctor oheyed. and knocked
loudly on the wall. Mr.. Davenport
heard distant thunder in his dreams,
turned over, with his deaf ear up. and
slept again.
After a half hours fruitless knock
ing, Mrs. Davenport consented 10 allow
the sleepy doctor 10 retire to his WELL
earned repose, whilst she declared that
she would rest as well as she could in an
easy-chair down in his consulting room.
Nos. 81, 80 and Al were at peace at
last, and Mrs. Davenport, wrapped in
her cloak, and in a warm room in the
house of a neighbor and friend. grew
composed. and finally laughed at her
adventure. 1t would be a good joke
next morning; bat as for Orlando, her
colored waiter, there was lookout for
him of the blacklist. Then poor Mr..
Davenport, how alarmed he would bel
but she would watch and see the serv-
ants begin to open the house, ard steal
in before he was awake. So saying, she
fell sound asleep in her chair.
At length Mr.. Davenport, like all
heavy sleepers, woke up suddenly and
entirely. He did not know why, but it
seemed to him that he had had a dis.
turbed night. AS he lay trying to coll
lect his faculties, he heard the clock
strike four.
How quiet Coralie isl" said NJ. Dav-
export; tired after her bah A sup
pose"
Mr. Davenport listened to hear,
through the opened door and curtained
recess, the quiet breathing of his wife
in the next room.
She was strangely still, and Mr.. Dav-
export arose softly and crept in to see
what could be the matter.
"Hcayens!" said he, nobody in bed!
Coralie not at home at four o'clock!"
Mr.. Davenport paused momeas.
Could the horses have run awsyI Could
the coachman have been drunk? That
lad happened before. Could his poor
wife have been thrown, dragged-no.
the idea was too horrible. Could she
have been locked out?
Mr.. Davenport felt the cold perspira-
ton start on his brow. He rang every
hell in the house. He proceeded to
dress himself. He danced in his agony
and agitation.
Then. as his sleepy servants began to
appear, and one after the other began to
disclaim any knowledge of their mis-
trcss, he descended to the front door.
There lay Mrs. Davenport's fan, hand
kerchief and gloves. Then Mr.. Daven-
port tore his hair. She had been there,
10 her own home; she had failed to gain
admittance; she had either been ruth
lessly carried off, or she had committed
suicide. Mr.. Davenport lost his head.
"She may have gone TO her sisters,
or to some hotel" suggested her maid.
what, at three in the morning. you
wretched sleepy head." said Mr.. Daven-
port. wildly. To discharge Orlando, TO
60 to the police, to rouse the world,
these were Mr.. Davenport's first ideas.
lie rang up every signal officer in
town. The whole machinery of the pub
lie was set to work to fiud the missing
lady.
Mr.. Davenport went after his coach
man. The man, though fully testifying
to the fact that he had been very drunk,
could swear that he had left the lady
at her own door at half-past two in
the morning.
To take a carriage, TO drive to Mrs.
Davesport's sisters, 70 all the nearest
hotels, these were the duties which the
wretched man took upon himself.
In the meantime Mrs. Davenport slept
swectly in the doctors armchair until
the hcusemaid, coming in. uttered n
loud shrek and called ''robbersi" To
I.acify her, to rouse herself, to step
ca, My out of the doctors front door
and into her own house was the work
of a moment.
Mrs. Davenport found all of her peo-
pie at nome and thoroughly awake,
but where was Mr.. Davenport?
lie had left no tidings of himself. He
was wildly searching for her. Know
ing his temperament, Mrs. Davenport
felt sure that he would not return I'M
tia he had dragged the East river. She
was at home all right, and proceeded,
like a calm woman, to get off her ball
dress, and satin shoes, ard silhen hose,
and TO put on dressing gown and lambs
wool, and to take cup of tea, TO get
warm, and then to reflect upon what
should be done with Mr.. Dayenrort's
case.
st will be all in the papers," said
her president soul, this evening, at
farthesti"
&" [ will telegraph everywhere" said
she, ringing for a messenger boy.
"HuIlo!" said nan at the signal sta
ton, this is queeri Here is man try
ing 10 find his wife, and here comes a
woman who is trying to find her hus-
band; and they are both named Daven-
port"
Il dare say-nothiBg-to-each other
common name-coincidence, said
the telegraph operator, who had
learned to talk in jerks.
LET me see the number" said the
signal man. "Thirty-nine. Yes, it is
the same queer easel"
Wonder what il all meaDs!"
II was late in the day before hag-
gard man was found standing on tho
brink of the East river hugging fan.
a pair of gloves and handkerchief.
Mr.. Davenport had evidently taken
these for purposes of Identification.
When he was finally rescued and
taken home, after the usual express
s;ons of mingled affection and disgust,
anger, JOY, reproach and greet content
Inent, which all married pairs will re-
member and furnish for themselves,
Mrs. Davenport remarked plaintivcly:
why did you not think of DIR. Mont
gomery and the speaking tube, dear?"
Il don't know, never thought of it.
How did you happen TO, Coralie?"
cit was the cat!" said Mrs. Davenport,
gratefully.
Mr.. Davenport, unwilling TO trust to
this somewhat uncertain benefactor,
had a bell put in, which now rings in
the garnet, and speaking tube which
communicates with his own room; and
Airs. Davenport carries TO all the balls
now a large and inconvenient latch
key.-Boston Traveller.
small Cocoanut Cakes.
Take a cocoanut. carefully skinned
and grated. the milk os the same and an