The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-09

hurriedly. and who. IS the train
steamed out o. the station, looked
rather disconnected in finding himself
tete-a-tete with . young, pretty and
elegant woman.
Before reaching Leicester the trav-
elers had already exchanged . few
commonplace civilities connected with
the pulling up and down of windows.
the loan Of newspapers. etc. Instinct
lively they recognized that they be-
lOnged to the same social class; each
discovered in the other . certain in
dependent, unconventional originality,
and like strangers meeting by chance
at some dinner party, they soon began
to converse on every possible subject.
'Do you propose stopping at Edin-
burgh?" said the gentleman. when.
after Normanton and lunch, they had
resumed their seats.
For the night perhaps; but l am
bound for l~nversnaid," answered Jes-
| sica.
"Ah" with q slight start; II have
some friends about there myself
relations"
II wonder II they know nv friends
at the Towers?"
The Bellunes"
Exactly"
why. Dora Bellune Is my cousin
and l Am on my way to e her."
How very amusing! Well. I had
an intuition that We should meet again
i'm fact, I had quite mapped out your
destiny before reaching Bedford"
LET US hear the horoscope-past,
present, future; the first will, If cor
rect, be guarantee for crediting the
last"
"Iconsent to tell you what 1 think Of
you; but only will you tell me first who
you think / am"
would you be offended if l said .
charming woman? Don't frown. I
have not said it."
..Be serious. Am I maid. wife or
widow"
mot . miss. certainly" with q fine
contempt on the noun.
''Of course not. or you would not
have deigued to be even decently civil"
Frankly. I am at fault now. l. it
wife? Is it widow?"
II own there may be reason for .
doubt. You see, it is difficult to be q
widow without having been q wife, and
as men don't marry girls nowadays, it
is equally difficult to be a wife. How
rel as no other status has been in
vented. l have no husband"
"And no wife, although l have been
married"
"A widower! Hum! I should not
have thought So"
No. not q widOwer. I was married
without my knowledge. by mistake, in
default. The newspapers married me-
l heard Of it in India-and SO persist
emily that l got a three months leave
only to make myself a free man once
more. l left the P. and U. three days
ago. and Am on my way to the Bellunes
to ask what they rel about in allow
ing their nearest relative to be labelled
all over the world As booked and done
tor"
"A hard case, and one deserving of
much pity. So the indignity of we'd
lock has been put upon you. Accept
my deepest sympathy"
You may laugh, but it was. it is
odious. All the fellows out there affect
to believe it is true-that I am a dere-
lict husband with q family. On land
ing here l found no end Of letters of
c0ngratulati0n. ldare not show N.Y.
self at the clubs. II at first l was in
clined to treat ths matter lightly. now
I am determined - sift the whole thing
sue the libellers. and give q public de-
NAL"
ITO the compromising accusation of
matrimony? I would. if I were you"
Il SHALL" he said sternly.
They were just steaming into the
Carlisle station. Jessica remained
alone while her companion smoked a
cigar on the platform. She took adj
vantage Of the gathering twilight to
rise. and unperceived. to examine the
label on the hat box reposing in the
rack. She had some difficulty in de-
ciphering il. and fell back into the seat
as the owner Of it stepped once more
into the carriage. He fancied she
looked very pale. and asked her If she
was tired. Sho did not answer at once,
but as so0n as the train was fairly I'M
der way she said. abruptly: rs your
name Montgomery Swift"
at is" he said. surprised; but glanc-
ing at the hat box. which lay in 40
altered position. he added: '.Have you
guessed that, too. you fortune teller?"
"And you call yourself . captain?"
continued Jessica. in the same harsh
voice.
Il do. till I become q major"
impossible! There is not q Captain
Montgomery Swift in the whole British
army"
Il beg your pardon. am that hum
hl~ ~SRnn-v