The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-05

i4OtO WA4ACiA liz AhdA
Well, wherever he went there also she
would go. Whosoever he might meet
should also meet her. This was the end
of everything, the finale. But she would
not weep-she would have long years
for that-she would behave as an in
suited wife should.
He was about to enter a car; she also
hailed 1t. An ulster and q thick veil re-
duce all women to one Level. He would
not know her even If he saw her. She
sat in her corner and saw that he stood
ON the platform smoking. Which way
the car was going she scarcely noticed.
He left it at last and entered another; so
did she. Again he smoked on the plat
form, but at last, s'Fort Lee ferry" shout
ed the conductor, and she followed her
husband into a ferry boat. 1t was dark,
and though it did not rain the air was
full of moisture. There were very few
people upon the boat, but several of them
were brutal looking men, and they stared
at her, seeming to wonder at her thick
veil. She had forgotten her gloves, and
her small, white hands glistened with
rings, some Of them very valuable.
AS she left the ferry, and, following
her husbands figure, crossed the great
track of a railroad, she trembled with
terror. AS he assembled the bluff she
killed her skirts and followed.
Who could Clara be-what manner of
woman was she to appoint a rendezvous
like this2 1t was a nasty, slippery, I'M
pleasant place. There was a drinking
saloon hard by, which seemed to be full
of rough men. She drew SO near to her
husband that she could have touched his
coat as they passed this place, but he did
not look around. And now it began
to rain in earnest and the road they
had turned into seemed to be two feet
deep with mud, and still Mr.. Elliot
marched on. At last a frightful thing
occurred to Clara. She wore upon her
feet a pair of patent leather ties and
with all this climbing and straining of
the shoes the ribbons had come undone.
Suddenly the mud caught at them with
that curious power of suction which
mud seems to have at times, and the
shoes came off. In vain she felt about
for them; they seemed to have vanished.
Just then:
"Halloo!" said a voice near her,
"what's the matter with you, young
woman?"
"I-nothingr' gasped Mrs. Elliot. A
large policeman stood before her.
"This amt no place for a young wo-
man to be kiting round alone" said the
policeman. "It's dangerous if you're a
decent girl. What's happened? Lost
yourself"
"No," said Mrs. Elliot, ''T'm not alone,
there's my husband. Frank, Frank,
Frank"
Mr.. Elliot turned and walked back.
"Left you behind, did /, Lizzie?' he
said.
"You're a mighty careful husband
said the policeman, 81 do think" and
strobe away.
Then MI. Elliot, who was q large man,
simply picked his little wife up in his
arms and carried her back to the ground,
which encircled the tavern. Here he sci
her down upon a wooden platform. Then
for a moment he vanished and returned
with a glass of wine, which he made
Mrs. Elliot drink.
'Tve hired a cab" he said; ''we'll
drive back to the ferry. It's too stormy
a night to go looking for Clara; besides,
she's thousands Of miles away"
"Clarap' cried Mrs. Elliot. "Doni
speak of Clara-how dare your
"She very nearly ruined me, my dear,
I threw away lots of money on her.
said Mr.. Elliot, ''but she is looking uI
now. My dear, I know you have beer
rummaging my pockets and reading my
letters for two years, but l only found
out what you suspected when my mother
told me that you asked her if 1 had ever
known a lady named Clara before / met
you"
"Oh, Frank, don't try to deceive me!'
sobbed Lizzie. 81 read the note the wo
man left to-night-T"-
sob, l knew it," said Mr.. Elliot. "It
was fixed for you to read. I wrote it tc
myself, and my mother left it at the door
at dinner time. Igave her a signal from
the window hat she might know you
were coming down stairs, and I've KEEP
an eye on you've watched you ever
since you left the door. My dear child
I never knew a Clara in my life; I never
had a doubtful love affair, ven as q boy
The note you saw was about an oil well
in which I had shares-the Clara. She
was a tickle creature, I admit, and made
me anxious, but since you were bound
to be jealous
Carriage, sir" said the driver.
Mr.. Elliot lifted his shoeless wife into
the vehicle. And half way home she
vowed that she would never forgive him,
but the other half she wept upon his vest.
ri felt SO helpless without my shoes
she declares, "that my spirit vas fairly
broken"
But at all events she was never jeal.
Gus of Clara again.