Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-06-10
coUNTERPARTs.


ner - Mr.. Joseph Bilbury,. his father
who has g very nice house at Kew (;
and until or two ago there was q third
member OF the firm I'm the person Of
Thomas uncle, Mr.. Babbington Black
thorne, the Calcutta representative Of
the establishments But unfortunately,
MIR. Backbone, like many English
men who live in India, drank too much
Scotch whisky and Bass ale, and ste
too much curry and too many Bonn
bay ducks" the result being that az
the age of 55 his liver declined to hear
the strain put upon it, aud collapsed,
leaving its owner so weak aud i'll that
he had barely time ere he died To tele-
graph to his partners in England
brief notice OF his impending tate. TINS
alarming dispatch arrived at parti III
larry inopportune moment. Mr.. Inom-
as Bnbury had on the day previous
married very charming young lady
LS dia Lapples by name: and the intel
la snce of his unele's sad condition ne
eeSsitated that the newly-made husband
who, BY the way, had only become
acquainted with his bride about six
weeks before marriage should without
q moments delay take the train for
Dover, cross to Calais, and thence go
by the quickest route To Calcutta. This
affair was pressing. Mr.. BarthOrne's
death would certainly throw the BUSH
ness into confusion, and any hesitation
on the part of the English partners
might lmperil the future Of the firm.
$50 at once, my dear boy wrote
Mr.. Joseph Bilbury to his son, who
was in the Isle Of Wight, land send
your wife to nue.. willtake care OF her
- and see her settled in your new home
in Richmond. | would go myself, but
my govt won't allow me. Aud above
all things, take care Of yOsr liver
There was no help for il. Mr.. BIZ
buy, Jr., felt that he must go; so go he
did. putting the best face on the matter
and bidding very long and tender
gOOdOy to his poor little wife. He es-
coy,ed her across To- Portsmouth, put
her into London train, kissed her,
saw Eer of, and then took the train
for Dover.
She settled down in her new hDma
OH Richmond Hill: and he for many
months alterward work hard at his
de,S in Calcutta, arranging the world
IL affairs Of his dead uncle, and from
tune to time sent home reports on his
progress, and love letters To Lydia.
Two years, i'm fact, elapsed ere he was
able to return TO England; and then re-
turned, Us he had gone out, ut mo-
meut'S notice. | uiuTSeen circumstances
suddenly left him nee, AMI uuWIii.nS -
lose a day, he took The frs home ward
bound steamer, which, - Il happened,
was also taking 10 Richmond a Letter,
written few days earlier IN which Mr..
B.hUry, UIuOng OJHer matters, regret
tel Ia his wife that the pressure Of nlS-
ines would not leave him 81 liberty for
AT least a month.
He traversed home without alven-
tme landed in due course at Dover, ar
rived i'm London late at night
and, without having written a word III
warning to LydiS, hurried on next
morning to Richmond Hill. Why he
did not write or telegraph we can not
say; perhaps he thought his sudden APP
pearance would agreeS6ly 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 SIN
gle word appropriation.
Il was a fine sunny morning in sum-
mer. N r. Thomas Bilbury had scarce
~ seen his new home, which he had
taken in hurry immediately before
his wedding aud he Was walking eager
~ up the short carriage drive leating
to the house, when happening to east
his gaze toward the upper windows, he
caught sight Of a fair, white-draped
figure which was watering some How
eTing plants that stood in q row on the
sill. He at once recognized the figure
a. that of his wife, and was about to
utter a cry of SalutatiOn when he sud-
denly became conscious that she did
M hi mir d al
mOde-ty she withdreS from the window
and dIsapp as soon rs she became
conscious that he was watching her
An idea struck him. IL was foolish,
but not wholly unnatural, one. He
would pretend TO be someone elsa
friend, say of her husbands, and would
ask to see her rs such. OF course she
would at once recognize his voice, bu.
then the surprise, and consequent pleas
ure, would be the more complete if he
thus deferred them. He knocked,
therefore, at the door, and TO the ser
want who appeared announced that he
had Just returned from India and de-
sired to see Mrs. Bilbury. lie gave no
name, but he was admitted and shown
into the drawing-room. where, i'm some
perturbation of mind, he awaited the
advent OF his wife from whom he had
teen so long snd so cruelty separated.
II suppose that she will know me-"
lie reflected, rs he stood with his blck
to the window; "but ii Is true that
have grown tOlerably big beard since
Invent away, and that have become
considerably tanned. However, the
beard ought To make no great difference.
suppose that she would know me il
she saw me in 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 upset
her. must be careful"
Here his thoughts were switched
aside by the unmiStakable sounds OF
ruStling skirts in the passage without,
and As the door opened he inyoluntar-
lily turned and gaZed into the garden,
at the same time coughing nervously.
''May i offer you a chair? l am
afraid that you find the open window
too much for YOU" said a soft voice be.
hind him.
20 no; not at ALL" lac returned, fac
ing his wife for an instant and then
hastily resuming his survey Of the gar
den,
WIS. DllOuLl ulO llOt III tue lSseSl TSC-
ognize her husband. "DO let me order
~ fire to be lighted" she urged.
80 no; not for wOIldSw calculated
Tom, as he turned slowly round, con-
sciOus at last that even his nervousness
was no excuse for his rudeneSs. "But
the fact is, Mrs.
"AIy name is Mrs. Bilburyw
"Oh! thank yOu-yes. The fact is
Mrs. Bilbury, that am not yet entire
~ reconciled to this abominable Eng
lish climate. I-ah-that is to say, \
man who has existed in groves of
mango-ah-and has lived on curry
and chutnee-sh-with the thermome-
ter standing dOggedly at hundred aud
two in the shade, is-ah; but | dare
say you understand"
"Oh, perfectly, Mt think have
not the pleasure of knowing your
name"