Evening journal., 1912-09-03
MIR. WHAT'S
HIS-NAME
B, KATHLEEN ]. McuRDY

MISS WllkluA, HpinktQr commonly
called old maid. though she waa not
yet thirty lived In a dat On the op.
posIts side Of the hall was another
6at IN which lived a couple who inter
ested Miss Wilkins There IL nothing
remarkable IN this innsmuch 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 wns very OBJ
servant. noticed that Mrs. what's.her.
pane, across tho hall, always wore a
torrowful countennnce.
The next thing Miss Wilkins noticed
was that whenever she was lying
awake between midnight and 8 or 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 or a door.
There being but one other nat on the
foor besides Miss wilkins. the door
was undoubtedly closed by one OF that
other tiHt's inmates.
An idea struck Miss wilkins right
between the eyes. Mr.. What's-his-
name, her neighbor. was the cause or
his wife's melancholy. II was he who
came home 40 late. What wonder that
the lady was miserable with such a
husbandi Was he dissipated7 An
other idea popped into Miss wilkins
head. AIr. whats-his-name must make
his living by gambling. She had once
known a woman whose husband was a
gambler, and the wife was always the
picture of misery. The problem was
solved
That II was solved correctly was
proved by the fact that no one was
stirring In the neighboring Hat in the
morning till II o'clock. Then a waiter
from restaurant brought a tray Gov
cred with a napkin. knocked at the
/ Whats-their-name's door and handed
In what Miss wilkins was sure was the
husbands breakfast The reason she
was sure II was the mans breakfast
was because she had often seen the
] tray sitting on the door beside the
opposite door FOR a waiter to remove
/ and there was but one coffee cup and
one plate. Undoubtedly Mrs. What's.
( her-name got her own breakfast ut a
proper hour.
Miss Wilkins gave music lessons,
and an hour when she was sure 10 be
occupied with a pupil was between 10
/ ard 3 in the afternoon. She watched
for Mr.. Whats.hls-name TO go out. but
never saw him, consequently she sur
missed that he left home during the
hours that she was always engaged.
One lst OF May Mr. and Mrs. What's.
their-names moved out OF the fiat op
poslte Miss wilkins The lady attend.
ed TO the moving. MIR. -his-name
not appearing while Il was, IN progress.
indeed. Il was done In the afternoon.
Miss wilkins inferred that since he
was up all night at cards or whirllnp
n roulette machine he must have his
sleep I'm 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 un remained in her mind Il
resemhled Mephlstopheles
That was the end OF the What's.
their-names for Miss wilkins.
Three years later the spinster got a
husband Of her own. The moment she
saw him all that antagonism 10 men
which had been with her since she
had passed twenty y-five-in other words,
since II began TO look as n 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 n scythe
The gentlemans name was Smiley
Miss wilkins said II should be Smiling
since his beautiful face always wore
smile and that smile was his mos
, lovely feature He seemed very muct
r pleased that Miss wilkins was pleased
, with him for he was widower look
4 ing for a wife. Having every reason L
r suppose that he would be accepted b,
r Miss wilkins, he proposed. and the,
a were married.
. MIR. Smiley was very regular in hi
p habits aud very domestic. He was
A magazine editor. and his hours at hi
Office were the same as those Of othe
! persons. though sometimes he brough
a manuscripts home and spent the even
q ing reading them But he always eS
v cused himself so> pleasantly for thu
4 deprlving his wife OF his company tina
she forgave him.
9 One Sunday afternoon while strollin
a they passed an apartment house.
!. Il once occupied fat In there" sal
+. Miss wilkins.
"Indeedl When was that?"
/, "Four years ago. We occupied III
second story west fat A couple live
/. opposite whom I shall never forge
The man was q gambler. and his wifi
= was the most unhappy creature eve
met"
How did You know that the ma
was 4 gamblers"
n "why. he was out all night and la
: abed TIN noon. Besides his wife shov
K ed by her expression that be was SOM
It thing dreadful"
q Mr. Smiley. turned and looked in h
d wife's face with every appearance {
q surprise.
IS "when did the couple move out?" b
n asked.
er "In May. l9O-."
IS "Great heavensl DO you know VIII
lv am? I'm that man. wasn't a gan
ne bier. was managing editor OF n
It Daily Advertiser and couldn't get hon
In till In the morning. My wife wa
q. ] n,iqara hla hnco,sen cha moe 80, ~.