The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-07-06
IN HIS HANDWRITING

p0Stman VINO mas plOddeu route III Inv
northwest section for good many years
II met married man on my beat-man
Of 10 or so-carrying suit case and broad
grin. ..
"'Going aways' l asked him-I've beer
carrying his mail for Is years or so.
"Yep,' he replied. Took little hacl
at the market yesterday, beat it. and 1'r
going to take a short run over TO New
York-just want to order couple O suit
of clothes and 80 on and he gave me a sly
little look out of the slants of his eyes. Only
be gone about three days and then HI
jumped his car.
"He had that look about him that mar
wears when he's just embarking on littl,
whizz, and sort Of envied him, you know.
Son the following morning l delivered
letter in his wellknown handwriting to hi.
wife. The envelope contained the name o.
top-notch New York hotel. His wifl
looked pleased to receive the letter, and
had line of thinks about the devotion Of
a man, married 20 years or so, who'd sit
right down Immediately upon his arriva,
at New York hotel and write his wife Z
nice, fat letter.
But there was no letter on the following
day.
"On the next morning there was letter
from him from the same hotel. The writ
ing was bit wabbly figured it out wher
Isaw that writing that he must be enjoying
himself quite little. His wife must have
thought SO, too, for there was still harder
compression OF her lips when she took the
letter and glanced at the superscription.
"There was no letter from him on thu
following morning, but the wife was wait
ing in the front door for me. knew from
that that he hadn't got back, but, just to say
something, inquired Of her, pleasantly:
Mr.. Soand-So back YETI
"'No, he's mott! she snapped back at me.
her eyes quite a heap fiery, and didn't,
pursue the topic, but went my little way.
"On the morning after that there was
letter for her from him. The address wai
all to the bad-pretty nigh undeciphelable
"There was no letter from him on the
following morning, nor was the wife wait,
ing for me at the front door, which caused
me to conclude that he'd got back and
that he was probably at that moment en-
gagged in making few little explanations
that couldn't possibly explain.
"Great, therefore, was my surprise wher
I found letter from him for his wife IN
my bunch on the following morning by
this time he was away overdue on his re-
turn from that thee-day expedition. Thi.
letter was tso sorry deterioration in the
style of penmanship of the man in New
York. Ii looked like it had been written
with the aid of but one eye, while the
/ other eye was closed to prevent too many
heroglyphs from bobbing up on the en-
vclope. Worse than that, however, the en-
vcopc bore the picture and the name ol
one of New York's big Turkish baths. Ills
wife barely nodded her head in response to
my Good morning as if | was responsible
for her husbands continued abSence'-and
when she saw that picture OF the Turkish
bath there was again light in her eye
that caused me to desire to go right on
about my business That feeling ol envy
I'd experienced when he started off was all
gone.
Then there was lettcrlcss interval oi
two days, followed by letter addressed
on an envelope Of one OF the famous all
night Broadway restaurants OF New York
The superscclptivn was a hash and no ms
take. Along the lower edge Of the envelope
! for about an inch was damp. reddish
mark that smeled heap like Manhattan
cocktail, and was pleased to unbnrd"u
! myself OF tins letter TO the servant in the
| basement area.
"Hercupon ensued another break, ol
| three DAYS this time. and then there came
letter from his original New York hoteh
pretty well addressed, but showing unms'
! taxable signs of nervousness. Ihe VIE re-
| caived this letter at the front door, and
there was a look of settled wlatA on hel
face.
"On the following morning, when l was
setting off on my route from the post Office
] met him on the Four. ccnth street ear. lie
was lust rampnntly shaved and shincd and
polished and brushed up, bnt it wouldn't
d. for minute not with me, particularly
that had traced out the little history Of
his absence from that bunch OF superscrp
tons. lie looked pilued and nervous.
- Mornin', said !, taking the seat along
side Of him. Have a good time"
"'lhlly, said he, not looking as if hi
quite knew whether he had or not, Ther
lie gave me a look out of the tail OF hi
eye
"'Al of my letters home got through al
right he asked me.
"'Yes,' replied, and couldn't hell
grinning 10 save myself. This caused hin
to look alarmed.
"'WeIl, what's the NATTER he askcC
me. splcmnlv as ii he didn't know
"'Oh, nothing, said |, leaning over t.
him, 'onlv il were yon uou'du't 90 home
if | were you I'D never go homo any more
I'd remain away from home indenltel
or permanently. I'd 90 up TO Cape Nome
or ion one OF those bnnches that $ goln
to make "tash for tie pole" or simc
! thing like that But Id never 90 home
for fact
"It was painful to SEE how gloomy h
looked
"'WclI, I guess that's risNt all right
ss ssms .'n; Tine Y yavrn' IT E'' '" '''S ''F ",
"lIe hravp!y got off at his street, an
when got around to his house ! toun
him in hi, front yard in his shirt sleeve
pn,ting up bluff at FIXING the gcran,'ms.
"Sh.sh. he whispered, when entere
the front yard. 'Ncver touched me, Tot
her the salt air of New York caused me t
suffer all the time | was there with wlf
Ell is cramp. liow's that
81 made some comforting reply, Init
cnmc away wondering over how man
married men take their wives for infant
or jays. "-Washngt Star.
Dealt, From Heat.
A. p Lewis, an inmate OF th'
Home at Mirquadalc, dice at th'
Delaware Hospital, on Wednesday
from the effects OF the beat, atte1
having undergone some ten day
ago, an operation for stone IN In
bladder. The physicians removed
three stones, weighing in the az
greg ate five ounces. lie was doln!
well and had il not been for the ex
treme heat lie would have recover
ed. He was 4 native Of Connect
| l.. l. NIiIEk,.A IL,