Evening star., 1903-07-25
HE SURELY MISSED HER

He met his wife at the station to put her
or the train. She was bound west on a
months visit tou her folks. 1t was to be
their first separation during their five years
OF married life. He had been rather look
ing forward to It, with a vaguely mischiev-
Gus anticipation.sof renewal of the old
| time bechaior fun.
| You do not seem to be greatly grieved
| that am TO be away from you for a whole
| long month"; she had said to him on the
evening before. wont you miss me-just
some?" y
Course I'll miss you he had replied in
his off-hand way. suppressing a yaWn.
| But married people ought to be away from
| each other once in while. Does 'em both
good Then he added as a sort of sooth-
| ing afterthought: I'm appreciate you all
the more when you get back-sure thing l
! WILL and he bestowed a careless. kind OF
duty-bound caress upon her.
The hectic flush of anticipation mounted
| to his cheek bones when the train disap-
| peared out of the station. The light in his
| eyes said Watch little Willie!'
Guess 1 won't go back to the office to-
| day." he said to himself. looking at his
| watch. Wonder what 'ud be the matter
| with little ride down the river? I'll 60
| river. The other excurslonists on the river
| boat were mostly tired-looking. perspiring
| mothers of young children. and the children
never seemed to leave off devouring alter
| nate mouthfuls Of pickles and cake. dished
out to them from soiled shoe boxes con-
verted into luncheon receDtacles. He d1d
| not leave the boat when it made its stop,
| but lounged over to the other side. out OF
| the sun, and bit off the ends of one cigar
after another wishing himself back in the
IcffSy Hhnr Nv m O..
The ride back was far from hilarious.
He let himself into the house upon his
return and found 1t cool and dark. Dut
| strangely quiet and notwithstanding. He
| wandered aimlessly through the rooms with
| his head half cooked to ono side. as II he
expected at any moment to hear a familiar
voice. The upper floor was permeateo WIN
| the fragrance of the lavender In which ms
| wife always slowed her white goods in the
| ch!froner, mingled with the pleasant brlar-
| Sweetish aroma Of the Japanese mating on
! the f1oors-she had picked out that mating.
| He shifted the air rather enjOyably.
Dainty woman-daintiest l ever knew,
| he thought of his wife, and then he remem-
| bered how fetching she had looked IN nei
! pongee travelling coat when he had pidueh
| her goodbye at the station that morning.
"A month, eh?" he caught himself saying.
| well a months a long time. sometimes.
| He picked up from the dresser red rose
| that his wife had worn in her dark hair on
| the evening before. 1nvoluntar1ly ne press
| ed the rose to his nostrils. But when ne
| saw himself do this in the dresser glass he
| flushed and then grinned
I'm ass" he muttered. After fVe
| years, at that-Im a SlOb.
| He turned in pretty early that night
! after Intellectually endeavoring to read the
| evening paper turned upside down. for half
an hour so-he didn't seem to care to
| read. Pinned to the fresh pair of pa1amaS,
! which she had thoughtfully spread out for
him. he found this little note. written on
a sheet Of her writing paper, pinned 10
| the blouse:
Good night-sleep tight" with the dim
inutive of her name signed after the words
| Down at the bottom Of the sheet In very
| tiny letters, was the word: Hugs
II guess maybe she's not an all right girl.
| hey?'' he said to himself he turned out
| the gas.
! On the following evening he took troll
| ley ride out to a suburban resort He list
| ened to the band and watched the girls
| and young fellows dance for a while. The
| way the young fellows lowered around the
! girls and grimaced and made village cut
| ups of themselves struck him as something
| rather curious.
can 1t be possible that ever made such
| a mutt-monkey of myself these young
| chaps are doing?' he thought to himself
| Guess 1 did at that-but. hully gee:
| doesn't it seem million years ago since l
| engaged in such dem nonsense!
| He came away from the suburban resort
| very early As he was preparing FOR bed
| he noticed, under the bed. a pair Of his
| wfe's tiny higf- heeled house slippers that
she had forgotten to take with her lie
! picked one of them up and stared "ondef-
| ingly at it for a long time.
| II wonder how the dickens she ever gets
| 1t on?" he thought. Looks like 1t was
made for doll. l wonder how the httie
| snip is tonight. anyhow, and
| Then he took sudden grab on himself
say" he said half aloud. I've got to cut
| this tommyrot out. First thing ! Know IL
be bug. Here l am Numbering to my
|
| funny. Five years-um. Pretty decent
five years for you. old boy--best i've you
ever put in-you sure were going ti'e as
tance at a dangerous clip When you-oh
! fudge. I'm going to bed.
The bed seemed rather lumpy to him. He
| remembered that 1t hadn't been made up by
his wife. but by the maid servant who
came in every day. during his absence at
! the office to look after things-he got his
! meals out AS he tried to WOO slumber he
! fell to thinking how reckless his wife had
| always seemed to him In her handling OF
| horses. She was natural horseWoman.
| hut some of those horses out there in the
west on her fathers place were mighty
| wild and skittish. and If she should take
any unnecessary chances and anything were
| to happen to her
He found himself sitting up In bed In the
darkness. in a fever.
III anything should happen to her-by
| George, I'm going to have smoke. and
| he Jumped out Of bed and lit the gas and
| started cigar ana SAT SIHohliiS anu eiitiiiS
| himself back and forth in rocker for Il
| long while before his nerves stopped jump
| ing at the thought of those horses on that
! western place where his wife was visiting.
| On the next evening he rode out to an
! other suburban resort, still trying to warm
| IN that bachelorish feeling. But it was no
| go. .
! Same old crowd" he said to himself.
watching the people around the tables.
! Same old making of rings on the tables
! with the bottoms of glasses same old half
| r,mmy talk from the men and hot air from
| the girls, same old goo-goo eyes-same old
| everything-can't see it-not for mine. and
| again he executed an early get away.
| On the following night he forega thered
with a little poker bunch-three old pals Of
| his bachelorhood Somehow or other their
! conversation struck him being mighty
! asnine and frivolous. not to say cheap and
| low. He drank three four high balls
| during the game. but they only made him
! a bit sick-tasted like iron, he thought He
| hadn't drank much in recent years-in five
! wears. he refected-and then, when it was
| up to him. and he had the openers for the
| jackpot right in front of his nose. his mind
! was way off somewhere another. and
| his bachelor pals rode hard On him and
| rounded him out of his trance and called