The Republican., 1900-11-15
We may find him waiting for train"

n man lOOh uTddI d lew moments
ago." he said, but he had gray whis-
kers and walked with a cane"
"a Disguise" horsely whispered Mrs.
Dobley. "He most probably would
have disguise. Oh, this is dreadful"
did the man act queerly?" she
asked, excitedly.
"He ate about a quart of peanuts
agent. 81 don't know whether you'd
call that suspicious or not"
Hes perfectly wild about peanuts"
said Mrs. Dobley. Cant you see? An
old man with gray whiskers eating
peanuts-why, it's just as plain!"
"Then I'll telegraph to the first sta
ton the train stops at" said Freshing-
| ton.
But whom can you telegraph to?"
moaned Mrs. Dobley. He'll think it is
a trick to find where he is going. He'll
never admit who he is"
'Wait minute" said Freshington,
taking up telegraph blank.
Man With Gray Whiskers, Train No. -,
| Arriving:
Come back at once. Your wife is almost
insane"
That's a splendid ideal" said Mrs.
Dobley. "He will understand that and
return
i am very much surprised at Dob
ley doing anything so extremely fool
ish," said Freshington. II can't un-
derstand it,"
"He esaidh-h-home was Slow" wept
Mrs. Dobley. "B-b-beastly slow, he
said. That's just the way with you
men!"
But he thought you were going,
too, didn't he?" asked Freshington.
But l didn't really mean to co. said
Mrs. Dobley. "He might have known
that"
| well, there's only one thing to do
now, and that is to go home" suggest
ed Freshington, land wait for him to
return"
Freshington left the address of the
Dobley home with the agent and told
him to direct the gray-whiskered gen.
tleman there should he come back on
| the train. Then there was mournful
return to the club, whGEe more in
quiries were made without avail.
Then back to Dobley's. Mrs. Dob
ley rushed weeping violently into the
libraty, followed by Freshington, who
had concluded to send out a general
alarm for Dobley if the telegram
brought no result. Mrs. Dobley
shrieked and threw herself into
chair, alternately laughing and cry
ing, when she observed Mr.. Dobley,
seated, calmly smoking a cigar at the
library table.
"Well," she said, 81 knew you'd never
go!"
"Where have you BEEN" asked Fresh
ington. 1--WE have been chasing all over
the town after you.'
"A very peculiar proceeding on your
part" said Dobley.
81 thought you h-h-h-had disap-
peared mysteriously," said Mrs. Dobley,
''and we went hunting for c-c-clues."
''I've been here the entire evening""
said Dobley, calmly.
"Oh, come now," said Freshington;
1--WE know better than that"
eve didn't leave here until after ten
O'clock" said Mrs. Dobley, "and 1 had
to tell Mr.. Freshington all about our
plan to disappear, and he thought you
had gone to the club
"Yes," said Dobley, 81 had the pleas
ure of hearing your wild coniectures
and absurd deductions before you went
away"
"You heard" exclaimed Mrs. Dobley,
"and never said word! Obi"
There was no one in the ROOM" said
Freshington.
Il beg your pardon, I was" said Dob
ley.
"Where?" asked Mrs. Dobley and
Freshington in one breath.
Under the piar1o," said Dobley.
81 knew you were hidden around
somewhere" said Mrs. Dobley. That's
what said all those things for, just so
you'd hear
81 was pleased to learn that l should
be missed" said Dobley.
Just then the bell rang loudly. A
servant came back in some alarm.
There were loud voices in the hall.
"There's man down there with two
policemen" said the servant Hes
making time"
'He seems disturbed about some
thing" said Dobley.
''He wants to know why he was
brought back here to town by tele-
gram about his wife, explained the
servant. Hes awful mad"
Freshington locked at Mrs Dobley in
horror.
"What kind of man is it?" she
asked.
can old gentleman with gray whis-
kers," said the man. "A queer sort of
person"
Great Scott!" said Freshington.
YOU'D better go and see what the
poor man wants." said Mrs. Dobley, to
her husband ''he may be in trouble"
Dobley went out of the room. Once
more the eyes of Mrs. Dobley and Fresh
ington met and they smiled sweetly at
each other.
"Peanuts!" said Freshington. I'm
sorry for Dobley!"
''Pm not! Not one bit!" said Mrs.
Dobley, as she unpinned her hat. 1T
will serve him inst ripht IN v Sun