The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-06-01
"But the fact is, Mrs"
"My name is Mrs. Bilburv ~

WIN idh cAistcu III groves Vi IndngO--
ah--and has lived on curry and chut-
nee--ah with the thermometer stand
ing doggedly at a hundred and two in
the shade, is--ah but l dare say you
understand"
ooh, perfectly, Mr.. - I think
have not the pleasure of knowing your
name"
"Who am II" thought Mr.. Thomas
Bilbury. "My name," he said, after q
slight pause, SIS Tilbury."
"What curious similarity" said
his wife. eyes; can readily believe
that people coming 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? I hope so. I thought that
his last letter was not written in very
good spirits"
"That is satisfactory" thought Mr..
Bilbury. "rhe lapse of two years has
not altered her love for me-"
"Yes,' he said aloud II can give
you some news of him, for, month
ago, was at Calcutta
"Indeed? How delightful Do sit
down, Mr.. Tilbury. 1t is very pleas.
ant TO meet any one who has seen my
husband so recently, for gather from
what you say that you have seen him.
How was he?"
MIR. Bilbury was this time much ex-
ercised in his mind as to what to say
next. On the one hand he was afraid
to declare himself for fear of frighten.
ing his wife ; on the other. he rather
enjoyed the situation. He, therefore,
determined for the present to retain
his incognito
"He was," he said, with deliberate
hesitation, "as well as could be expect
ed
GAS well as could be expected % re-
peated Mrs. Bilbury, with alarm. "Do
you mean that he has been i'll 2"
"Well, not exactly ill.," prevaricated
Tom, who had not made up his mind
as TO what he should say.
"But | do not understand you. Tell
me, please. What has happened to
him 7"
Mr.. Bilbury wondered what the end
would be. He heartily wished that
his wife would recognize him and set
tie the difficulty by throwing her arms
around his neck.
"Nothing very serious" he said. 81
dare say he has told you that he has
become very fond of tiger shootingl"
"Ah, tigers! Tell me Mr.. Tilbury,
tell mel
swell, he went out tiger shooting
one day as usual-ah-he was accom-.
panied only by his servant. They en-
tered the jungle. Suddenly, and with.
out warning, huge female tiger
sprang upon your husband aud bore
him to the earth. The native fled for
assistance; help arrived, and the vic
tim was found faint from loss of blood,
with his right arm torn out at the
socket, his left eye destroyed and the
calf of his left leg-ah-deeply scored
by the cruel claws of the ferocious
monster.
"Dear me, how alarmingw COM
mented Mrs, Bilbury; and the excla-
nations seemed so out of proportion to
the gravity of the story that Mr.. Bill.
bury bury felt seriously disappointed.
"That fully accounts" continued Lyd-
ia, "for his bad spirits His right
arm"
ayes, torn out at the socket, Mrs.
Bilbury. He has learned to write
with his left hand"
"Ah, dreadful And his left eve de,
stroyed?"
. . "Yes; he wears glass eye, poor
fellow"
at must be agony. And the call
of his leg deeply scored by the cruel
claws of the ferocious monster! Terri
BILE misfortune! And when you lef,
him, MIR. Tilbury, how was he7 Will
he survive?'
A new light seemed to break uoor
MIR. Bilbury. Did his wife want him
to survive He felt by no means
sure of it.
SIT is impossible to say with certain
ty," he said; 'but you must hope fol-
the best. Let me beg of you, my dea,
Mrs, Bilbury, to keep up your spirits.
"Oh, Mr.. T!lbury, l don't see why
should be miserable. There is YER,
pleasant society down here at Rich
mond; and, you know, there are a
good fish in the sea as ever came out O
it,"
Toms worst suspicious We're by thi
time more than confirmed. eth,
heartless woman!" he thought. "Thi
is how she receives the news of m,
being mangled and disfgured Bu
still, unwilling to give up hope, h
continued aloud: "Poor fellow! I as
sure you that in his delirium YOU
name was very often on his lips"
"lndeed! Then he had not quite for
gotten me-"
Forgotten you?" repeated Tom
his feelings for an instant getting tn
better of him. "Oh no! | think tba
it is the lot of but few women to hav
a husband so utterly devoted to her."
"And of but few men to have
wife"
$50 charming" said Mr.. Bilbury
finishing the sentence.
son, Mr.. Tilbury! But excuse me
OF course you will stay to luncheon
Do; to please me! You know that
woman qhates solitude little less tha
small pox. One moment | will jus
go and give the necessary orders.
And Mrs, Bilbury rose and quilted tn
room.
swell, this is awfulw reflected he
husband as sooa as he was left alon,
"She doesn't recognize me and appa
emily she doesn't seem to care for m
much. She reminds me that there al
as good fish in the sea as ever cam
out of it. That, l suppose, means tn,
ii would only die and liberate he
she would promptly marry some on
else, A nice instance of the faithles
ness of womenl Perhaps | should d
well to leave her at once, and new,
let her know the truth but can't
that | love bar st;ll ;nIool IT,