The record-union., 1892-06-11


pant OF that room was Sir John WindhaIn
McCurrie, the future husband of the
dashing Mrs. Timbury.
Sir John Windham McCurrie, Chief
Justice of the Windward Islands, had
been called to Dominica to transact some
very business, had been entertained in that
! mousse, and had occupied that very room.
On going away he had le1t some relics of
ms Vlslt-torn scraps OF paper on the
table, and on one of the window-SillS four
or five large envelopes, not such as ordi-
nary people use, but yellow ones of un-
usual size and brilliancy, with the words
printed across the top in bold, black let
ters, 'On Her Majesty's Service"
Sitting by the window to finish cigar
before retiring, Mr.. Quick mechanically
picked up one of these envelopes. They
| were different from anything he had seen
and their official character was apparent.
Being young man of facetious turn Of
mind, 1t instantly dawned upon him that
they might be made to serve good pur-
pose IN some practical joke, and he gath
cred them up and utthem in his pocket.
1t is observed here that if Sir John
WIndham McCurrie G. }. had not been
so careless as to leave his official euvel-
opes lying about. the present Lady Nc
Currie would still be plain Mrs. Tim
bury.
When on the next day but one the Am
azon reached Barbados, Lady Clare and
Mrs. 1lmbury parted with great effusion,
and Captain Long and Mr. Quick watched
them from the bridge and unfeehngly
cracked jokes at their expense. Lady
Clare promised that if she ever reached
New ork her chief pleasure should be
in finding Mrs. Timbury, and Mrs. Tim
bury declared that her affection should
be shown on the return voyage by her
driving through the Government House
grounds. They parted in silence, with
strong probabilities of never meeting
again in this world.
AT Port of Spain, where the steamer lay
Tor four days, fate threw Mr.. Quick and
the Titus party together in the same hotel,
the quaint but comfortable Hotel de
France, fronting on the public square,
where vultureS and coolies are constantly
at roost, and the animosity between the
young New Yorker and Mrs. Timbury
had time to expand and ripen. The
children being too small to enjoy sight
seeing they Were usually left under the
care OF servant and Mr.. Quick made
the convenient fourth person in their eX-
curSlonS, to share the comfort and the eX-
pense OF carriage. When they drove
out to the coolie settlement and Mr..
Quick admired peculiarly picturesque
Shanty Mrs. IImbury saw in il nothing
but hovel fit for pigs. When Mrs.
Ilmbury went into ecstacies over the
foliage of the botanical gardens Mr..
quick was sure there were far better
corners in Central Park. Besides. Mr..
Quick spoke unkindly of the CIares and
made suggestive remarks about Captain
Long. So, when the stay in Trinidad
came to an end he and Mrs. Timbury
were as bitter enemies as a young man
and an elderly lady could well be.
IL IS the custom for passengers 10 make
this Windward Island trip down and
back in the same steamer, the whole voy-
age occupying one calendar month. But
Mr.. Titus had become so infatuated with
the French island of Martinique, where
he ate turtle steaks in the odd little Hotel
des Balns, in st. Pierre, that he deter
mined to stop off there on the home
ward voyage and wait for the next
steamer.
Mrs. Timbury looked impatiently for
ward to the next landing at Barbados
on the return trip, where she fully in
tended to call on Lady Clare-not know
| ing, Of course, of the island ceremonials
that lock the Government House doors 10
the public on all but certain stated occa-
Slons. 1t was on the 9th day of Deem
ber that the Amazon sailed away from
| Port of Spain, cutting grandly through
the smooth waters of the Gulf of Paria
and sweeping gracefully through the mar
row Dragons Mouth, with Trinidad on
one hand and Venezuela on the other, and
both within pistol shot. And it was af-
| ternoon of the next day, Christmas Day,
that she dropped her anchor in the road
stead before Bridgetown, Barbados.
The requirements of trade, however,
have no regard for the customs of society.
When Mrs. Timbury saw the Captains
gig lowered, the boat that had been gal
lantly put at her disposal at nearly every
port, and when the Captain saw her, gor-
geously arrayed, waiting for an invitation
to go ashore, he dashed her hopes bv
holding up a warning hand.
'sBe careful, Mrs. Timbury - he said,
"We have to make st. Lucia tonight,
and can stay here only one hour. You
can barely go ashore and come back, but
there is no time for drive. Think how
1 should feel if you were to be left!"
There was no help for it; the visit to
Lady Clare must be abandoned. Mrs
Timbury cared nothing about landing
again in Bridgetown, where an egg
dropped on the curbstone would cook
hard in one minute, and even her smiles
could not induce the Captain to remain
longer.
said Mr.. Quick, elated at Mrs. Timbury's
discontinue.
Hurry up, then, young man," the
Captain replied.
Mr.. Quick hastened to his room, and
threw off his coat-the coat in whose in
side pocket were the official envelopes
and put on another. The other was better,
but heavier.
''It's pretty warm!" thought Mr.. Quick;
unbottoned the second coat, and hesi-
tated.
At this moment Mrs. Timbury's fate
trembled in the balance.
He pulled off the heavy coat, replaced
the first the one with the envelopes).
took his place in the boat, and was rowed
ashore.
''rll stroll around the dock, here, Cap
tain, while you're settling your bust
ness" Mr.. Quick said; and the Captain
disappeared.
MIR. Quick strolled, but deliberately,
for the sun was blistering, and he strolled
naturally toward the shade, which led
him up the one short block that lies be-
tween the landing place and the principal
business street of Bridgetown. Some
thing induced him to put his hand in the
pocket where the envelopes were, and the
instant he felt them he was seized with
an inspiration.
Mir. Quick no longer strolled, but
hastened, notwithstanding the climate.
Two doors around The first corner he
found stationer's store, where he bought
a sheet of paper and square envelope.
Securing the use of pen and ink, he
hastily wrote this note, initiating as well
as he could lady's hand:
Lady Clare's compliments to Mrs. Timbury,
requesting the pleasure OF her company
At Dinner,
On Thursday, Dec. 25, IS
at D O'Clock.
Government House"
This note he folded and put in the
white envelope, addressed to Mrs. Tim
bury. Then he drew out one of the large
official envelopes, ION Her Maiesty's
Service" inclosed the note in that and ad-