The daily Alaskan., 1907-05-24
Poor MT. Archibald
LCriglnaLl

ss=H sahANA =AAA As.l'AhtF rhhaAa HHAH
 entering the most dangerous period for married people-the portal between 20, l nance and practical wedlock. The
 first ripple came one evening at din
 uer. when the husband announced that be had an engagement In the city with
 party of hls old crOuies. The wife said nothing, but her husband saw
 that she was doing a great deal Of l thinking. He therefore spoke with all l the information of affection of which he , was capable, emphasizing the "dear" ] and going around behind her and put 1 ting his arms about her. It was all of
 no avail Had he not dreaded the 1. chan of bis bachelor friends he would l have broken the engagement and stay ] ed at home As 1t was, he kissed hIs wife several times, not elictjug the l slightest response. and with much mis- l giving went out.
 Mrs. Archibald had never before been compelled to pass an evening alone. A ] member of a large family, with hosts l of friends of her own age her life had ] been one delightful holiday. Now 1 among strangers, In a strange place, ] sitting alone listening to the ticking
 of the Clock-lt licked loud enough to wake the dead-a very natural revul- ! sion came over her Before her mar ! rlage she had thought she would die l without her lover. Now she thought l she would dle without her home and all who were In It. It occurred to her with sudden and overwhelming force
 that she had exchanged everything for ROthIng No for a life Of loneliness. l And her crown of sorrow was that aft CT all the billing and cooling the man ] for whom she had made the sacrifice would not give up the society of his oIL chums for hers. She threw her self on a sofa. buried her face in a pI- low and moaued:
 ! Mother"
 ! The young husband had voluntarily l told his wife that be would return hy ] the 10 o'clock train. reaching home at ! Il This ueoesS.tatad his leaving his ] friends by half past 9, and when he ] proposed to Go SD there was a shout of ] derisiou.
 shes got him under already. cried one.
 Come. old man." said another. put
 up a good fight in the beginning and yOuu have au easy life. If you don't . slavery Is yours f0rever.' . And so Nlr. Archibald, rallied by his . friends. put oI bis going from train 1 to train till the last, which left at l2 midnight But some one had borrowed
 his watch on preJeuse of doing a sIHighJ l of hand trick with 1t and had seJlt 1 back. Therefore when Archie. as they ] called him. rose to go there was a ] shout Of laughter. and he was informed ! that the train had been gone ten min utes.
 . All this puts lIr. Archibalds friends 1 ln a somewhat bad light But they were not so bad as they appeared. ] After badgcriug their victim for awhile ] they tOld him that be needn't worry. One Of them had an automobile walt. ] Ing. and they would all see hlm home . to make sure his wife didn't abuse ! hlm. Unfortunately they were a lonY ! while getting away, and at o'clock ID ! the morning. when they were spinning ! over a road through a lonely wood. ] there was a report, the automobile l turned sldewise against a telegraph
 pole. and the party was spilled In the road. A tire had exploded The only { Injury Co any one of them was l scratch on Archie's hand.
 l. was 2 a. m. when the party rode
 up to the Archibald dom.cile, and all . allghted at his Invitation for break . fast. Leaving them In the library. he . mounted the stairs to find his wife. l She was not iu her room. nor had her bed been occupied He rang for Q servant. who informed him that Mrs. Archibald had taken the o'clock train
 for her mothers home. Going down,
 stairs. he eyctredly announced to the party the result of their escapade. The news temporarily threw 8 damper over them. Then some one proposed to take
 Archibald to his wlfe's refuge, fifty . miles distant and bring her back. But
 one of the party. a widowcr, made e ! suggestion.
 Tt wouldn't do. fellows be said, ito
 go there without something to work ] on. There has been a terrible automo- . bile accident. Archie has been Injured. ! Put him to bed. Two of us will stay
 with him while the rest go and break 1 the news as del.cately as possible to
 hls wife"
 The proposition was accepted. ArchI5
 was carried by two stout fellows to his l room and his hand wound In bandages The automobile dashed away.
 About noon the machine came puff ! Ing up to the house at lawbreak.ng 1 speed. Mrs. Archibald would not wait i to be handed out and, rushing Into tho
 house. threw her arms wildly about 1 her husband.
 Forgive me darling" she cried.
 Be careful ,3f his hand exclaimed l one of his masculine nurses. We have
 done the best We could for the poor ! fellow since you were not here to nurse
 him"
 '.T shall never forgive myself"