The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-05
MR.. WHAT'S
HIS-NAME
BY KATHLEEN J. MCURDY

called old maid, though she was not
yet thirty. lived in a fat. On the OPP
pos!te side of the hall was another
fat In which lived couple who inter
estcd Miss Wilkins. There is nothing
remarkable in this inasmuch as old
maids are usually supposed to be in
terested in their neighbors' affairs.
Whether or no this is the case. Miss
wilkins. who by the bye was very OBJ
servant. noticed that Mrs. What's-her.
name. across the hall. always wore a
sorrowfu countenance.
The next thing Miss Wilkins noticed
was that whenever she was lying
awake between midnight and 3 OF 4
o'clock she would hear footstep com.
ing up the stairs, and on reaching the
story on which she lived the sound
would end in the closing of a door.
There being but one other fat on the
floor besides Miss wilkins, the door
was undoubtedly closed by one of that
other fats inmates.
An idea struck Miss wilkins right
between the eyes Mr.. What's-his-
name, her neighbor. was the cause Of
his wifes melancholy. 1t was he who
came home so late What wonder that
the lady was miserable with such a
husband! Was he dissipated? An
other idea popped into Miss wilkins
head Mr.. What's is-name must make
his living by gambling She had once
known a woman whose husband was
gambler, and the wife was always the
picture Of misery. The problem was
solved.
That 1t was solved correctly was
proved by the fact that no one was
stirring In the neighboring fiat in the
morning till II o'clock. Then a waiter
from a restaurant brought a tray COW
cred with napkin. knocked at the
What's-their-names door and handed
In what Miss Wilkins was sure was the
husbands breakfast The reason she
was sure 1t was the mans breakfast
was because she had often seen the
tray sitting on the floor beside the
opposite door for waiter TO remove.
and there was but one coffee cup and
one plate Undoubtedly Mrs. Whats.
her-name got her own breakfast at
proper hour.
Miss Wilkins gave music lessons,
and an hour when she was sure to be
occupied with q pupil was between 10
and 8 in the afternoon. She watched
for Mr.. What's-his-nam to go out. but
never saw him, consequently she sur
missed that he left home during the
hours that she was always engaged.
One LIST Of May Mr.. and Mrs. What's.
their-names moved out of the fiat OPP
poslte Miss wilkins The lady attend
ed to the moving, Mr.. What's-h is-name
not appearing while it was ~ progress.
Indeed. 1t was done In the afternoon
Miss wilkins inferred that since he
was up all night at cards or whirllng
roulette machine he must have his
sleep in the morning and have his poor
wife to do the moving. Anyway. Miss
Wilkins never saw the husband. but
a mental picture Of him that she con-
jured up remained in her mind. II
resembled Mephistopheles.
That was the end OF the What's
their-names for Miss wilkins.
Three years later the spinster got
husband of her own. The moment she
saw him all that antagonism to men
which had been with her since she
had passed twenty-five--in other words. |
since 1t began to look as II she had |
been left out of the matrimonial king |
dom--vanished. There was something |
so benevolent. so noble. so winning in
his face that she fell before him like
grain before scythe.
The gentleman's name was Smiley.
Miss Wilkins said 1t should be Smiling.
since his beautiful face always wore
a smile and that smile was his most
lovely feature. He seemed very much
pleased that Miss wilkins was pleased
with him. for he was a widower look
ing for wife. Having every reason to
suppose that he would be accepted by
Miss Wilkins. he proposed. and they
we're married.
Mr.. Smiley was very regular in his
habits and verv domestic. He was a
editor, and his hours at his
office were the same as those of other
persons. though sometimes he brought
home and spent the even
ing reading them. But he always ex-
FUSED himself so pleasantly for thus
depriving his wife of his company that
she forgave him.
One Sunday afternoon while strolling
they passed an apartment house.
II once occupied a fat in there" said
Miss Wilkins.
Indeed! When was that?"
"Four years ago. We occupied the
second story west fat A couple lived
opposite whom | shall never forget
The man was q gambler and his wife
was the most unhappy creature ever
met"
How did you know that the man
was a gambler
"Why. he was out all night and lay
bed till noon. Besides his wife show
ID by her expression that he was some
hing dreadful"
Mr.. Smiley turned and looked in his
wifes face with every appearance OF
when did the couple move out?' he
asked.
"In May. 19o-."
"Great heavensi Do you know who
am? I'm that man l wasn't q gam
,ier I was manarinr aditar of tho