The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-11-21
1884. WHOLE NO. SO2
THE STRANGERS.


her friend Miss Newman was announced.
That lady was well known for the fervor and
energy which she infused into her conduct of
what inferior minds may regard as the minor
affairs Of life; also for a severity in her attire
that may be described by one wishing to
deal mildly with it as "geutlewomanlike."
She entered with even more than her
wonted haste and dash, and cried:
@How do you'd Lydiaf I am most thank
full to find you ut home. have come with q
definite purpose as talking over thing Is
better than writing a dozen notes. Very
strange and startling events are happening
here, and have arrived at the conclusion
that it is my duty to lay them before you
and other friends, in order to see what can
be donen
Dear! dearr murmured Miss Davidson, in
vague alarm. "You don't mean it'll Tell me
all all about 1t, dear Jane"
Il will tell you as much as at present
know" returned her friend. "Well, to begin
with, when l was coming down from London,
early last spring, gentleman and lady were
in the same carriage with me. ] took them
for a honeymoon couple, and felt sorry to
constrain their tete-a-tete. They made me
the most uncomfortable with all the private
and confidential things they had to say; and
they kept Poring over little book with
their heads together-poetry, or some rubbish
or other, suppose. I've no patience with
that sort Of thing-have your
Miss Davidson was, however, romantic,
and could not get up a show of Indignation
in time to respond to her friends glance; so
she only looked little foolish and abashed.
"And for six months" Miss Newman con-
tinued, "they have been coming, regularly
twice week-Monday and Thursday. And
they may have done 1t for six years, for
aught know, because it is only since have
been at my new lodging, opposite the Bull,
that have noticed them carefully. They
arrive early-about 10 oclock-have some
refreshments fancy, for they always stop
in the hotel awhile; then they drive or walk
out, not always together-5ut often taking
different roads: stay out-oh, till 4, or 5, or
9, and sometimes they take a quantity of
luggage, those nice dress baske's and things,
ladylike luggage-and then, after their din
ner. off they 60 toward the railway station"
Really" cried Miss Davidson, in astonish-
ment. "And their appearancef Do they look
like"
'Gentlepeoplef put in Miss Newman
"Yes, decidedly That is q point on which
am never deceived. The lady dresses ex-
quisitely and most becomingly. They're
u
handsome man, with military air. In fact,
am pretty sure he is an officer; for / saw
so much of the military when l lived at
Dover, and then" lowering her voice, II
Heard so many things, too, about garrison
doings that l began to feel anxious. The
Bull is such a respectable hotel it wonld be
quite misfortune for the town-if-any-
| thing unpleasant were to come OUT con-
| cllded Miss Newman, forced by the vague
ness Of her subject into, for once, being her
| self vague.
@Dear me! What you say quite startles
me-" sail Miss Davidson. III anything like
| that happens hundred miles away, or even
| in London it is not so bad; but herel 1t is
| a shock to me! I must mention it to Eliza"
| she added, as that functiopary entered, bent
| most unam:ahly on interrupting the confer
| ence.
| am finish my tea,' said Miss Newman,
| putting her fingers firmly on her saucer. ut
| is an excellent cup-most refreshing, Lydia"
Had it not been for the softening influence
| Of the morsel Of gossip, long brewing hostiii
ties might now have ripened into fierce strife
between Eliza and her mistress's friend, but
Miss Davidson's questions about the myste-
| rious strangers claimed the confidential
maids attention. No, she hadn't heard
| nothing about them-leastways nothing but
stray word or two. But she'd soon fathom
| it, she would She had no opinion of people
| as came and went, and no one knew whence
| or whittier.
| Dignity prevented Miss Newmans joining
In the conversation while her foe, Eliza, was
tskinr mart in 1t; but she was glad in her
heart that that forcible person should be set
on the track.
| an tell you what think about 1t, ex-
| claimed Miss Davidson, little later. II
think dear, that the gentleman is some very
distinguished person indeed, and that the
lady-she may be perfect lady, you know,
all the time-is beneath him, and that there's
morganatic marriage! There are such
things nowadays, ami always have been, you
/ know"
aBut, if so, why shouldn't she have her
own establishment Why come to hotelr
| obierted Miss Newman. "Stiil, we shall find
out about it some way or another. It's a
| duty, however unpleasant, to clear 1t up.
Perhaps you'll talk it over with your brother
| tomorrow. I know he Sometimes spends
| Sundays with you, AMI please let me know
what he thinks. But don't send him to talk
about it to me, for its not a subject i should
go into with O young man, unless 1t was one
II
/ about H. Our rector resents inquiry, do
believe, for can't get anything out Of him.
Goodbye, Lydiam
| Goodbye, dear. I'll not ring for Eliza.
I'll let you out" u.... -
| Lydia had scarcely sett ed herself again
after performing this little attention when
Eliza appeared, cloaked and bonneted at the
sitting room door, remarking, I've been out
| little while, ma'am. After what you said
just now, my duty was plain, and went
round to the Bull at once, knowing as you'd
not be wanting me-"
/ AOh! dear me, Eliza" returned the docile
mistress, II quite forgot that your niece,
Mary, is barmaid at the Bull. And did you
see the landladyi and can she explain about
the strangersr
aOf course, ma'am, saw Mrs Weston
replied Eliza energetically. ats what /
went for; but couldn't get nothing out of
her. said to her as civil as possible: viii
| you tell me, Mrs. Weston, the names OF
/ those parties as comes here twice q
week, a Monday and q Thursdayss
But she Gnly said very stiff and
Ugh; never give the names Of any Of my
parties, not even to the gentleman from The
| Ravensbourne Record And more than
that she wouldn't say, so at last ! came
away, but I'll make some excuse to be there
4 next Monday, and I'll see them at all events
| and with that Eliza withdrew to her own do
main, leaving her mistress to recall all the
instances that she had heard Of morganatic
marriages and their results.
Miss Davidson had just taken her seat in
church the following morning when Miss
Newman, very @taut" and trim, hurried
| into vacant place next TO her, and, after
burying her face in her hands, she turned, as
she knelt, to her neighbor and said in an un-
dertone, 1Have you seen your brother to-dayi
What does he thinkn
aNo, dear, no; he's not coming; but dont
talk about il In church, please DON'T And
the good lady tried with feeble hurry to find
her place. Miss Newman forebore further
remark till Minister Weekly ascsuded the
pulpit Then she betrayed q longing 70 speak
| and an inability 10 sit still But Lydia reso.
| lptely turned the crown at her bonnet toward
her friend, fearful that q conversation might
again be opened to the outrage Of the decor
Gus feelings OF the congregation.
nsWoe unto the world because OF offences,
| for Il must needs be that offences come: but
woe to the man by whom the offence cometh' :
/ Orr continued the thin voice Of the curate,
aas more literal version, though one less
/ purely English, has IL, Woe TO the world be-
cause of scandals.'"
sThersis whispered Mis Newman, no
longer repressible, Il knew had done soma
4 rvre.a x.;xI, him I unwar lnff him yegfnFrlay