The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-19


The message that the bells let fan,
And awesome bells they were 90 me,
That IN the dark rang sEnderby."
-JeGa lngsEow.
Once upon q time there was Man and
his Wife and Tertium Quid.
All three we're unwise, but the Wife was
the unwisest. The Man should have
looked after his Wife, who should have
avoided the Tertium Quid, who, again,
should have married wife of his own, at
ter clean and open iirtations, to which
nobody can possibly object, round Jakko
or Observatory hill When you see
young man with his pony in a white
iather, and his hat on the back of his head
flying down hill at the rate of fifteen miles
an hour 10 meet girl who VIII be properly
surprised 70 meet him, you naturally ap-
prove of that young man, and wish him
staff appointments, and take an interest In
his welfare, and, as the proper time comes,
give them sugar-tongs or side-saddles, ac-
cording 70 your means and generosity.
The Tertium Quid few down hill on
horseback, but il was 70 meet the Mans
Wife; and when he few up hill il was for
the same end. The Man was in the plains,
earning money for his Wife TO spend on
dresses and 4oo-rupee bracelets, aud mex
peasIve luxurles OF that kind He worked
very hard and sent her letter or a post
card daily. She also wrote to him daily.
and said she was longing for him 70 come
up 70 simla- The Tertium Quid used TO
lean over her shoulder and laugh as she
wrote the notes. Then the two would
ride 10 the postoffice together
Now, Simla is a strange place, and its
customs are peculiar; nor is any man who
has not spent 1t least ten seasons there
qualified TO pass judgment on circumstan-
tial evidence, which is the most untrust-
worthy IN the courts. For these reasons.
and for others which need not appear. I
decline to state positively whether there
was anything irretrievably wrong in the
relations between the Mans Wife and the
Tertfum Quid. If there was. and hereon
YOU must form your own opinion. il was
the Mans Wife's fault She was kittenish
IN her manners, wearing generally an air
Of scit and duffy innocence But She WAS
deadly learned and eyil-instructed; and
now and again, when the mask dropped
men saw this, shuddered and-alnost
drew back. Men are occasionally particu-
lar, and the least particular men are al
ways the most exacting.
Slnlla IS eccentric in its fashion of treat.
ing friendships Certain attachments
which have set and crystallized through
hall a dozen seasons acquire almost the
Sanctty OF the marriage bond, and are re-
NeTed as such. Again, certain attachments
equally old, and, 10 all appearance, equally
venerable, never seem 20 win apv re,>o~.
nlEed official status while chanct-spr1ln,
acquaintance, not two months old. stems
INTO the place which by right belongs 70
the senior. There is no law resIucibla 70
PRINT which regulates these affairs.
some people have gift which secures
them mantle liberation, and Others have
not Ine Mans Wife had not. II she
looked over the garden wall. for instance
women taxed her With stealing their huS-
nanos. she complained patheticaIIv that
she was not allowed 10 choose her Ovrr,
baends. When she put I'D her bic white
mum 70 her lips and gazed over II and
under her eyebrows at YOU as she said this
thlng, You felt that she had been IN
iaMoaSiy miSlodSed, and that all the other
women instincts were all wrong: which
was aoSuro- She wss not allowed 10 own
the Tertium Quid in peace. ana yxaS :,
strangely constructed that she woul.I nor
have enjoyed peace had she besn 81 rsr-
mltted. She preferred some semblance of
intrigue 10 cloak even her most eouarpon-
piace actions.
After two months Of riding. first 'round
JaAko, then Elysiam, then Simmer hiif
then Observatory bill. then under Jutovh
and lastly up and down the cart rnSa a.
lar as the Tara Devi gap in the siusk sbs
ssld 70 the Iertium Q0id: Prank. ne.enIa
say We are together too much, and peonle
xhe feriium Guild pulled his mustache