The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-06-01
SELECT STORY.
A DRAWING ROOM COMEDY.

Calcutta and London. The senior
partner is Mr.. Joseph Bilbury, his
father, who has a very nice house at
Kew, and until year or two ago there
was third member of the firm in the
person of Thomas uncle, Mr. Babbing-
ton Backbone, the Calcutta repre-
sentative of the es ,ablishment. But
unfortunately, Mr.. Backbone, like
many Englishmen who live in India,
drank so much Scotch whiskey and
Bass ale, and ate too much curry and
too many Bombay ducks;" the re-
suit being that at the age of 55 his
liver declined to bear the strain put
upon it, and collapsed, leaving its own.
er so weak and i'll that he had barely
time ere he died to telegraph TO his
partners in England brief notice of
his impending fate. This alarming
despatch arrived at a particularly in
opportune moment. Mr.. Thomas Bill
bury had on the day previous married
a very charming young lady, Lydia
Lapples by name, and the intelligence
of his uncle's sad condition necessitat-
ed that the newly-made husband
who, by the way, had only become ac-
quaiuted with his bride about six
weeks before marriage-should with
out moments delay take the train
for Dover, cross to Calais, and thence
go by the quickest route to Calcutta.
The affair was pressing. Mr. Black
thorne's death would certainly throw
the business into confusion, and any
hesitation on the part of the English
partners might imperl the future of
the firm.
go at once, my dear boy" wrote
Mr.. Joseph Blbury to his son, who
was in the Isle of Wight, sand send
Your wife to me- will take care of
her, and see her settled in your new
home at Richmond. / would go my
self, but my gout won't allow me.
Ard above all things, take care of
your liver"
| There was no help for it. Mr.. Bill
bury, Jr., felt that he must go; so go
he did, putting the best face on the
matter, and bidding very long and
tender goodbye to his poor little wife.
He escorted her across to Portsmouth,
put her in London train, kissed her,
saw her off, and then took the next
train for Dover
She settled down in her new home
on Richmond Hill; and he for many
months afterward worked hard at his
desk in Calcutta, arranging the world
ly affairs of his dead uncle, and from
time to time sending home reports of
his progress, and love letters to Lydia.
Two years, in fact, elapsed ere he
was able to return to England; and
then he returned, as he had gone out,
at a moments notice. Unfortunate
circumstances suddenly left him free ;
and unwilling to lose a day, he took
the first homeward-bound steamer,
which, so it happened, was also taking
to Richmond letter written few
days earlier, in which Mr.. Bilbury,
among other matters, regretted to his
wife that the pressure of business
wonld not leave him at liberty for at
least month.
He travelled home without adventure
landed in due course at Dover, arrived
in London late at night, and, without
having written word of warning to
Lydia, hurried on next morning to
Richmond Hill Why he did not
write or telegraph we cannot say; per
haps he thought his sudden appear
ance would agreeably surprise his
wife; or perhaps he was too excited
to be able to think at all. But in any
case, he neither wrote nor telegraphed
a single word of preparation.
1t was fine sunny morning in sum
mer; Mr.. Thomas Bilbury has scarce
ly seen his new home, which he had
taken in hurry Immediately before
his wedding; and he was walking
eagerly up the short carriage drive
leading to the house when, happening
to cast his gaze toward the upper win
dows, he caught sight of a tair, white.
draped figure which was watering
some Towering plants that stood in a
row on the sill. He at once recogniz
ed the figure as that of his wife. and
was about to utter cry of salutation
when he suddenly became conscious
that she did not recognize him, for
with graceful modesty she withdrew
from the window and disappeared as
soon as she became conscious that he
was watching her. An idea struck
him. 1t was foolish but not wholly
unnatural one. He would pretend to
be some one else---a friend, say, of her
husbands, and would ask to see her
as such. Of course she would at once
recognize his voice but then the sur.
prise, and the consequent pleasure
would be more complete if he deferred
them. He knocked, therefore, at the
door, and to the servant who appeared
announced that he had just returned
from India and desired to see Mrs
Bilbury. He gave no name, but he
was admitted and shown into the
drawing-room, where, in some pertur,
baton OF mind, he awaited the advent
of the wife from whom he had been SC
long and cruelty separated.
81 suppose that she will know me,
he reflected, as he stood with his back
to the window shut it is true that
have grown a tolerably big beard
since went away, and that have
become considerably tanned. How
ever, the beard ought to make nc
great difference. suppose that sh,
would know me if she saw me in m,
shirt sleeves, or with both legs cut of
at the knees. On the other hand, sh,
links l am still in Calcutta, for sh,
must have had my last letter thi
morning. / hope my sudden appear
ance here won't upset her. l must b,
careful"
| Here his thoughts were switched
aside by the unmistakable sound o
rustling skirts in the passage without
and as the door opened he involuutari
| ly turned and gazed into the garden, a
the same time coughing nervously.
"May l offer you a chair an
afraid that you find the open window
too much for you," said a soft voic