Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-29

to think of it! Such a man has thu
effrontery to talk to me of love. No
content to act like a villain, he ever
had to make fun of me last night by
pretending he would henceforth b'
home at IL o'clock.
"Who would ever have thought hin
so base? They close the beer house
after midnight, hence he cannot pre-
tend to be playing cards there al
night. Heaven knows where he il
spending the night, in whose com
pany he is enjoying himself, while
I! But he'll find that l am not his
dupe. l shall leave him at once
There is a train at seven o'clock in
the morning which ] am going tic
take and go home to my parents
and so forth and so on. More wiring
ing Of her hands, more tears. more
self-pity and accusations, until II
her eyes her husband appeared a
veritable Bluebeard.
At five o'clock she called the serv-
ing maid, whom she sent to the gar
ret for a valise, and commenced to
pack. The maid said nothing, but she
was surprised that her master had
not risen and did not help his wife
However, she made the coffee and
then went after a cab.
The front door was wide open, and
a locllsmith busy with the big lock,
when Annie appeared in the hall
The landlady ran to meet her, ex-
planning in hurry of excitement:
"Did you hear about it, madam? n
thief was here last night and made
an attempt to enter the house. Some
one must have frightened him off.
He left a broken key stuck fast in
the lock, and l was unable to unlock
the door. 1 had to call from the win
dow until 1 aroused neighbor, who
ran for locksmith. Now l am 60
ing to have a patent lock put on and
spoil their little game. But you look
very pale, my dear madam. 1 am
sorry to have frightened you with
my burglar story. Are you going to
take a ride so early in the morning?"
Annie nodded and passed on. She
was glad that the woman had not
seen her valise, which her maid had
already put into the cab.
"What a narrow escape l had last
night. How near came being
robbed-perhaps worse!" She was
now thoroughly angry. $50 much
more reason for leaving the fellow.
no matter the consequences! For
the present 1 shall remain with my
parents" Thus musing, she arrived
at the depot.
Before purchasing her ticket she
intended to leave her valise in the
waiting-room. Annie entered and
made for an empty table, when sud
denly-she dropped the valise and al
most screamed aloud-wasn't that
her husband, her Gus, sitting there
in a corner and snoring loud enough
to make everybody in the room smile
at his nasal powers?
Suddenly the sleeper opened his
eyes. Whatever the outcome, she
must avoid a scene in a public room.
Annie tried to appear quite uncon-
oerned, and took a seat beside her
husband. Somehow her anger had
suddenly vanished.
ooh, darling, what brought me-
mean rather what brought you
here?" he asked, astonished at the
unexpected appearance of his wife,
dressed for journey.
"Never mind, dear. Don't bother
about that now," she whispered.
"Come, let us ride home, when 1 will
explain ALL"
Gus acquiesced in silence. All he
could do was to drag himself to a
cab.
And then explanations were in or
der. Annie had no reason to doubt
her husbands narrative of his adven-
lures during the night. But he could
not quite make out from her ex-
plantations what had taken her to the
railway station. He was, however,
too i'll to ask many questions.
Arrived at home she simply told
the astonished servant that they
had changed their mind and would
not go away, because her husband,
who had preceded her to the depot,
had been suddenly taken SICK and
sent her after a physician.
Gus was very sick; for two weeks
he could not leave his bed.
At last Gus got well, and though
he would now and then go to have n
social game of whist, his wife never
again doubted him, even if he stayed
out later than "eleven. "-Translatee
from the German.