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

lished broadcast throughout the length
and breath of the lard Ii is, of
course, fine thing to wake up one
morning and find oneself famous. bur
even this apparently has its draw
backs, did not mind the crafty APP
peals for help, the willy prospectuses
of fortunes to be made by taking
shares In this or that bogus company,
or even the well-laid schemes OF
horse-raeing pools that came in by
every post but when 1t came to down
right Misrepresentation thought the
limit had been quite overstepped.
II was about fortnight after the
day on which my humble patronymic
was blazoned forth TO the world as the
winner of a much-eoyeted prize that
received The following remarkable
communication;
AT last have found you, villain,
Your hiding place is no longer a Sc
cret for | have read in a public print
your hateful name and address!
Scoundrel! Those whom YOU are
bound by every earthly tie to cherish
and support, have been cruelty left TO
the tepder mercies OF the parish, while
you, doubtless, have lived Il lie Of
luxury! But the game is now played
out. and day OF retribution il at
hand! |, your lawful wife and my six
children your children will make It
our business to call on you and de-
mand the rights husband and a
father has so long withheld Beware
You have extended to us no mercy !;
we will show none to you! Your low
ing wife Susan"
TO say that | was knocked back by
this strange epistle is only to express
half truth II fairly took the wind
out of my sails. My wife and children
six OF them! This was surely COM
ing it strong toward young fellow
who only a few weeks previously had
celebrated his 23d birthday. | did not
even possess that Indispensable desid
eratum to a family man n Wife.
True, was soon going to have one,
for-and this is little secret between
ourselves-the banns OF marriage be-
tween 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 mat
rimony. This by the way.
OF course | knew there must be
some terrible mistake in the document
| held in my hands, but that knowl-
edge did not make the perusal OF II
any the more agreeable. ] could
plainly see that II might easily lead to
some little awkwardness at the time
when least wanted any. However
was determined not TO let the thing
unduiy worry me, So swallowing the
matutinal tea and toast, shortly
afterward lit a cigarette and set out
for the performance OF my daily
duties, finally consoling myself by
coming to the conclusion that the af-
fair was probably stupid joke on
the part of some freakish friend and
/ should hear no more OF II.
AT little later than my usual hour
in the afternoon | returned to my
lodgings, and then sawa fact to
which | was not previously aware
that ! had stupidity left this very re-
markable communication behind me
on leaving home in the morning, for
it lay on sideboard opened for any
one to read. ! guessed of course that
the landlady had. by virtue OF n land
lady's inalienable rights made herself
by this time familiar with its con
tents, but did not challenge her on
the point. ! was more concerned TO
know IL any one else had done so, too
and with that view inquired II there
had been any visitors during the day
only Miss Wilks,' was the land
lady's reply, with sort OF bottled up
smile She came about an hour ago
you would be home, and
after staying few minutes suddenly
left"
Suddenly left Had she read the
stupid thing? Doubtless Although I
knew Clementina to be not more
than ordinarily inquisitiye girl, the
near approach OF our marriage seemed
to give her sort Of right to make
herself acquainted with anything that
my welfare and what more
natural than that she should feel q
real interest in the correspondence Of
a man who, a week hence, would be
her husband? Oh, yes, felt sure she
had read Il; but then she was a sensi-
BILE girl and would surely see the
thing in its right light; Of course she
would But ! would much rather have
told her about II myself than that she
should acquire the knowledge of 1t by
her own means. How annoying II all
was, to be sure.
II was some time later when !
sailed forth to the home Of my be-
loved for the usual evening visit. How
pretty the little villa looked wherein
she dwelt, with It's sloping grass lawn
aud beds of brilliant geraniumsl How
proudly the tulips reared their heads
above the blue-howered iris that
skirted the garden wall; how fragrant
the honeysuckle that climbed around
the artfulIy designed entrance, and
,t,bat a maaIth NJ nora1 heauIv was