ENOCH ARDEN.

NZ Truth, Issue 87, 16 February 1907, Page 4

ENOCH ARDEN.

POUNDS AND PINS Cause Misapprehension m St. • Asaph-street.

A little time ago an old cove alighted on Cjiristchurch from the North Island and 'winded, his weary way to a house i/in/St-. Asaph-street where his invalid wife, whom he had not seen for quite a yrhile, was living. It was quite f pathetic reunion between Da,rby and Joan, and the happier because Darby had brought some cash with him. Quite a lot of the needful the old chap had managed to scrape together, and there was considerable joy m the St. Asaph-street 1 domicile m consequence. The RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL son wasn't m it with these joyful doings, and all wen,t merry as a marriage bell— for a time. Then the nasty neighbors, who weren't invited to participate, began to say things, and there was trouble. -A busybody bobby named Harve^i blew round one d*ay and told the' landlady^.there had been complaints made that the old boy was going the pace a bit, alleging' that he, was always drunk and lots of other awful things, including one that she encouraged men to her house to help, the old 'un make a fool of himself. Landlady, m her turn, descended on the Christchurch office of this paper t'other, morning with a petition that it might be made known to all arid siitidry whom it might concern, through these columns, especially those mischief-mak-ing neighbors of hers, that her elderly boarder is never, never, never drunk. Says he's a bit edne m the pins, and when folk see him wobbling; round from the Royal George, or the Imperial, it's this ailment gives him the appearance of being a bit bosky. Several other things lady stated anont the St. Asaph-street slanderers can't be printed because the machine wouldn't . stanl the strain, but 'nuf's been said to give said slanderers pause before further besmirching a feminine with a character white as the undriveß snow.