The Penn's Grove record., 1883-10-13
survive He felt by no means sure

s'It is impossible to say with certain
ty, y he said ''but you must hope for
the best. Let me beg of you, my dear
Mrs. Bilbury; to keep up your spirits"
"Indeed Then he had not quite for
gotten me-"
Forgotten you ?" repeated Tom, his
feelings for an instant getting the bet
ter of him. "Oh, mol L think that it is
the lot of but few women to have a hus-
band so utterly devoted to her"
"And of but few men to have a
wife''-
$50 charming said Mr.. Bilbury, fin
ishing the sentence.
"Oh, Nj. Tilbury But excuse me.
OF course you will stay to luncheon.
Do ; to please me. You know that a
woman bates solitude little less than
smallpox. One moment. l will just
go and give the necessary orders" And
Mrs. Bilbury rose and quilted the room.
swell, this is awful" reflected her
husband as soon as he vas left alone.
"She doesn't recognize me, and appar-
emily she doesn't seem to car for me
much. She reminds me that there are
as good fish in the sea as ever came out
of it. That, l suppose, means if L
would only die and liherate her she
would promptly marry some n else.
A nice instance of the faithlessness of
women. Perhaps [ should do well to
leave her at once, and never let her
know thetruth but l can't do that. l
love her still indeed, Pm afraid | love
| her more than ] ever did. No, / will
see this affair to the end. If she is I'M
| faithful, will find her out, and then"
His m~editations were cut short byt
| return of shis 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 n else
in the honse except the servants. This
| style of conversation made Tom more
| and more reckless and at once he
launched out into an account of an i'm
| aginary moonlight picnic at Alden.
| where-so he let it appear-he had
broken the hearts of several charming
| girls, and upon the whole had behaved
in a highlyreprehensible ann
1T must have been very delightful
said Mrs. BiIbury. 81 wish | had been
there Sometimes we have very pleas
ant evenings here. OF course l know
| every one in the neighborhood, and, las a
married woman, L ask whom / like to
my house. You must come some night,
Mr.. Tilbury, and sup with us after
wards.n
BY this time Tom vas perfectly fran
tic. s'I'm afraid / shan't be here for
long, he said bitterly. 81 am going
abroad. I cannot rest anywhere"
"You are worried, ] see" said Mrs.
BiIbury. "Ican sympathize with YOU
aYes family matters and disappoint-
ments you know"
"Disappointments But you are
young and If you will excuse me, not
bad-looklng. Perhaps you have merely
lost your heart to one of the yonng
ladies at Alden"
"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 assmile." "Perhaps you e
pect too much from women"
ST expect sympathy, fidelity and con-
sideration,a' answered Mr.. Bilbury,
grayely.
"But the probable death of your hus-
band ~ added Nh. Bilbury.
"Oh, l am philosophical. We were
only together for two days, we only
knew each other for a few weeks.
What am | to him? What is he to
met Life is still before me-"
THAT is rather plain speaking"
thought Tom. 81 wonder whether
she would like to get mp a filtration
with me. l will draw her on a lit
tle.n
"Hal" he said aloud, ''you have
happiness within your grasp, and you
can make another happy. 1t is not
every man who is so fortunate as to
meet with a woman like you. Now,
| confess that / have been unfortunate
in my experience. But if l thought
that | might hope for your sympa-
thy''-
Surely, Mr.. Tilbury, it would
be unwomanly of me to refuse it,"
"This, - thought Mr.. Bilbury to him
self, sis my faithful and devoted wife
yet he was unable to refrain from seat
ing himself beside Lydia and putting
his arm round her waist. "Dear Mrs.
BIlbury, - he said, II love you Do you,
can you love me 7"
She gave a scarcely perceptible gesture
of assent and Tom, now thoroughly
convinced of his wife's untrustworth-
mess, sprang up and confronted
her.
"Mrs. Bilbury," he said, "what
would your husband say to this You
have disgraced him |"
She looked up, and held out her hands
~inlploringly.
"Ahl ifyou were only a good womanl"
And he approached her and took her by
the hand. For an instant he stood
thus; then he raised the hand and
kissed it, and finally he kissed his wife
on the cheek.
"Are you going, Mr.. Bilbury ?" she