Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-05-25
4 DRA WING.ROOH COMEDY.


Co., tea merchants, Of Calcutta and London
The senior partner is Mr. Joseph Bilbury, hi
father, who has O very nice house at Kew
and until year or two ago there was a third
member Of the firm in the person Of Thomas,
uncle, Mr.. Babbington Backbone, tho Cal
cutta representative OF the establishment
/ But, unfortunately, Mr.. Backbone, like
many Engishmen who live in India, drank
too much Scotch whiskey and Basss ale, and
ate too much curry and too many Bombay
ducks y tho result being that at the age OF
| hfty-iye his liver declined to bear the strain
| put upon it, and collapsed leaving its owner
so weak and i'll that he had barely time ere he
died to telegraph to his partners in England
a brief notice Of his impending fate. This
alarming dispatch arrived at particularly
inopportune moment Mr.. Thomas Bnbury
had on the day previous married a very charm
ing young lady, Lydia Lapples by name aud
the intelligence of his uucles sad condition
necessiated that the newly made husband -
who, by the way, had only become acquaint-
ed with his bride about six weeks before mar
riage-should without a moments delay take
the train for Dover, cross to Calais, and
thence 90 by the quickest route to Calcutta
The affair was pressing. Blackthoines death
would certainly throw the business into con
fusion, and any hesitation on the part Of tn
English partners might imperil the future OF
the firm.
Go at once, my dear boy" wrote Mr.. Jo-
seph Bilbury to his son, who was in the Isle
of Wight, and send your wife to me | will
take care Of her and see her settled in your
new home at Richmond. l would 20 myself,
but my gout won't allow me. Aud above ali
things, take care of your liver
There was no help for it, Mr.. Bilbury,
junior, felt that he must go so he did put
ting the best face on the matter, and bidding
a very long and tender good by to his poor
little wife. He escorted her across to Ports.
mouth, put her in a London train, kissed her,
saw her off, aud then took the next train for
Dover
she settled down in her new home on Rich
mond Hill and he Tor many months after
ward worked hard at his desk in Calcutta,
arranging the worldly affairs Of his dead un-
Gle, and from time to time sending home re-
ports Of his progress, and lovolattors 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 q moments notice.
Unforeseen 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 o
letter, written few days earlier, in which
Mr.. Bilbury, among other matters, regretted
to his wife that the pressure of business
would not leave him at liberty for at least a
month.
He Travelled home without adventure, land
ed in due course at Dover, arrived in London
late at night, and, without having written a
word of warning to Lydia hurried on next
morning to Richmond Hill Why he did not
write or telegraph, We cannot say perhaps
he thought his sudden appearance would
sgreeably surprise his wife or perhaps he
was too excited to be able TO think at all.
But in any case, he neither wrote nor tele-
graphed a single word of preparation
1t was q fine sunny morning in summer
Mr.. Thomas Bilbury had scarcely seen his
new home, which be had taken in hurry
Immediately before his wedding and be was
walking eagerly up the short carriage drive
leading TO the house, when, happening to
cast his gaze toward the upper windows, he
caught sight of fair, white .draped figure
which was watering some Towering plluts
that stood in Il row on the sill. He at once
recognized the figure as that Of his wife, and
was about to utter cry of salutltion when he
suddenly became conscious that she did not
recognize him, for with graceful modesty sha
withdrew from the window and disappeared
as soon as she became conscious that be 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. or course she would at once
recognize his voice; but then the surprise,
and the consequent pleasure, would be the
more complete if he thus 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 be
H., 4 Il "a.
room, where in some perturbation of in
he awaited the advent of the wife from whom
he had been SO long aud SO cruelty separated.
II suppose that she will know me" he re-
fected as he stood with his back to the win.
dow ''but it is true that | have grown tol
erably big beard since l went away and that
l have become considerably tanned How
ever, the beard ought to make no great differ
ence. suppose that she would know me if
she saw me il my shirt.sleeves, or with both
legs cut off at the knees. On the other hand,
she thinks that am still at Calcutta for she
must have had my last letter this morning
l hope my sudden appearance here won't up
set her. l must be careful"
Here his thoughts were switched aside by
the unmistakable sound OF rustling skirts in
the passage without and as the door opened
he involuutarily turned and gazed into the
garden, at the same time coughing nervously
May l offer you chair? am afraid you
find the open window too much for you, said
a soft voice behind him
"Oh, no not at all, " he returned, facing
his wife for an instant, and then hastily re-
suming his survey of the garden
Mrs. Bilbury did not in the least recognize
her husband. DO let me order a fire lighted, "
she urged.
"Oh, no; not for worlds" circulated Tom,
elotulv turniper rnupd comedians of apt bo
even his nervousness was no excuse for his
rudeness. "But the fact is, Mrs. --?"
'AIy maine is Mrs Bilbury."
"Oh, thank you-yes The fact is, Mrs.
Bilbury, 1 am not yet entirely reconced to
this abominable English climate. I-ah-
that is to say, a man who has existed in groves
of mango-ah-and has lived on curry and
chutnee-ah-with the mercury standing dog
gedly at one hundred and two in the shade, is
-ah; but dare say you understand 7"
"Oh, perfectly Mr.. - think have not
the pleasure of KIN wing your name"
"Who am z" thought Mr.. Thomas Bilbury.
My name, " he said after a slight pause, is
Tilbury."
What curious similarity" said his wife.
Yes, can readily believe that people com
ing home from India find this climate very
trying at first, even in summer. My husband
writes that the heat in Calcutta has been ex.
cessive. Possibly, Mr. Tilbury, you may have
called to give me some news of him. hope
80. thought his last letter was not written
in very good spirits"
That is satisfactory, thought Mr.. Bilbury.
The lapse of two years has not altered her
love for me"
Eyes" he said aloud, II can give you some
news of him, for month ago l was in Gal
cutta."
Indeed? How delightful Do sit down,
Mr.. Tilbury. 1t is very pleasant to meet any
Que who has seen my husband so recently
for judge from what you say that you have
seen him. How was he p
Mr. Bilbury was by this time much eXer-
cised in his mind as to what to say next. On
the one hand, he was afraid to declare himself
for fear of frightening his wife on the other,
he rather enjoyed the situation. He there
fore determined for the present to retain his
iucoRnito.
"IIe was" lie said, with deliberate hesita-
ton, las well as could be expected.
"As well as could be expected?' repeated
Mrs, Bilbury in alarm. DO you mean that
he has been illy'
"Well, not exactly i'll, preyarcated Tom,
who had not quite made up his mind as to
what he wanted to 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 dsettle the difficulty by throw