The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-17
ABSENT-MLNDED S. TWIANKLE Err
One of Calliper's Old-time Friends In
Storkville Centre, VT.
New York SUM


81 suppose" said Colonel CaIliper.
! that the most absent-minded man that
ever lived was my old friend, Stephen
Storkville, who formerly lived in
Storkville Center, VT. Stephen was a
dreamy sort of a chap. forever dream
ing dreams and hoping hopes and see
ing romance in the most commonplace
things, happy in a faroff sort of way
with every breath he drew, but alb
sent minded-very. He would often
forget when he started out what he had
gone for, and when he was bound for
home it was a common thing for him
TO walk past his own house without
realizing its existence. But after awhile
! it would come to him that he had
walked past it, or that he was in some
way out of his latitude, and then he'd
wake up and keep awake long enough
10 get home and get inside the door.
Stephen was married, but childless He
and his wife were the greatest friends
that ever were. When he would come
in after one of these experiences in
walking by he always used to ask her,
three-quarters poking, but with a lit
tie touch of seriousness in it, toe:
" Well. Martha, is this where | live?'
And Mrs. Twawnkler would say.
very smilingly. but with a little kind
of fiutter at her heart, too:
Yes, Stephen, this is where YOU
live and then Mr.. Twawnkler would
take off his hat and stay awhile Mrs.
Twawnkler used TO say to some of her
friends that she thought if Mr..
Twawnkler should lay his head down
somewhere he'd be sure to come away
and forget it. but she was careful never
to say anything of this sort to
Stephen. She was almost oversensitive
in her patient, thoughtful care for him.
and however often his absent-m minded
ness was brought TO view she never
joked him about it but once.
"One day when Stephen had come in
after going by and said in his usual
part-joking part-serious way, Well.
Martha, is this where / live?' Mrs.
Twawnkler answered, by some freak
of the mind, perhaps a sort of invol-
untary protest against long-continued
routine:
No, sir; don't think it is
Upon that Stephen, looking sort of
dazed, as though he had got into the
wrong house by mistake turned and
walked toward the door. Mrs. Twawnk-
Ter stood dumb, partly frightened at the
thing she had unwittingly done; not
angry, but put out, too, to think that
Stephen could think even for a moment.
or in the densest fit of absent mind
edneSS, that anything of that sort that
she might say could be aught but a
joke. But Stephen kept going, and
before she knew it he was outside the
door, and when she came to herself, as
she did then, and rushed to the door to
call him, he was not to be seen any
where.
And do you know he never came
back for thirty years? Never Mrs.
Twawnkler stayed right there in the
house waiting for him, and grew old
there; that is, old as far as gray hair
could make an old woman of her. but
otherwise she kept her youth remark
ably well. She said she must wait for
Stephen, so he would know her when
he came back. And he did come back
They had never heard a word of
him. where he went or what he did, or
anything about him at all; but one day
thirty years after he had gone away,
absent-minded Stephen Twawnl1ler
walked down the street and on past
his house. He was a gray-haired, gray
bearded man now, but he was just the
same absent minded Stephen Twawnk-
Ter. He turned in the old way and
walked back TO his house and walked in
and saw somebody waiting for him.
We'll, Martha he said as he adj
vanced toward her, quite in his usual
way, is this where 1 live?''
Yes, Stephen said this gray-haired
woman, her face as calm and smiling
as ever; this is where you live?'"