The morning call., 1893-08-07
AN ELOPEMENT.

planks of the station, and the train gone
like f1ash-she realized for the first time
that she had a task Oh her hands such as
SIZE had not con templated.
1t was all we'll enough to become vio-
lently and righteOusly indignant at Mr.
Pilsbury's outrageous desertion OF his wife
and family, and to vow vengeance upon
the prepossessing seryantgirl who had
disappeared as suddenly and as mysteri-
ously as he had-and at the very same
time, too But that neither brought the
deceitful husband within range of Mrs
Bob Pilsbury's thoroughly prepared
tongue nor the saucy and pretty face of
the housemaid - though Mrs. Pilsbury
strenuously denied that such a creature
could be pretty-within reach of the lady's
fiDger-naiis. surprising, of course, that the
charming little mistress of Rose Cottage
could so far forget herself.
Rut there she was, was Mrs. Pilsbury,
anu Portsmouth was not Ciderville.
Mrs. Pilsbury was made painfully aware
of this latter fact in about three minutes,
when she perceived that not single man,
woman or child III all the crowd at the sta
tlon seemed to pay the slightest attention
to her-sOmethlng that SHE could not re-
member ever to have happened TO her
at home "ln her born DAYS." as she after
city now, where everybody did not know
every body else and where nobody at all
knew her or cared a button for her or the
great wrong that but day before had ex-
cited all Ciderville and the surrounding
country.
But Mrs. Pilsbury was shortly moved to
action by the recalling OF the taunt of that
hateful Mrs. January-that she would
soon settle her husband If he had eIoped
with the servant-girl with something more
effective than tears -
Mrs. Piisbuly waited a moment till the
busy ticket agent seemed to have sec
Ond's rest from the inquisitiOnS Of the
ever-inQuiring pubic and then approached
him tinidiy with the direct question:
Did you see tall. dark-looklDg gentle
man, wilA side wti.kers, get off 'he early
morning train from Cidervil!e ?"
Accom- panied by a rather pretty looking
young lady-tall aud blonde, and"
Mr'. Pilsbury had to catch her breath.
Yes !" was all she ,ouid gasp, though
she wanted to deny the pretty looking"
part.
And wearing light-blue hat. with
large ostrich feather"
''Yesw gasped the poor little woman
again, and this time harder
And did she have very pleasant
smile? asked the ticket agent evidently
interested.
This was too much.
The huSsy!' exclaimed the indignant
little Mrs. Bob Plsbury, very much to the
establishment o. I've man OF the tickets.
Before lie had An opportunity, however,
to elicit further information than the mere
fact that the tall, blonde young lady was.
according 10 the sweet-faced, distressed
little woman at the window, busy
Mrs. Bob had disappeared through the
door.
A sudden rush OF the throng and some
screaming on the part of the female por-
ton of it had caused her 10 run suddenly
out INTO the street with the rest TO see
what the excitement was.
Flames were bursting out Of the upper
window of a large chair factory on the
block below. and engines We're tearing
down the street. followed by the usual
crowd. Soon the street was black with
heads.
One of those heads belonged to the hus-
band of Mrs. Bob PlsDury. Though only
a rear view was obtainable, the excited,
enterprising little mistress of Rose Cot
tage succeeded by hard pushing in getting
so good a rear view that she could almost
have thumped Mr. Bob with the end of her
parasOl.
But her moment of triumph had not yet
come. The derelict husband disappeared
from her field of vision quite as suddenly
as he had appeared thereon. and Mrs. Bob
was bewildered.
The fire belched forth from the third
story, and-horrors three girls faces
came for an instant to the windows of the
fourth and then drew back!
Mrs. Bob was all of a tre:nble. She had
never witnessed such a sight before. She
admitted when afterward she recalled this
scene, that her graceless husbands esca-
pade did not exclusively absorb her
thoughts and emotions for that one mo-
ment.
Bot chance remark of a benevolent
looking old gentleman beside her caught
her ear, and Mr.. Plsbnry and the prepps-
ses>lng servant-girl quickly and exclusively
lDdamed her imag again.
We must hurry" said the old Gentleman
10 young preacher who seemed To be his
companion, 'or the happy couple will
grow impatient. An elopement. you
But the crowd swayed back before the
clubs of three policemen, aud Mrs. Pills
bury was pushed out Of hearing. and the
benevolent old gentleman and the preacher
were pushed out of her sight
She soon cau2ht gliup,e of Them again,
however. on the opposite SIDE Of the pave
ment and swiftly followed them toward
the center Of the town. She saw them
enter d gate next to a church and mount
the steps of quiet red brick house. which
she was sure was the parsonage. How her
heart beatl
There were several persons in the street.
and she was Innoticed as she crossed over
to the church. Mrs. Bob was prepared
with her speech for the dennuement.
Every word of it was choice, dramatic and
burning. 1t would wither any man. Rob
ert Pllsbury would know the stun she was
made Of
She moved cautiously within the shadow
OF the house of God, continually gong
over her speech. She could see into the
room through The side window.
M'hnle WAS there. The impndeni,
shaiheless mink, dressed up in stylish.
Dfand-new 0iue cashmere, with hat and
trimmings 10 match, stood with her back
10 the window. Mrs. Bob caught herself
moment to regain her breath.
The next moment the form of Mr.
Pllsbury appeared in the paIlor. Poor
little wife. There are sudden crises in life
when INDIGESTION paralyzes us for an in