Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-23
IF MY FIRST WIFE

1-u, lily udIllnS uttle SIS, HOW are you:
Lesbia hath beaming eye."
MY dear Frank! I am glad to see you. :"
There was an embrace, and the lady burst
into tears.
! 'Lesbia has not beaming eye!" cried
Frank Reston, barrister who had just leaped
down from the dog-cart after cold drive
from the station at Ramford, to his brother
in-laws handsome place, the Coppices, Calk-
ston, where that new relative had settled
after his return from Australia, where he
had been sent-the younger son of good old
country fanily-to see what he could do as
what is euphoniously termed a squatter. He
had squatted to some advantage, the Fates
having been kind; and, after making a
moderate fortune, he had suddenly doubled
1t by marrying the widow of a colonial mag
nate.
1T the lady's desire-her will being para
mounU-they were on their way to England,
| when one night they were awakened by an
awful crash, and, rushing on deck, they
found all in confusion. Some vessel had run
into them during fog, cut the great Austral
liner down below the waters edge, and dur
ing the next half hour there was a fight for
life.
John Audas behaved admirably. When
down half a dozen towards one after the
other, and by sheer strength helped the cap
tain to send off the first boat properly manned
with half the women passengers, merely stip-
ulating thathis sfrieking, elderly wife, should
be one. Then he helped with the next, and
got that off safely, before being overpowered,
for mad rush ensued, the other boats were
filed anyhow, and at last the captain, second
Toota half q &l,ct
passenger were left alone upon the deck of
the sinking ship, with just time enough to
lash few spars together, throw them over
board, and trust themselves to this frail
support before the vessel went down.
From this raft they were picked up ex-
hausted, half dead, by passing ship, having
seen no more OF the boats, all Of which were
lost, presumably, in the gale which came on
before many hours had passed; and thus it
was That John Audas found himself wild
over, So and far from inconsolable, for re-
port said his existence with the relict of the
colonial magnate had been of the kind to
which some people gave a very unpleasant
term.
SO little indeed was the handsome young
colonist affected by his loss that, after set
ting down at the Coppices, where be re-
IL,
year had hardly passed before he was a
sutton for the hand of Lesbia Reston, the
daughter of the old vicar of Calkston, and
the belle of the county ball
Matters followed one another in the most
prosaic way. John Audas was beyond re-
proach for a son-in-law; his wooing was
downright and honest; and the lady found
the bluff, sun Drowned, weil-informed fellow
-albait he for 10
trast and relief after the insipid ''locals" of
the neighborhood; so the result was that.
after a rather short intimacy, John Audas
proposed, was accepted. Frank Reston came
from the temple to be present at his sisters
wedding, and now that, six months later, he
had run down to spend few DAYS at the
Coppices, to have little-shooting, her found
he thin, pale, careworn and ready at a word
to burst into tears.
why, little Lesby," he cried with all his
old petting ways, what is it? Surely Jack
is not behaving badly to you?"
''No. Oh, mol 1t is nothing, Frank: am
little hysterical"
"But it is something!n he exclaimed ssI,Tl
have it out with John"
My dear Frank, you'll make me wretched
if you say wordn
80, well, if you take that tone, of course I
will not" said her brother: ebut I came
down here for rest and to have bit of en-
joyment, and find you in tears"
Yes, yes, and it's all my nonsense, Frank.
dear. There, it's all gone now. It's the
weather, think"
''Where's Johnr'
either inathe stables, or down the garden,
dear. III send for him.
I'll M o,,J looI-
he'll be glad to see meg"
why, OF course, dear. He has been ta:t-
ing about nothing else since he heard you
were coming, and making no end of plans. y
"Ah, that's right" said Frank Reston.
smiling.
"And I'm so glad you've come, Frank.
Gear. You see, I'm afraid I'm not much of
company for dear Jchn-not such good COM
pany as-as 1 think his first wife was.''
'Well, you're a deal better COMPANY than
she is now"
IN try very hard to take an interest in
his pursuits; but I'm so stupid, Frank, that
I'm afraid he gets out Of patience
''I'll tell you what it is, Lesby,n said Frank
Reston bluntly; eff you two people can't be
happy IN this glorious place, with every lux
uTy about you, and only to speak to have
"HeioefSi yOu Pioe1Se, you ueSerFe-yOu de-
serve-there, don't know what you don't
OBSERVER
Eyes, dear, we d." said the lady meekly.
"Ah, here comes dear John. III run away:
don't tell him I've been crying"
''Stpffi Is it hkelyE
And, pray, pray Frank, don't let him
think that have been murmuring. 1t would
make him so unhappy
AS she spoke she ran off, and Frank Reston
crossed the hall to meet his stalwart brother
| ln-iaw. who looked the beau ideal of a conn
try gentleman, and striking contrast to the
| pale, careworn student, fresh from his
gloomy chambers in town.
All, Frank, my dear boy, I am glad to
see you Why, you pale, bleached bookworm
here, come cut in the open air, and let's
get some color in your cheeks. Come and
nave look at the dogs"
They went and had look at the sn,endid
settlers and retrieyers in their kennels and as
Reston admired them
Ah,' said Audas, ssif nv first wife had
been alive. how she would have idoEzed
those dogs"