Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-01

3Ss~A~S~~>S<>>~@>~>~~>%e.$
Now, Arthur" said Mrs. harrington
as her husband put three handbags in
the seat beside her in the sleeper and
handed over six baggage checks. Il want
you TO be sure and write TO ne every day
and tell me everything you think. just
how much sou miss me and all about the
way the servants get along don't omit
any Of the details, thinking that l shall
not be interested. for every word thai
sou write, dear, will he precious To me.
Put plenty OF local color i'd your letters.
'+Oh, l'N keep yen posted" he replied,
You 20 ahead and have good time and
don't worry about me I'll set along
some way OF course. it'll be lonely aud
all that, but III manage to pass the
time. Tin be rather dismal for nae &c
sit on the front porch alone wheaNt be-
gins to get dark, thinking Of you IN the
gay crowd having a good time and never
giving d thought to-
Arthur harrington" his pretty wife
interrupted III you continue 10 talk that
way l Just Shant 90. You know / shall
think Of you every minute I'm away. aud
II the doctor hadn't said the sea air
would be good for me wouldn't save
thought Of accepting Aunt I.aura's invi
tation. Please don't fret me. love. will
you? Remember that, wherever | may
be and no matter how gay my surround
ings, ! shall be thinking Of you. and. =
lowering her voice to a whisper. my soul
will still be commuuing with your soul"
They threw kisses at each other as the
train moved away. Then harrington
went TO his office and began writing let.
tiers. They were 10 his WIFE He wrote
ia OF them-enough to last for two
weeks In general outline the letters
were about the same. lie started each
by filing a sheet with endearing words
and declarations that be was very lone
~ without bis darling. Then followed
the local color she wanted in the form Of
comments on occurrences of the day in
and around their home. The letters were
not dated, but he sealed aud addressed
them and arranged them in bunch, so
that the stcnographer could take off the
top one day after day and drop 1t into tho
mail box.
He had been gone nearly a week when
there came telngr21lrfer him. OF
course, telegram opened. and
when Miss WI stenographer.
read the messas ed pale.
"Why don't r my questions
about the hoha ankle and your
liver? Am awfuN fed
That was what abeth harrington
had telegraphed. Xfter studying the
matter for awhile Miss Wildreth decided
that it was necessary for her to act. SIZE
was clever enough 20 hold position that
not more than one man out of 80 could
have filed, and she had the habit OF
keeping her eyes and ears open. Still she
said to herself:
1.-The housemaid's ankle? | can see
how he might know something about his
own liver. but--and why should his wife,
of all people. want him to see about IL?
Well, If | ever get married.
But instead OF finishing what she had
started to say she wrote the following
dispatch:
'Leg and liver o. X. Don't worry"
1t was about 10 o'clock the next day
when another telegram for Arthur Bar
rington was received. Ii read:
Yesterdays letter contradicts tebe-
gram Why are you deceiving me? Are
you better today? Shall come homer
The stenographer's reply was as FOB
lows:
"Am true as steel. Don't thiak OF
coming home"
Miss Wildreth had just begun to feel
that she had succeeded In settling the
disagreeable business when a messenger
boy arrived with another telegram. IN
wi icl her employers wife said:
Don't understand. What do You
mean by being true as steel? Something
us.ii l.
ately."
The stenographer replied:
"Neyer mind reference TO steel Am
all right
Mrs. harrington watched eagerly for
the postmau on the following day. and
when he handed her Arthur's letter she
opened It with trembling fingers. Eager
" she scanned the first page and was
about half through the local color when
she jumped up and ran TO her aunt, cry
ing:
"Merciful goodness, what can this
mean? Three days ago Arthur wrote
that the housemaid was still laid up
with her lame ankle, which | have tried
in vain 10 get him to tell me about, and
that he was not feeling well and the doe
tor had told him his liver was out of or
der. let mere III toudy tetttt hc eci''
me that the housemaid has just fallen
out of a cherry tree, spraining her ankle.
and that he made himself Welsh rab-
bit night before last and ate 80 much OF II
that los liver is all upset. Why on earth
did the housemaid climb cherry tree
when she had lame ankle, and what
ever possessed Arthur TO eat Wesh rab-
Bit when the doctor had just warned him
about his liyerT"
Her aunt was trying 10 figure II out
when Elizabeth harrington happened to
think OF the kilograms she had received
the day before.
"This letter must have been written
about the time they were sent she said
I'm going home. Something's wrong.
Arthur's liver trouble has gone to bis
head My poor darling has lost his rea-
a.. 4 A. a ftf.a