Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-07-26
hesitation, las well as could be *,

/ you mean that he has been Ill!
.'Well, not exactly i'll. y preyaricated
Tom, who had not yet quite made up
his mind as to what he should say.
''But do not understand you. Tell
me, please. What has happened to
! him?''
Mr.. Bilbury wondered what the end
would be. He heartily wished that his
wife would recognize him and settle
the difficulty by throwing her arms
round his neck.
Nothing very serious" he said. 81
dare say he has told you that he has
become very fond of tiger-shooting?'
'Ah, tigers! Tell me Mr.. Tilbury,
tell me-
swell, he went out tiger-shooting one
day as usual-ah-he was accompanied
only by his servant. They entered the
jungle. Suddenly, and without warn
ing, a huge female tiger sprang upon
your husband and bore him to the
earth. The native fled for assistance;
help arrived; and the victim was found
faint from the loss of blood, with his
arm torn out from the socket, his left
eye destroyed, and the calf of his leg
deeply scored by the cruel claws of the
ferocious monster"
''Dear me, how alarmingT' COM
mented Mrs. Bilbury, and the exclama-
tons seemed so out of proportion to the
gravity of the story that Mr.. Bilbury
felt seriously disappointed.
THAT fully accounts continued
Lydia, 'for his bad spirits. His right
arm
''Yes, torn out at the socket, Mrs
Bilbury. He has learned to write with
his left hand"
"Ah! dreadful. And his left eye de-
stroyed?''
Yes; he wears a glass eye, poor fell
low?'
1T must be agony. And the calf of
his leg deeply scored by terrible claws
of the ferocious monster. Terrible mis-
fortune! And when you left him, Mr..
Tilbury, how was hep Win he survivor"
A new light seemed to freak upon
Mr.. Bilbury. Did his wife want him to
servive? He felt by no means sure of it.
ut is impossible to say with GER
tainty," he said; .'but you must hope
for the best. Let me beg of you, Mrs.
Bilbury, to keep up your spirits"
''Oh, Mr.. Tilbury, don't see why |
should be miserable. There is very
pleasant society down here at Rich
mond; and, you know, there are as good
fish in the sea as ever came out of it. "
Toms worst suspicious were by this
time moro than confirmed. 1.-THE heart
less womanr' he thought This is
how she receives the news of my being
mangled and disfigurcd But still. I'M
willing to give up hope, he continued
aloud: poor fellow, assure you that
in his delirium your name was very
often on his lips
Indeed! Then he had not quite for
gotten me-"
Forgotten yon?" repeated Tom, his
feelings for an instant getting the bet
ter of him. "Oh, no! | think it is the
lot of but few women to have . hus-
band so utterly devoted to her.
"And of but few men to have
wife,
so charming" said Mr. Bilbury,
finishing the sentence.
"Oh, Mr.. Tilbury! But excuse me.
OF course you will stay to luncheon.
Do; to please me! You know that
woman hates solitude little less than
smallpox. One moment. / will Just
go and give the necessary orders
And Mrs. Bilbury rose and quilted the
room.
"Well, this is awfulr' reflected her
husband, as soon as he was left alone.
''She doesn't recognize me, and, APP
parcntly, she doesn't seem to care for
me much. She reminds me that there
are rs good fish in the sea as ever came
out of it, That, suppose, means that
if | would only die and liberate her,
she would promptly marry some one
else. A nice instance of the faithful
ness of women! Perhaps l should do
well to leave her at once, and never let
her know the truth; but can't do that
| love her still; indeed, I'm afraid love,
her more than l ever did. No; l will
see this matter to the end. Ii she is I'M
l will find her out, and
them
His meditations were cut short by the
return of his wife, who informed him
that she had ordered some luncheon,
and that he must meanwhile do his best
to amuse her, as there was no one else
in the house except the servants. This
style of conversation made Tom more
and more reckless; and at once he
launched out into an account of an
moonlight picnic at Alden,
where-so he let it appear-he had
broken the hearts of several charming
girls, and, upon the whole, had behave
in highly reprehensible manner.
1T must have been very delightful"
said Mrs. Bilbury. Il wish i had been
there! Sometimes we have very pleas
ant evenings here. Of course / know
every one in the neighborhood; and, as
married woman, ask whom like to
my house. You must come one night,
Mr.. Tilbury, and sup with us after
ward"
BY this time Tom was perfectly fran
tic. s'I'm afraid | shan't be here for
long," he said bitterly. 81 am going
abroad. / cannot rest anywhere"
"You are worried, see" said Mrs.
Bilbury. IL can sympathize with
you"
Eyes, family matters and disappoint-
ments, you know"
Disappointment! But you are
young; and, if you will excuse me, not
bad looking. Perhaps you have merely
lost your heart to one of the young la
dies at Aden.'
"Oh, no." he replied. ''And, to tell
the truth, am doubtful whether any
woman would be worth worrying
about
"Don't be CYNICAL said Mrs. Bill
bury, with smile. perhaps You ex-
pect too much from women
II expect sympathy, fidelity and con-
sideration," answered Mr.. Bilbury,
gravely.
"But, let me ask you, do you yourself
indulge in those virtues? All! men are
very Inconsistent, | fear. However, |
hope that you do not believe that women
are bad rs n rule"
well, | know to my cost that some
are bad. Yes, some even betray their
husbands"
"And in such cases I'm afraid that
the husbands are also to blame"
IL don't think So said Tom curly.
"But you are worrying yourself. L
see. although you try to affect indiffer-
ence. What is it?"
Worrying myself? Not bitr'
cried Mr.. Bilbury.
Il am glad to hear you say so. re-
turned his wife. Il don't worry my
self. Cosy suppers and -"
but the probable death of your hus-
bandr' interjaculated Mr.. Bilbury.
'Oh, | am philosophical. We only
lived together for two days; we only
knew each other for few weeks.
u \ L