Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-10-09
scARsloeRLlNe WIFE.
A short Story Well Worth Reading from
Rndyard Kipiing's '.-Piain Tales"

Far back in tho seventies" before they
had built any public offices at Simla, her
parents had made MISS Gauroy marry
Colonel Schreiderling.
He could not have been much more than
thirty-five years her senior.
Understand, l do not blame Schreider-
ling. lie was good husband according to
his lights, and his temper only failed him
when he was being nursed, which was
some seventeen days IN each month. lie
was almost generous TO his wife about
money matters, and that for him was
concession. Still Mrs. Schreiderling was
not happy. They married her when she
was this side of 20 and mad given all her
poor little heart to another man. 1 have
forgotten his name, but we VIII call
HIM the Other Man. be had no money
and no prospects. He was not even good
looking. and / think he was in the CON-
missariat.
The Other Man bore his loss quietly, and
was transferred 10 as bad climate rs one
could lind. Perhaps the climate consoled
him. lie suffered from ntermlttent-feyer.
and that NAV have distracted him IRON
his other trouble. He was weak about the
heart also. Both ways. One of the valves
was affected, and the fever made 1t worse.
This showed itself later on.
Then many months passed and Mrs;
lOOh W uDAnA ilis RhN In
not pine away like people IN story books,
but she seemed to pick up every form OF
illness that went about the station, from
simple fever upward. She was never more
than ordinarily pretty at the best OF times,
and the illness made her ugly. Schneider
ling said so. He prlded himself on speak
ing his mind.
He left her at Simla one August and went
down TO his regiment. Then she revived
little, but she never recovered her looks.
found ont at the club that the Other
Man was coming up sick-very sick-on an
of chance of recovery. Tho fever aud the
heart-yalves had nearly killed him. She
knew that. too, and she knew-what had
no interest in knowng-when he was
coming up. ] suppose he wrote to tell her.
They bad not seen each other since q
month before the wedding. And here
comes the unpleasant part OF the story.
A late call kept me down at the Dove
| dell Hotel till dusk one evening. Mrs.
Sohreideriing had been fitting up and
| down the Nall all the afternoon IN the
| rain. Coming up along the cart-road
| tonga passed me, and my pony, tired with
| standing so long, set OF at a canter. Just
| by the road down TO the Tonga office Mrs.
Schreiderling, dripping from head to foot,
! was waiting FOR the tonga. / turned up
| hill, as tho tonga was no affair or mine,
and just then she began 10 shrek. l went
| back at once and saw, under the Tonga
| Office lamps, Mrs Schrelderllng kneeling
in the wet road by the back seat OF the
newly arrived tonga. screaming hldeously
| Then she fell face down III the dire as
| came up.
Sitting IN the back seat, very square and
firm. with one hand on the awning
stanchion and the wet pouring off his hat
| and moustache, was the Other Man-dead
The sixty-mile uphill jolt had been too
much for his valve, suppose. The tougi
driver said The Sahld died two stage.
out OF Scion. Therefore, | tied HIM witt
"a rope lest he should tall out by the way
and 40 came to S.mla. Will the Sahib give
me backhish? It," pointing to the Othel
Man, SHOULD have given one rupee"
The Other Man sat with q grin on m
! face. ~ II he enjoyed the joke o.. his ar
rival, and Mrs. Schrelderiing, III the mud
began to grOan.
There was no one except us four IN to-
Office. and 1t was raining heavily. III
first thing was 10 take Mrs. Schrelderlln.
home. and the second was 10 prevent he
name being mixed up in the ahair. Th
tonga-driver received five rupees TO find
rickshaw for Mrs. Schreiderlng. Ho wa
to tell the tonga Babu afterwards OF tn
Other Man. and the Babu was to make sue
arrangements az seemed best.
Mrs. SchreideTilng was taken home jus
as every one was gong 10 a dance IA
Vlceregal Lodge Peternof' it was then
and the doctor found out that she haC
fallen from her horse; that l had .picket
her up az tho back of Jakko. and reall
deserved great credit for the prompt man
ner IN which had secured medical aid.
| She did not die. Men of Schreiderling'
stamp marry women who dol't die easily
They live and grow ugly.
Two years afterwards she went HON
and dled--at Bournemouth, think.
SchreiderllDg, when he grew maudlin
mess, used TO talk about my poor, doa
wife, He always set great store on spear
ing his mind, did Schreiderling.