Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-05-30
A SURPRISE.
1Original.1

%~~-~N~-S
my Marian on a business trip to the
orient. l expected to be gone three
months at the outside, hut was absent
eight. l had frequent letters from my
wife and knew that she was in ex-
cellent health, SO l had nothing to
worry about
l reached New York at 0 in the
morning by steamer and at 10 drove
up to the door Of my house. I had
carried the latchkey with me on my
key ring and let myself In. Seeing no
one below, l ran upstairs to my wife's
room, thinking only of the transports
Of our meeting after my long absence.
l was surprised to find the door locked.
l knocked, ratified the knob--indeed,
made every demonstration of one burn
Ing to get in and take my beloved one
in my arms. Presently l heard the
words on the other side of the door:
go awayv'
The voice was not my wifes, but II
was a womans. I had sno mind to be
thus treated on my return after so long
an absence and kept on knocking and
rafting the knob. Presently heard
sound inside that resembled nothing
l had ever heard unless 1t was the
first effort of young rooster to crow.
l was puzzled. What could it meane
I gave a kick at the door with my
foot In another moment l heard the
same voice say:
do stop that noise and go awayr'
what does 1t all mean2" l shouted.
But there was no response, and after
giving another kick concluded to ac-
stairs. / touched button In the IL
brary for Peggy, the maid had left
at the house when 1 went abroad, but
instead of Peggy new girl answered
the summons.
where's Mrs. Budd?" asked.
Don't know"
Don't know? You're the maid,
aren't your
Don't know"
do you understand EnglishT
Don't know"
"Never mind. That'll do. Go back.
don't want you"
1t took these four sentences to get
her out of the room, and was trying
to think up some other method Of solv-
ing the riddle when heard the front
lrko ~ h,.A
not in time to see who had come In.
heard or thought heard footstep 60
ing upstairs, but city houses are al
ways dark, and mine Is darker than
most Of them, SO couldn't see who 1t
was. l heard a light knock on a door
(my wife's, perhaps. The door was
opened long enough for some one to
pass In; then it shut
This was maddening. A woman had
my wife prisoner and all the knock
ing of which l was capable would not
gain me admittance, yet here was
person-the step sounded like a mans
whose llghtest rap was an open sesa-
me-" No one In the house but maid
who could say nothing but don't
know"-at least supposed there was
no one else-but to make sure went
upstairs and looked into every room.
While passing my wifes room l heard
that spring chicken Growing again. ]
went back to the library and paced the
floor, resolving to waylay any one who
might have. gone into the room from
which was debarred-that Is, Ii any
one had gone into the room-when he,
she or 1t came out-that is, If he, she or
it ever did come out
l didn't have to wait long before
heard the door open and a mans step
coming down the stairs. I confronted
him In the hall.
well, sir" I said, what are you
doing hereT
What are you doing here? he re-
torted. bristling.
Il am the owner of this house"
"The deuce you arew with evident
surprise.
Yes, l am. and I'm kept out Of my
wife's bedroom. There's nobody to tell
me what is going on and"-
"You must excuse me, sir; I'm In a
hurry" And he went out and shut the
door.
We'll. I'll be hangedp' / said to my
self. This Is agonizing."
went back into the library. II
WASN'T more than ten minutes more
before I heard ring at the telephone
upstairs. A woman's voice answered
the ring. This was one-half the dia-
logue. the half I heard:
"Yes, I'm Miss Arbuckle."
"You don't mean It"
"Ha. ha, ha! CleverIy managed"
"Ail right Goodby"
Another ten minutes passed when I
heard the door open again and voice
called to me to come up. A uniformed
nurse ushered me into my wife's room.
Marian was lying on the bed and be-
side her nine poand chunk Of feah.
AfteT ! had taken both mother and
childA one embgacec nearly smother
ing the child, GSked q few questions.
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