The Washington herald., 1907-09-15
Glad Wife Went Off on a
Vacation.
WOULD HAVE a GOOD TIME
Found IL Rather Dull work, the
Flat Was Lonely, and There Was
Nothing in the Evening Paper-Ihc
Bed Was Lumpy-AwfuIiy Glad
When She Came Back,

ing IAtlf NNe years OF llldIIieA ltlt. ne /
had been rather looking forward 70 il 1
with vaguely mischievoUs anticipation /
Of a renewal for the month Of his old
time bachelor existence.
You don't seem e. be greatly grieved /
that I am 10 be away from you for a /
whole long month" she had said to him
on the evening before. Wont you miss
me-just Il little?'
"Oh, course I'li miss you" he had re-
Piled. IN an of-hand way. suppressing a /
yawn But married folks ought 10 be
away from each other once il while. /
Does 'em both good
Then he added as a sort Of soothing /
afterthought.
III appreciate you all the more when
you ger back-sure thing. I will" and he /
bestowed a careless sort Of duty-bound /
caross upon her.
The hectic flush OF anticipation mounted /
10 his cheekbones when the train disap- |
peareG out Of the station. The light IN /
bis eyes plainly said Watch little 1
While"
Guess I won't go back 20 the Office to |
day" he said 10 himself, looking at his /
watch. Wonder what I'D be the matter 1
with a little ride down the river on the |
boat"
Dull Work Alone.
He found il dull work. the ride down /
the river. The other excGrsionists were /
mostly tired-lookirg. perspiring mothers
of young children. and the children never !
seemed 10 leave OF devouring alternate /
mouthfuls Of pickles and cake, dished I
out TO them from so.!=d sloe boxes.
He let himself into the fat upon his re-
turn and found IL cool and dark. but /
strangely quiet and deserted looking. He /
wandered aimiessly through the rooms /
with his head half cooked 70 one side. as /
II De expected az any moment 20 hear q /
familiar voice.
The sleeping rooms were permeated /
with the fragrance Of the cld-fashionej /
lavender IN which his wife always slowed /
her white goods IN the chiffonier, mingled I
with the pleasant briar-sweetish aroma OF /
the japanese mating on the floors. She /
had picked out that mating He shifted /
the air rather enjoyably.
Dainty w0man-daintiest I ever knew,
he thought of his wife; and then he re-
mcmbcred how fetching she had looked I
ln her pOugee travelling suit when be had
put her on the train that afternoon
a month eL2" he caught himself say
ing. Wei, a mCuth's quite a long
stretch. sometimes
He picked up from the dresser a red
ros. that his wife had worn in her dark
hair on the evening before. He caught
himself pressing the rose 10 his nostrils.
He saw himself doing this In the glass,
and then he griuned al his reflection.
I'm an ass" he muttered. After five
years. AT that-Im a slob.'
Turned I'm Early.
lie turned in pretty early that night,
after Intellectually endeavoring 10 read
an evening paper upside down for half an
hour OF so-he didn't seem TO care 10
read.
Pinned 70 the fresh suit OF pajamas
which she had thoughtfully spread out
on his bed that morning he found this
little scribble written on q sheet Of her
writing paper;
Good uight-sleep tight" with the
diminutlve OF her name signed after the
words Down at the bottom Of the sheet,
in tiny letters, was the word Hugs"
well, guess maybe she's not the all
right girl, hey?' he said 10 himself as he
turned out the light.
On the following evening he took a
trolley ride 20 a suburban resort. He
listened 20 the band music and watched
the girls and young fellows dance for
while The way the young fellows how
cred and four-fushed around the girls
and made village cut-ups Of themselves
struck him as something rather curious
I wonder II its possible that I ever
made such a mutt monkey OF myself as
these young chaps are doing?" he asked
himself Guess I did. though. at that
but. hully smoke. doesn't il seem a mil
lion years since I really engaged IN such
dem nonsense
He came away from the suburban re-
sort very early. As he was preparing 10
turn In he noticed under HIS wife's bed a
pair Of her tiny high-heeled house slip
pers that she had probably forgotten 10
take with her. He picked one OF the
slippers UP and stared wouderingly at Il
for a long time.
Now. I wonder how the dickens she
ever gets the thing on?' he thought
Looks Ike It was made for a doll. I
wonder how the little snip is tonight,
anyway
Then he took q sudden grab on himself
Say" he said. half aloud I've got TO
cut this balderdash out First thing I
know III be a bug. Here I am maunder-
ing 10 myself-and after five years, az
that That's funny Five years-um
Pretty decent five years for you. old boy.
Best five years you ever put in-you sure
were going the distance az a bad clip
when you-oh, pifie, I'm going 70 bed"
The bed seemed rather lumpy TO him.
He remembered that it hadn't been made
up by mis- wife, but by a janitress, who
came in every day during his absence at
the Office to look after the things-he got
his meals at a restaurant.
Dreamed Of Her.
As he tried to get to sleep he fell to
thinking how reckless his wife had al
ways seemed to him in her handling OF
horses. She was a natural horsewoman.
but some Of those horses out there at her
fathers place in the West were mighty
wild and skittish, and If she should take
any unnecessary chances and anything
were to happen 10 her
He found himself sitting up in bed IN
the darkness in a fever.
of anything should happen to her!
Here. by George, I'm going to have a
smoke" and he hopped out Of bed and
! turned on the light and sat smoking and
fitting himself back and forth in a rocker
for q long time before his nerves stopped
| jumping at the thought OF those horses
at her fathers place IN the West where
she was visiting
On the next evening he went to a beer
garden still irving to warm I'D that
bachelor feeling. But 1t was no go.
same old crowd" he said to himself,
watching the people around the tables