Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-04-29
; WHAT COMES OF NOT
!, TRUSTING ONES WIFE
BY EUGENE HOLMES BURT.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Copyright. 1903. by American Press Asso-
ciatiOn
Mrs. KetchunI WAS seated at her es-
crit"lre In dainty morning gown. pale
blue to suit her hair and complexion.
attending to her correspondence. when
the postman arrived and left letter
for her husband She took 1t up.
looked at the postlnark over the stamp
giving the date Of mailing, then at the
postmark on the back giving date OF
reception. examined the handwriting
carefully and mused:
Il wonder who-I mean whom-it 10
from
The handwriting was unfa miliar to
her. but she had not seen much OF
the writing Of any Of her husbands
friends. since his letters were usually
addressed to him at his office.
He won't be at home before q
o'clock, she continued. thinking, land
l. II 1t contains anything that requires
attention 1t might be too late and
cause no end Of trouble. Then would
be blamed and justly blamed. Be-
sides, | don't object to Alan's opening
my letters. though for some reason or
other he never does I'm going to do
what ! think right and take the con-
sequences"
However to guard against contiD-
gencies she pried open the envelope
with a hairpin and without tearing the
paper. She took ont the letter ana
read:
Dear Ketchum-I have no objection to
! going to Chicago to close the deal. ent
my wife always objects to my going away
anywhere, especially when | don't take
| her with me- When do have to leave
her all day in hotel In strange city
| which Is worse for her than staying a
home | shall keep my departure Sc
cret. telegrsphing her from Chicago that
| | was called away suddenly. | give you
! this that you may write me about the
| matter at the house. for she opens all my
! letters. Otherwise she is model wlre
| and this is the only fault l have to ma
with her. But / believe It II common
failing with women. ! conera.u,se .u1
| on having q wife who respects your pri-
vate correspondence. She is An exception
| to the rule.
Now. Mrs. Ketchum was no fool.
She saw in this letter covert lecture
AUQrpSSeU 10 HtTScll iOt VpC"s"e S>A
husba nds mail Again she studied the
address. ais, the letter gradually COM
ing to see an excellent disguise OF her
husbands chirOgraphy. She folded the
decoy and was about to replace 1t IN
Its envelope when there was howl
from the nursery. Dropping both let
ter and envelope on the desk. she ran
v,t.koh her dAF-
ling Tommy. aged five. who In trying
to climb on a chiffonier had fallen on
the back of his head.
When Mrs. Ketchum returned to her
escritoire she was agltated. She had
heard that children who fall on the
back Of their heads are liable to IN
lure the base Of the brain and thereby
be crippled for life. She hurriedly
picked up the decoy letter. placed 1t In
the envelope. wet what muciage re-
mained and rubbed the flap down with
the palm Of her hand. This done, she
set the letter up on the mantel. brush
ed her own unfinished correspondence
into a drawer and went back to coddls
her boy.
When Alan Ketchum came home to
dinner his wife was still worrying
about Tommy. who had headache
and was fpverish. The father looked
at the boy, then went into bis wifes
room. where he saw the letter on the
mantel
"Hello.' he exclaimed. THAT'S from
Steve Britton. | wonder II he's going
to Chicago. II he doesn't shall have
to go myself"
II wonder" said the wife. 'you don't
have your letters addressed to your Of
fee. You are always complaining OF
my interfering with your private al
fairs. 1t occurred to me that there
might be something requiring atten-
ton, but you're SO particular about my
opening your letters that wouldn't
have opened 1t for farm. Some day
an important matter will need to be
attended to for you and you'll wish
you hadn't been So
The reason she failed to finish the
sentence was a peculiar expression on
her husbands face. Her heart began
to beat like a kettledrum. Something
had gone wrong. Mr.. Ketchum read
aloud:
Madam-I am sorry that I cannot get
any stun to match your pink silk. l
have been to every store In the city ana
have found nothing that will be suitable.
VIII you please instruct me what to DO!
Respectfully yours,
By the time the husband had finished
reading his wife was looking for an
avenue Of escape. He saw her inten'
ton and sauntered to the door,
What in the world does 1t mean!"
he asked. "A letter from your dress.
maker in an envelope addressed In
Steve Britton's handwriting! Is "
Steve Britton's or somebody In Nine.
Corbier's shop?"
ut may he that" said the wife In
faint voice.
singular! would have sworn
Steve wrote that. But now look at It
I see the first letter Of the address. A,
isn't Steve's. He makes most Of his
capitals big little ones. This A Is
real capital"
Hone was beginning to rise In Mrs.
Ketchums breast when her husband Q
eve was turned to a wastebasket be.
side the desk In which there was but
one single piece Of paper. He took 1t
out, exclaiming:
"Hello! Here's something from Steve.
after all. What the dickens does 1t all
mean?"
If this were a story of young lovers
the lady would wilt. the lover would
forgive and there would be lovely
.oo,,o Az, Katchuto aroSn and awent