The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-02
MRS. RIP VAN WINKLE.
Thursdays in January.


expected honor, Madame. I had hardly
dared that should ever-,'' i = .
Stick to business, Mr.. Homes" she
snapped. II didn't come here under the
impression that you were conducting a
series OF five o'clock teas. What want to
know Is. will you look into the question of
my husbands whereabouts during that
twenty years absence Of his from home 90
'Why-ah-' I ventured, "his story has
been told, Mrs. Van Wrinkle. He was
asleep up in the Catskills. He wandered
off to the top of-ah-one of the peaks of
that noble range. and fell in with Hendrix
Hudson and his men, and
"Oh, nonsense cried Mrs. Van Wrinkle
impatiently. ''They gave him knockout
drops. suppose? You don't mean to say
you believe that yarn, do you, Mr.. Homes"
If you do you are not the brilliant thing
you think you are
WELL" demurred, cit does sound i'm
probable, but I've always taken it on
faith
'And I haven't" snapped the 1ady.
whats more, I don't intend to- | do
intend to discover the truth, and if you
want the business you can have it, If
you don't, say so, and I'll worm the real
story out of the old man in some other
| way"
'"The proposition attracts me-" said I.
after moments reflection. II may be
-
restore your confidence in him"
| 'Confdence?" she cried. shrilly "Re-
store my confidence in Rip Van Wrinkle
Lord! I never had any!'' ...
''Then why did you marry him?" 1 ven
tured
"To get even with him. she replied
| rip Van Wrinkle was a born flirt and he
tried it once too often when he tackled
me-"
! "Have you any evidence that he was
elsewhere?'
YES" she answered. Convincing evi.
dence to me- --... ..
| What is it?'' asked
"The fact that he told the yarn about
| the CatSkill nap himself is enough fol
me. When Rip Van Wrinkle said he'd beer
!. to the taprocm knew he'd been to churcI
and vice versa. Reasoning on that line
his mere. statement that he'd been asleep
out in the woods, proved to me that he't
been pretty wide awake somewhere clse.'
Very well, madame, said I, TIL tax,
tho case. Perhaps in week I shall hav
something to report
i Later in the evening, at the club, Will
eating my dinner, I observed Hendril
Hudson taking his evening meal witt
J Christopher Columbus and Noah, on tn
other side of the dining-room, and plunge'
into the business in hand at once.
; Hello Hudson said 7. How is every
thing with you?"
: "Serenely lovely" he replied-he was i
a genial mood. for the house conlmitte
had laid in a fine supply of ales Of whic:
the great sailor had been absorbing prett
freely. what can I do for you?"
"Oh nothing much" answered. ''Som
! day, when you've leisure, wish you'd in
l troduce me to Rip Van Winkle,''
rip Van Winkle?" tes repeated, ri
Van Wrinkle? Who the devil is Rip Va
l Winkle?''
! why. don't you know the chap yo
!. and your men got hold of that night up i
: the Catskills and -
{ "Oh-that old tale laughed Hudson
Seems to me I did hear of that bu
e there wasn't any truth in it. What woul
e II be doing giving away grog in the Cats
= kill mountains, with good old New Yor
I not a hundred miles away? Never O
S your life, Shylock. That was tale sc
up to injure me with the prohibitionists.
1t was quite evident that Mrs. Rip va
Wrinkles suspicious were quite correct.
was very sorry, too, for / have alway
: rather like Rip himself, from what ha
v read of him, and it was unpleasant to dis
q cover that he was "a base deceiver, afte
: all.
e ST was off on cruise with old Columbr
d and Captain Kidd at that time,'' Hudso
: continued, down in the West indies
Q you see L can prove an alibi.'s
II can testify to that" said Columbu
: Noah. you were along too--don't yo
: remember? Kidd was showing us whel
), he'd cached his hidden treasure
/, "I'll never forget it,, put in Noah.
never was so sea sick in my life, befol
a or since.
..oh, don't doubt your word, Hudson,