The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-06-07

sna t<suoou ~ ~"esW kss0t t" -
Joseph Billbury. Lis father. vho has I
very nice house st Kew; snd until vithii
year OF tvo there vAs third member "
the firm 10 the person Of Thomas' uncle
Mr.. Bsbbinston Backbone. the CAlcut
ta representative Of the essAblishmsnt
Bot. unfortunately Mr.. BIackihorpe. like
many other Englisbmsn Who live In India
drank 700 much Scotch vhiskey and basl
ale and ate TOO mach carry and TOO man,
bombay dueks. the result being that q
the sge Of IS his liver declined TO bear thu
strain put upon u, and collapsed. leaving
ia owner 20 weak and III that he had bare
ly time ere hs died 10 telegraph TO BIZ
partners 10 England brief notice Of hi
impending late The alarming dispatch
arrived q particularly inopporsune mo-
msnL Mr. Thomas Billbury had on the
day previous married very charming
young lady. Lydia LApplss By name; and
tho intelligence Of his uncls's sad condi-
tion necsssitated that the newly made hus-
band. who. BY the way. bad oDly become
acquainted With his bride about six weeks
before marriage -shonld without . mo.
ment's delay taks the train for Dover.
cross 10 Calais. asd thence 60 BY The quick.
est route 10 Calcutta. The affair was pres.
sing. Mr.. Blsckthornes death would Ger.
tainly throw the business into confusion,
and any hesitation on the part Of the En-.
glish partners might imperil the future Of
the Arm.
go 1t once. my dear boy wrote Mr.
Joseph Billbury 70 his son, who was 10 the
Isle Of Wight, ''sud send your wife TO me.
I will take care OF her and see her settled
in yonr new home at Richmond. / would
go iuyself, but my gout won't allow me.
And. sbove al things. take care Of your
liver"
The.-e was no help for it. Mr.. Billbury
Jr. felt that he must 60; SO 60 he did, put.
ting the best face on the matter and bid.
ding q very long and tender goodbye to
his poor little wife. He escorted her
across to Portsmouth. put her into Lon.
don train, kissed her, saw her of and then
took the ext train for Dover.
She settl cd down in her new home on
Richmond Hill; and be. for many months
afterward worked hard At bis desk 10 Cal.
cutts. arranging the worldly Affairs Of bis
dead uncle. And irea time to time send.
ing home reports Of his progress. and love
letters 10 Lydia.
Two years. in fact, elapsed ere he WAS
able to return 10 England, aad then he re-
turned. a. he had gone out, It moments
notice. Unforeseen circumstanees sud
denly left him free, and. unwilling 10 losa
day. he took the first homevard hound
steamer. which, as it SO happened, was a.
80 taking to Richmond letter. written =
few days earlier. in which. among other
matters. Mr.. Billbury regretted TO bis
wife that tbs pressure Of business would
not leave him at liberty for 1t least month.
He travelled home without adventure.
landed in due course at Dover, arrived in
London late It night. and, without having
written word Of warning to Lydia, hnr.
led on next morning to Richmond Hill.
Why he did not write or telegraph We can.
not say; perhaps he thought his sudden
appearance would agreeably surprise his
wife; be vss too excited to be able to
think at ell. But in any case he neither
wrote nor telsgxsphed single word Of
preparation.
1t was 6ne sunny morning in summer;
Mr.. Thomas Billbury had scarcely seen
his new home, which be had taken in .
hurry immediately before his wedding;
and he was walking rapidly up the short
carriagc.drive leading 10 the house, vhea.
happening V cast his eyes towssd the up.
per windows, he caught sight Of fair.
whits.drapsd figure. which Vas watering |
some Towering plants that stood in row
on the SILL He at once recognix ID the
figure - that Of his wife and was about 10
utter cry Of salutation. when he sud denly |
became conscious that she did not iecog. |
nize him; for. with graceful modesty, she
withdrew from the window and .issp-
pesred as soon a. she became conscious
that he WAS watching her. An idea truck
him. II Was foolish but not wholly an
unnatural one. He would pretend to he
some one else--s friend. say, Of her aus
bands and would ask too see her ~ sach.
OF course. she would recognize his voice
At once; but then the surprise and the
subsequent pleasure would be the more
complete IL be thus deferred them. He
knocked, therefore. at the door. and to
the servant who appeared announced that
be had Just returned from India and de-
sired 10 see Mrs. Billbury. he gavs no
name; but he Vas admitted and shown
into the drawing room. where in some
perturbation Of mind be svaitsd the I'd.
vent Of tho vile from whom lie hsd been
20 long aud 20 cruelty separated.
II supposs that she will know me-" he
reflected - be stood with his back TO the
window; "but il u true that have grown
. tolenbly big bard since ! vent away,
and that I have become considerably
tanned. However. the beard ought 10
make no great difference Iaupposs that
abe would knov me il sbe saw me in my
shirs-sleeves. or with both legs cut oG st
the knees; on the other hand. she suppos-
81 that am stilist Calcntta. for she must
have got my last Latter this morning.
hope my sudden appearance won't upset
her must b cAxslaLy
Here his thoush zero switched asids BY
the unn,stsksbls sossd q rustling sLirh
in the passage without; snd ~ the door