The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-08-10

1--WE understand that the beautiful
Miss Jessica Wynne.will, at the expira-
tion of her mourning, return to society
as the bride of Captain Montgomery
Swift. This gallant officer, now on
leave, will, however, shortly after the
honeymoon be compelled to join his
regiment abroad"
This announcement, shorn of local
hyperbole, gradually found its way
into the Birmingham and Manchester
dailies, and finally drifted into one or
two London papers.
Mrs. Montgomery Swift took charm
ing furnished house in Mayfair kept Il
perfectly appointed brougham and vic
toria. procured her toilets from Paris
and forthwith became the rage. Her
gowns were copied, her repartees
quoted, her five o'clock at homes
crowded. She gave neither dinners nor
parties, availed herself of a few of the
introductions obtained through the
Tressillians, who were abroad; with
charming impertinence and pretty
audacity dropped all the people she
considered bores, and plunged into the
maddest whirl of social dissipation.
American girls CRASHED their teeth
with envy when the little grass
widow" carried off their most hopeful
admirers, dowagers frowned, young
matrons nursed their lips, mothers of
marriageable daughters were bitter,
but Mrs. Montgomery Swift heeled
them not, and reveled in her popularity.
"Who the deuce is Captain Swift,
and where does he hang out?" queried
a guardsman of fellow warrior part
ing from Jessica. when she re-entered
her carriage after her daily walk in
the park.
who cares big ID for the husband
of pretty womanP' was the flippant
answer. "Hes somewhere on the gold
coast, or in India, or at Suakim, she
tells me; he might be dead and buried
for all l care-only it's much safer to
know there's husband somewhere;
and. to do the little woman Justice,
although she flirts to the mines, she
does drag the captain in pretty freely;
and even were he to mount guard over
her like watch dog he wouldn't find
much to make a rumpus about"
No" said the other, retlectively,
pulling his mustache; "it's case of
Canute and the sea-'just so far and
no farther She's ticklish one to
deal with. don't quite make her out. "
''She does pull a fellow up pretty
IL. e., =,
awfully jolly-no confounded sentiment
about her-not like those old stagers
who run you in before you know where
you are. She's rare fun. by Jove!"
and he smiled with retrospective en-
Joyment.
For once the verdict of clubs, mess
rooms and smoking rooms was just;
Mrs. Montgomery Swift's morals were
unimpeachable. Without ostentation
she frequently alluded to her absent
consort, retailed passages from his
correspondence, bewailed the long
exile and frequent changes entailed by
his profession, wondered how long he
would remain in those outlandish
places where wives were an impossi- |
bility, and occasionally reduced her
admirers to frantic despair by announce
ing her intention of joining Captain
Swift wherever he might be sent next.
When assured that such self immola-
tiOn would be madness, she pensively |
that perhaps it were wiser
to await his return to civilization and |
England.
Sometimes mot very often--Jessica
was alone, and then she would look at |
herself in the glass and smile quantity.
isn't it funny?' she murmured. scan
ming her features. II am sure | am |
not quite so fresh and pretty as was
two years ago, and | don't think am
nearly rs nice. And yet-then nobody
even looked mt me, while now Her
eyes sparkled. 20. my blessed hus-
band, what a service you have rendered
me! And to think that / shall never.
never be able to repay your
Towards the middle of August, with
the abruptness which characterized all
her movements. Jessica. without word
of warning to her courtiers, accepted
an invitation to spend fortnight in
Scotland with young married couple
who had taken house on Loeb Lomond
for two months. She had not been told
or not there would be other
guests, but she knew that the Bellunes
had the knack of making people com.
Portable, and she felt just little tired
Of surfeit of devotion, and inclined to
escape from it and rusticate in compar-
alive solitude. So one morning she
Iound herself at st. Pancras station,
and when her maid. previous to seek
ng her second-class carriage, had set
lied her in first-class one, with her
books, rugs and dressing bag, she pre-
pared for her long, solitary journey
with restful satisfaction. However,
ust as the hour of departure had
struck the door of her carriage was
opened, military-looking
and case were thrust in,
guard exclaimed, PLENTY of room
ust in time-jump in, sir-thank you,
'ir"' and slammed the door again upon
/ tall, handsome man, who had entered
and who. as the train
teamed out Of the station, looked
ather disconnected in finding himself
with a young, pretty and
Elegant woman.
Before reaching Leicester the tray
lers had already eXchanOed n few