Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-04


ss3h6 did rot sneak to me Aor soma
time AS we stood watching The boa&
made faak II "a rs, and when she
did her arnk worzn allowed thak wns
right ii ~ iaees q what waa d her
mind.
g Perhaps ron think. Henry, she
said. with glance 0k inefIable aoorn.
that look The sort q pereon who IS
likely % b subjected % . personal
sanrch
II don't know what possessed ne, but
there flashed upon me all ia moment
the idea % giving hera lesson. / de-
leEmined fhat chs should haVs such q
fright Is would effectuaIly destroy Tor
her any romance which sti1 fingered
around the smuggling business, aud -
the same Hma would enable me ca pose
o. the sagacious husband. Who by d.
proper exercise oG hts authority had pre-
vented her from being placed ii . very
serious position.
The idea would have flown 6 quickly
Is Il came. had not my wife alluded
to the subject again and again, and had
she not displayed q most independent
spirit when &c last we stood upon
the pier, declining my pr0dered arm
with q toss Of her head, and
finally marching of by herself TO q
little distance, after giving me my In
structions IS 70 having the baggage
properly packed again after being
opened.
Just &c that moment en- ofaCial Of
some authority apparently passed close
10 me. Il touched him on the arm.
do yOu zee thMt lady In the aealskin
gacque and black satin bonnet over
there 2 said. Il don't want to be-
mixed up ID the matter myself, but /
think e would be worth your while TO
| look after her.
ssThe man stared &c me Cor q moment,
then thanking me he disappeared in the
direction Of the main building.
~ Thought he had either ignored or
forgotten about my trust, and, indeed,
was rather OOngratulating myself that
he had done so, for had already re-
pented Of my intentions Of frightening
my wife, when / saw an official step up
TO her, and politely touching his cap say
q few words IN 3 low tone. She looked
surprised, and glanced In my direction,
but apparently not noticing me In the
crowd, she followed the man into the
Custom House.
ssNow she was n for Il. felt very
sorry indeed Tor my wife. / had hardly
realized before what q very unpleasant
| operation e must be to be searched. IL
was really q cruel thing Of me to have
subjected her 10 such an ordeal, even IL
she had been little obstinate and am
moving, and &c was scarcely consoling TO
reflect that she would certainly never
forgive me Il she should by any chance
discover that / was the author Of her
misfortune. On the whole, II hardly
seemed quite as amusing 90 expected
| it would be.
ssHowever, IL was congoling 10 know
that she had nothing upon her, and per-
haps they wonid not trouble her very
much after ell, while e certainly would
be rather Q triumph for me. would
ask her with the utmost indifference Of
manner where she had been and what
kept her 60 long. Then II she were un-
happy and distressed i would e0ndoIe
with her unmerited disaster, and insinu-
ated how fortunate I was that / had
prevented the possibility Of her having
anything contraband upon her; what she
would have done Il she had, etc. II, on
| the contrary, she was disposed TO brazen
| it out, should have no scruples In ex-
ercising my undoubted right to eiacu-
late, II told you 80, with sucll additional
self cOngratulasions rs might suggest
themselves that I had not been fool
enough to LEI her have her own way.
ssShe was so long IN returning that /
began 60 be little alarmed. Several
| ideas occurred TO me. Perhaps she was
ashamed 10 face me. Perhaps she had
been 80 overcome by the indignity TO
which she had been subjected that she
might have tainted.
81 became very persistent In my
curiosity, and, forgetting my fear Of
/ compromising myself In the matter,
rushed of toward the Custom House in
| search Of her.
ssThe great hall Of the building was
| almost empty, most Of the personages
having got through their examination
and departed whittier they were bound.
| / looked around in search OF Mrs. Rob-
inson, and ct that moment caught
sight Of the revenue officer towhom / had
first pointed her out.
"He came over to me with en- express
sion Of satisfaction on his face.
Il can't tell you how much obliged
we are 20 you Six, he began. we
haven't had such prize for some time.
Two hundred pounds worth Of lace 81
the very least calculation.
"sWhatY ] exclaimed, while 8 cold
/ Precipitation seemed tostart ont Of every
pore. sWhat2 Do you mean that lady
"sWas an old hand, undoubtedly, sir.
Why she brazened it out till the end.
| Talked about writing to the Times, and
her husband being an American Of posi-.
ton, and ell the rest OF ii But Lor
bless you, sir, we knows sem. just
turned her over to one Of our ladies, and
she found the lace wrapped round her
body, Just the same rs pair We nabbed
here fortnight ago.
And the lady II found strength al
last to stammer.
"sOh, she's safe enough il the jail BY
this time, reckon. The magistrate Il
sitting Just now and my men took hel
right over, and no doubt she viii have
been committed sc once