The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-09-05
MRS. BENNIONS DISAPPEAR
ANCE.
London Week.

Wlen she WOulQ De IN 2. dSkcQ MI. Dell
MON comparing his watch with the
drawing room clock and addressing his
butler. Both master and man looked
very uneasy.
mo, sir. Missis went out after lun-
cheOn. She ordered dinner for seven, as
usual, so we supposed she would be in
1T is $50 now" said Mr.. BennIon,
endeavoring to look composed. You
are sure no card or note was left for
me?"
"Quite sure, sir" replied the butler,
who had been summoned up four or five
times within the last hour and a half to
answer similar interrogatories. ''Shall
l serve up the dinner, sir?"
"Yes, you had better; probably your
mistress has gone to dine with her
parents. / dare say she sent me note
to my chambers, and it must have been
miscarried."
Mr.. Bennion sought to quiet himself
by saying this, but he was ill at ease.
He was barrIster in large practice who
had been married about year, and this
was the first time that there had been
the slightest hitch in the clOckwork
regularity of his home life. Except on
Sundays, during the vacation, and when
he was absent on the circuit, he was ac-
customed to leave his home at $50
every morning and 10 return at g As,
when he would find his wife dressed to
receive him and the dinner ready to be
served. He was a methOdical man and
she social little woman, who knew her
husbands liking for punctually and
took care that he should never be dis
turbed by anything amiss in her dOmes-
tic arrangements.
He sat down to his solitary dinner in
In mi 10
lived in Russell Square, where all apart
ments are spacious; and being a pros
porous man, his surroundings were lux
uriOus. The table, spread with taste,
was decked with flowers and silver, and
the soft light shining through globes of
white glass shed on it an air of festivity.
But the chair of the young mistress of
the house remained empty; and gazing
on that vacant scat, Henry Bennion
could neither eat nor drink. He had
never realized till that moment how very
dear his wife was to him. She had
graced his home and made him happy.
From the first day when she had sat IN
that place of honor at the head of his
bOard-a still blushing bride after their
honeymoon tour-frOm that time until
that very morning of this day, when she
had presided as usual over his breakfast,
Henry Bennion had been accustomed to
find in her the most cheerful companion
ship. He called to mind how often he
had glanced across the table and met the
beams of her smiling eyes, how often he
had been enlivened by her merry prattle
and touched by the interest which she
expressed in his work, his pleadings and
growing fame, of which she appeared so
proud. No cross word had ever passed
between them; no GOODNESS or sulks had
ever marred their intercourse for an hour;
onsthe contrary, in the smallest matters
as well as great ones, dear Mabel Ben
MON had made her husband constantly
feel that she was helpmate on whose
loving devotion and entire frankness he
could rely wholly. Abruptly present
iment fell upon him that all this was
past and gone, and that his wife would
never more sit in her place at the table
never! He pushed away his plate and
stared at the, empty chair with a hag-
gard glance. A creeping of the flesh
came upon him as if misfortune had en-.
tered his home and were standing near
him with her chill shadow. He had
started several times at the sound of cab
wheels and even bells, and now a loud
knock at neighbOring door made him
jump up with the reflection that it was
past nine, and that every moment added
He walked into the hall, put OIL his
hat, and left the house without speaking
10 any of the servants. At the first cab
stand he hailed a hanson and told the
driver to take him to Eaton Place, where
Mr.. Kurthew, Mabel's father, lived.
Mr.; Kurthew was wealthy solicitor,
having large family of sons and daugh-
tiers whom he had all settled comfortably
in life with the exception of one daugh-
ter, an invalid, who resided with him.
Julia Kerthew, with her father. and
mother, were all three in the drawing
room when Harry Bennion arrived, and
10 the anxious question which he STAN
mered out, Have you seen Mabel 80
they answered in the negative. Julia at
once saw that there was something
wrong, but she was not the person tO |
offer any comfort. Her general Occu-
patton was to lie on the sofa and say
things. "Has Mabel left you ~
she said, arching her eyebrows.
"She has disappeared" answered !
addressing Mr.. and Mrs. Kur-
threw rather than Julia, whose tone |
him. 81 hoped she might have |
come here.'
Mr.. and Mrs. Kurthew both grew |
much alarmed. They were too proud |
to attribute their daughters disappear
lnce to any scandalous reason, and con- |
Guided she must have met with some |
terrible accident. Perhaps she had been |
run over in the street, or been injured |
while riding in a cab. Mr.. Kurthew said |
he would accompany Bennion to Rus
sell Square to see if any news of Mabel |
had yet arrived; and if not, they must