Wichita eagle., 1889-08-03

rlaGeaDl6 QaQ3nCerS WeI0 OltUc1s 0us 49, q
Montgomery Swift beeded them not and
reveled in her popularity.
"Who the deuce Is Capt. Swift, and where
does he hang outr' queried guardsman OF
fellow warrior parting from Jessica, when
she re-entered her carriage after her daily
walk in the park
"Who cares big D for the husband OF
pretty womanl" was the fippant answer.
Hes somewhere on the gold coast, or in In
dia, or at Suakim, she tells me; he might be
dead and buried for all I care-only its
much safer to know there's a husband some
where; and, to do the little woman justice,
although she firts 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 runpus
about"
NO" said the other, refectively, pulling
his mustache; "it's case Of Canute and the
sea-tjust so far and no farther She's
tickhsh one to deal with. l don't quite make
her out"
''She does pull fellow up pretty short
sometimes, that's fact; but she's awfuly
jolly-no COMPOUNDED sentiment about her
not Like those old stagers who run you In be-
fore you know where you are. She's rare
fun, by Jove!" and he smiled with RETROSPECT
tive enjoyment.
For once the verdict of clubs, mess rooms
and smoking rooms was just; Mrs. Mont
gomery Swift's morals were unimpeachable.
Without ostentation she frequently alluded
to her absent consort, retailed passages from
his correspondepce, bewailed the long exile
and frequent changes entailed by his pro-
fession, wondered how long he would remain
in those outlandish places where wives were
an impossibility, and occasionally reduced
her admirers to frantic despair by announc-
Ing her intention of joining Capt. Swift
wherever he might be sent next When as
sured that such self immolation would be
madness she pensively concluded that per-
haps it were wiser to await his return to
civilization and England.
Sometimes-not very often-Jessica was
alone, and then, she would look at herself in
the glass and smile quantity. Isn't it fun
nyp' she murmured, scanning her features.
81 am sure l am not quite so fresh and pretty
as was two years ago, and l don't think
am nearly as nice. And yet-then nobody
even looked at me, while now Her eyes
sparkled- "Oh, my blessed husband, what g
service you have rendered mel And to think
/ shall never, never be able to repay your
Towards the middle of August, with the
abruptness which characterized all her move
ments, Jessica, without word OF warning to
her courtiers, accepted an invitation to spend
a fortnight in Scotland with young married
couple who had taken a house on Loeb Lo-
mond for two months She had not been
told whether or not there would be other
guests, but she knew that the Bullunes had
the knack Of making people comfortable, and
she felt just a little tired Of surfeit of devo-
ton, and inclined to escape from it and rus
ticate in comparative solitude.
So one morning she found herself at ST.
Pancras station, and when her maid, previous
to seeking her second class carriage, had set
tied her in a first class one, with her books
rugs and dressing bag, she prepared for her
long, solitary journey with restful satisfac-
ton. However, just as the hour for depart
ure had struck the door Of her carriage was
violently opened, military looking port
manteau and case were thrust In, guard ex-
claimed: PLENTY Of room-just in time
jump in, sir-thank you, sirI" and slammed
the door again upon a tall, handsome man,
who had entered hurriedly, and who, as the
train steamed out Of the station, looked
rather Disconnected in finding himself tete-a-
tete with a young, pretty and elegant wo-
man.
Before reaching Leicester the travellers had
already exchanged a few commonplace civil
ties connected with the pulling up and down
of windows, the loan Of newspapers, etc. In
stinctively they recognized that they be-
Ionged to the same social class; each discov
cred In the other certain independent, I'M
conventional originality, and like strangers
meeting by chance at some dinner party,
they soon began to converse on every posi-
ole subject.
''Do you propose stopping at Edinburgh!"
said the gentleman, when, after 1ormanton
and lunch, they had resumed their seats.
For the night, perhaps; but l am bound
for Inversnaid," answered Jessica.
"Ahi with a slight start; II have some
friends about there myself-relations"
81 wonder if they know my friends-at the
Towersl"
THE Bellunesr'
Exactly"
"Why, Dora Bellune is my cousin, and l
am on my way to see her"
How very amusing. Well, had an in
tuition that we should meet again-in fact, |
had quito mapped out your destiny before
reaching Bedford"
Let us hear the horoscope-past, present,
future; the first will, if correct, be guaran-
tee for crediting the last"
II consent to tell you what I think of you;
but only if you tell me first who you think
am"
"Would you be offended If said charm
ing womanl Don't frown; have not said
it.n
''Be serious Am maid, wife or widowl"
mot miss, certainly" with fine con-
tempt on the noun.
"Of course not, or you would not have
deigued to be even decently civil"
Frankly. am at fault now. Is it wifei
Is it widowf'
Il own there may be reason for doubt
You see, it is difficult to be widow without
having been a wife, and, as men don't marry
girls nowadays, it is equally difficult to be a
wife However, as no other status has been
invented, have husband"
And | no wife, although have been mar
ried.
"a widower! HumI 1 should not have
thought So"
mo, not widower. / was married with
out my knowledge, by mistake, in default
The newspapers married mel heard Of 1t In
India-and SO persisteutly that got three
months leave only 10 make myself free man
once more. left the P. and O. three days
ago, and ON on my way TO the Bellunes to
ask what they were about In allowing their
nearest relative to be labeled all over the
world as booked and done for"
"A hard case and one deserving of much
pity. So the indignity Of wedlock has been
mt ,,nOu Won Accent nv deepeSt SYM