The sun., 1884-01-10
"Well, he went up the country to Jub-

1
a huge female tiger sprang upon me
| mean, of course, upon your husband
and bore him to the earth. The servan
fled for assistance, help arrived, and NJ r
Racket was found. faint from loss o
J blood, with his right arm torn out by tn,
| socket, his left eye destroyed, and tn,
calf OF his left leg deeply scored by tn,
! claws of the ferOclouS monster"
| The narration of this remarkable stor'
| taxed Toms imaginative faculties t
| their utmost limits, and it was therefor,
with considerable disappointment, tha,
| he heard his wife simply eXclaim, "Hov
| alarmingr
Mr.. Racket thought that she did not
seem to feel the full force Of the aews
and he considerably repeated the han
rowing details.
THAT fully explains his desponden
frame of mind" said Mrs. Racket. Hi
| right arm"
/ "Yes. torn out by the socket. He ha.
| learned TO write with his left hand"
| "Oh. dreadful" eiacu ated Dora
"And his left eye destroyed?"
| Yes; he wears glass eye, poor fel
low"
at must be agony" continued Mrs.
Racket. And the calf OF his left leg
deeplv ored by the cruel claws of the
terocious monster! And when You lef
him, Mr.. Brackett, how was he? Can
he survive?"
For tiie nrst time dread full suspicion
entered Toms mind. Did that wife OF
his still love him? He determined to
test her.
"It is impossible to say with GER
tainty," he replied, seriously; but you
must hope for the best. Let me beg OF
you, my dear Mrs. Racket, to keep up
your spirits"
'Oh, | assure you. Mr.. Bracket. I am
not in the least inclined to be miserable.
There is very pleasant society here; and
you KNOW there are as many good fish
IN the sea as ever came ont Of it."
Tom was thunderstruck. He feltthat
his fears We're but too we'll foundei; but
he made up his mind to put his wife to
Yet another test.
Poor fellow" he said. "IaSsCre YOU
that your name was very o'ten on his
lips. In his delirium he called for you
hour 4 ter hour"
Indeed, 1t is very good Of him not
to have forgotten me!'
Forgotten you? Oh no! [ am sure
that it is the lot of but fAw women to
have husband halt So atfectionate.'
And of but few men, continued
Mrs. Racket. with an irresistible smile.
Ito have wife"
Half so charming assented Tom.
who in spite of himself could not conceal
his admiration.
"Oh, Mr.. Brackett," calculated Dora.
in confusion. "But excuse me. Will
YOU stay and dine here? Of course you
will, to please me. You know that a
woman hates solitude little less than
smallpox. One moment" And she
quilted the room.
Mr. Racket rose and paced rapidly
backward and forward. His love and
confidence had received terrible blow,
ami he was extremely agltated.
lis she so heartless?' he reflected.
Perhaps l had better leave her al
once, and never let her know the truth
But [ can not go until am quite sure
for | love n as much as | ever did.
Just now | felt a hundred times impelled
TO take her in my arms and calllher Dora
again. | must be certain before | can
act. l may be unjust. Perhaps that idi-
otic story | told her has made her hy-
sterical. Some women will in such cir
Cumstances say and do exactly the con-
trary of what they mean. Possibly
she is weeping now in her own room,
breathing my name, and longing to be
at my side at Jubbalpore. But here she
is again, and smiling too. Confound her!"
Mrs. Racket re e-entered with no traces
of sorrow upon her face. Il have or
dered dinner" she said "for seven
O'Clock. Until then l must do my bes!
to amusa you, for there is no on else in
the house except the servants. | hope
that you had pleasant voyage home,
nd h,t of hot
tiger incident did not haunt your dreams
by the way"
Not in the least" returned Tom, and
he bit his lip. "The voyage was delight
fii. | came by way ofSuez Canal. There
were some charming girls on board. and
OF course we all enjoyed ourselves i'm
menseIy. There was moonlight party
at Alden, and on that occasion the young
ladies sang to us until two O'Clock in the
morning, when we had a champagne
supper in tent, which friend of mine
providentially had with him. / shall
never forget it."
He was as reckless as any man could
be, and cared no longer what he said.
1T must have been very delightful"
laughed Mrs. Racket, 81 really wish 1
had been there.
So do l. am sure" Dora went on;
"but enjoy above ali what you men,
call a spree. I'm afraid that l have
good deal of the Bone mian in my ma
ture."
II suppose, however" queried Mr..
Racket, that you lead very quiet
life herew
"Oh no, not at all. Of course know
every one in the neighhorhood; and as a
married woman, | ask whom [ please
to my house. assure you | have very
pleasant evenings now and then. You
must come some day, Mr.. Brackett-
supper at two in the morning"
Il am afraid" said Tom, responding
", "that shall not be here for long.
am thinking of going abroad. l can not
rest anywhere"
"Youare worried then? I can SYM
pathize with you. A woman's sympathy,
you know"
Eyes; family matters and disappoint-
ments-"
But you are not the man." said Mrs.
Racket, encouraglngly, VINO ought to
be prey to disappcintments. You are
young, and if you'll excuse my freedom,
not bad-looking! Ha! ha! l hope you
did not lose your heart to one Of the
young ladies' at AdeD."
''No, Mrs. Brackett. To tell the truth.
l am dou btful as to wheihe any woman
is worth worrying about"
$40 no; be cynical" exclaimed Dora.
"All men have a period of cynicism, l
know; out you surely must have out
grown it. Perhaps men expect too much
from women"
"They expect sympathy, fidelity, and
considerationw exclaimed Mr.. Racket,
biuntly.
"But do they themselves practice
those virtues? All me! What terrible
thing it would be to have a husband
vino would practice none of them--a
husband cold and unkindp'
"And what still moro terrible thing"
said Tom, bitterly, "wo1ld it be to have
an unfaitliful and unsympathetlc wfer'
''But do you belieye." asked Dora,
''that there are many such women?"
II know to my cost that there is at least
one. Yes! There are many women,
Mrs. Racket, who betray their hus-
bands"
II can not believe it; but when such
is the case, think that the husband il
generally also to blame" And Dora
looked demu rely at the carpet.
81 am afraid,' soliloquized Mr..