Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-05-18
A Story With
a Sequel.
BY RHODES MAcKN1eHr.
Continued from last week.


in his chair, with closed eyes. He
asked, contritely:
Do / bore you, Marsden?
Not at all, Wick. Quite-ah-quite
Well, as / was saying-the baby.
That, of course, settled the question.
The girl had to give up her place.
They had saved little money-a good
deal to them-and everything was go
ing along smoothly. They were hap
Ply and contented, for, don't you see,
they were so much in love they hadn't
time to think of their poverty. But
one day little Mrs. Mi1ler-pretty little
thing, too! blue eyes, yellor, hair,
peachy cheeks-we1l, little Mrs. Mil
Ter came in to see me. She knew I'd
done something for her husband, you
know. Well, sir, she came in; and
can remember it just as if it was yes
terday-she came in, and her big blue
eyes were wondering, and her face
was whittier than your handkerchief.
pardon me" said the little woman,
"but 1 was just passing by, and l
thought I'd call to see if you could tell
me where can find my husband-at
at this time of day." (She stammer-
ed like that.) 81 know so little about
down town." she said. Do you see,
she was "just passing by"-eh?
1 looked at her a moment, surprised,
dare say, and asked if he wasn't at
the place where he worked. She look
ed past me, and said she's just been
there and he wasn't in. Do you see,
wasn't inch?
Sit down a minute, Mrs. Miller, 1
said; want to talk to you. began
to suspect something wrong, you see.
She sat down, and looked at me stead
lily with those big eyes.
Mrs. Miller, 1 said-I felt there was
no use beating about the bush-Mrs.
Miller, 1 said, you haven't seen your
husband this morning?
She merely looked frightened, and
gave little gasp.
'He didn't come home last n1ght?''
1 went on probing, gently as could.
Without answering directly, she
cried, "Oh, do you think anything
could have happened to him?''
The whole thing was clear as day
light. knew in one instant exactly
what had happened-young Miller had
fought it out as long as he could, had
been approached by his relatives, and
had deserted his wife and unborn child.
The conclusion wasn't logic, how ever,
but impulse; he was young fellow OF
strong enough character, but 1 was
aware, from what they had both let
drop, that he had been an affectionate
son and brother, and threw into the
balance the many influences which
might naturally be counted as being
brought to work upon him.
AS say, that conclusion struck me
instantly. And the heart rendiug
part of it was this: the little deserted
wife OWNED exactly what was pass
ing through my head.
ooh, not that!" she cried. "You
are mistakenr' Then, abashed and
conscience stricken at having barred
her mind, she corrected herself, 81
mean something must have happened
to my husband-some accident
1t was pitiful, sir, to see that little
woman beating about for a plausible
excuse. 1 saw I'd cut her, and tried
to make it better by saying: 81 sim
cerelY hope nothing has happened to
your husband, Mrs. Miller. Upon the
whole 1 think it's very unlikely-that
is, anything serious. Have you made
inquiries of the authorities?-bu
watt" 1 interrupted myself when 1
saw her lips begin to quiver-"o
course, it's too soon to think of that;
he's doubtless merely been delayed
somewhere" And then went on to
give her what comfort could, which
was, of course, none at all.
1 went myself, just as soon as she
was gone, to police headquarters, and
had word sent to the hospitals and to
the station houses; but at none of
them had he been heard of. In a day
or two put an advertisement in the
papers, calling upon him by his mi
tials, and also left his description with
detectives; the result was the same.
AT the end of the week congratulated
myself lugubrious1y on my intuition;
he had certainly been bribed to &c
home. With even as little as then
knew of HIM, 1 had been trying to
persuade myself that the going was
merely the opening wedge of gener.
al reconciliation; but that seemed now
false hope. AS I've said, 1 doubt
that Miller is his right name. Had ]
known it, it would have been easy, OF
at least easier, to trace him. His wife
knew, of course, because they were
married in his right, and merely as
sumed the other to avoid any pursuit.
by his family; but 1 believe she'd have
stood the rack sooner than appeal &c
him, or to his people, deserted as she
was.
Well, at the end of ten days Mrs
Miller came in again. I had seen her
you understand, at intervals since her
husbands disappearance, and always
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