The aegis & intelligencer., 1896-05-08

val!Se, ana tamla"nceu ~ pacE. me
a...:d -. n..Li-..' tut 10 VS. sur
prised that her master had not risen and
did not help his wife. However, she
made the coffee and then went after
cab.
The front door was wide open and q
locksmith busy with the big lock when
Annie appeared i'll the hall. The land
lady ran to meet her, exclaiming i'll
furry of excitement: did you hear
about it, madam? A thief was here last
night and made an attempt to enter the
house. Some one must have frightened
him off He left broken key stuck fast
i'll the lock, and was unable to unlock
the door. l had to call from the window
until l aroused neighbor, who ran for
a locksmith. Now am going to have
patent lock put on and spoil their little
game. But you look very pale, my dear
madam. | am sorry to have frightened
you with my burglar story. Are you 60
ing to take ride so early in the morn
ing?'
Annie nodded and passed on. She
was glad that the woman had not seen
0er NallSe, WHICH ueF lldlu llthu allcduy
put into the cab.
What a narrow escape l had last
night! How near 1 came being robbed
perhaps worser' She was now thor
oughly angry. $50 much more reason
for leaving the fellow, no matter what
the consequences For the present shall
remain with my parents. " Thus musing
she arrived at the depot.
Before purchasing her ticket she in
tended to leave her valise in the waiting
room. Annie entered and made for All
empty table, when suddenly she drop
ped the valise and almost screamed
aloud. Wasn't that her husband, 'her"
Gus sitting there in q corner and snor-
ing loud enough to make everybody in
the room smile at his nasal powers? He
looked tired and worn and his garments
appeared damp. How did he get here
and why was he i'll such a dilapidated
condition? She stood for moment un
decided and unable to take her eyes off
mis- drawn, wornout features.
Suddenly the sleeper opened his eyes.
Whatever the outcome, she must avoid
scene i'll public room. Anything but
that The walters had more than once
looked wonderingly at the man who
had drunk three cups of coffee and then
fallen sound asleep hours ago. Annie
tried to appear quite unconcerned, and
took seat beside her husband. Some
how her anger had suddenly vanished.
ooh, darling, what brought mel
mean rather what brought you-here2"
he asked, astonished at the unexpected
appearance of his wife, dressed for a
journey.
"Never mind, dear. Don't bother
about that now," she whispered.
Come, let us ride home, where will
explain all. "
Gus acquiesced in silence. His feet
felt heavy and hardly able to carry his
weight. He was sick. All he could do
was to drag himself to cab.
And then explanations were in order
Annie had no reason to doubt her hus-
bands narration of his adventures dur
ing the night, and what the landlady
had told her about the broken key tend
ed IN corrohnrate and exonerate him.
But he could not quite make out from
her explanations what had taken her to
tho railway station. He was, however,
too i'll to ask many questions.
Arrived at home, she simply told the
astonished servant that they had
changed their mind and would not go
away because her husband, who had
preceded her to the depot, had been sud
denly taken sick, and sent her after
physician.
Gus was very sick. For two weeks he
could not leave his bed. A complicated
| and aggravated attack of influenza was
the result of his experience during that
| II fated night
Annie never left his bedside, and now
il was her great care and tireless, de-
voted nursing that opened his eyes as to
the depth and unseltishness of her great
love for him.
At last Gus got we'll, and, though he
would now and then go to have a social
game Of whist, his wife never again
ionbted hiE, even if he staid out later
han II.-From the German.