The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-01-16

| station"
The private row was quickly and
! quietly over. When the last word had
been spoken the self-invited guest
begged ten minutes to write letter,
and then she pronounced herself ready
for Stewards escort to the station.
Sorry you are obliged to go, Miss
Bagge," said Stewart politely.
Its an important engagement, said
Miss Bagge, trembling, cor 1 should
have stayed. Good-by, dear Mrs. Stew
art. 1 dare say we shall meet again
soon."
Now an odd thing happened. As
Stewart handed his charge into the boat
a letter fell from her pocket on the deck
of the Gadfiy. Mrs. Stewart, in her
usual good temper, now that her hus-
bands old admirer was departing,
called to her as soon as she noticed the
letter; but Miss Bagge paid no atten-
ton. 1t almost seemed that she did
not want to hear. When Mrs Stewart
picked it up and saw that it was ad-
dressed to Henry Stewart, ESQ.,, and
marked private and confidential" she
opened it without moments hesita-
ton.
MY Dearest Henry:-It is SO sweet to be
the seashore so do sigh for you. Can you
| imagine what you are and ever have been to
me2 You are indeed my king, and you know
| am your willing slave. Yours faithfully,
Constance Bagge."
Young Mrs, Stewart sank down on a
low deck chair and gasped and looked
across at the two.
"Well, she said, "now this is fearful" "
There would be good half hour be-
fore Henry returned, and in that good
half hour it was necessary to decide
what was to be done. What was quite
clear was that the creature must have
had some encouragement to induce her
to write such letter. and
why, she is taking his arm!" she
cried
Indeed, Miss Constance Bagge was
resting her hand on the arm of Mrs.
Stewards husband. Henry was carry
ing her banjo, and. looking back laugh
| ingly waved it at his wife.
"Does this mean" asked Mrs. Stewart
distractedly, "that they will never come
backP"
The letter seemed to explain his slight
difference in agreeing to the lady's dis
missal; it explained also why when
Miss Bagge had that morning made
her unexpected appearance on the bank
| hailing the boy with a shrill "Hi!"
Henry had only laughed very much.
Mrs. Stewart summoned the boy.
Yes, mem, there is trine up liter
| than this. 1t leaves Thames Ditton at
eleven tirteen, and you get to good old
| Waterloo at about ten to twelve. And
I wish to Gawd," added the boy pious-
ly, 'that was there nah. This plice is
| lump too quiet for me-"
That would give half an hour to speak
her mind to Henry Gf he did come
back) just half an hour to extract from
him confession. and then rush for the
| last train up. At Waterloo she could
take cab to Uncle Georges, and if
Uncle George couldn't see her through,
why, nobody could. Uncle George
was an agent-general. He was stern
man, and treated everybody as severely
as though they were his fellow-country-
| men.
The white -fanneled figure came back
| to the riverside.
He has managed to say good-by,
thenP" said Mrs. Stewart fiercely. Il
should like to have seen the parting"
Henry came on board and went
straight TO her, and with the assurance
of new husbands, kissed her neck.
She's an impossible creature" said
Stewart. He sat down beside his wife
and took an evening paper from his
pocket. 81 believe she took the extra
away with her. I've had to buy an
other"
There was something in little Mrs.
Stewards throat that prevented her for
the moment from starting her lecture.
"She wasn't so bad, you know" he
went on, "in the old days. Of course /
was mere youth then. But now she's
too terrible for words. I suppose if
girls don't get married they get warped
and changed"
4 want to speak to you, Henry" she
said, steadily.
ooh, bother that boy" he exclaimed.
"We must get rid of him, dear; he's a
| nuisance"
ct wasn't about the boy."
Not the boy? Well then Hullo!
Here's funny case"
She went on very quietly:
Il want to speak to you seriously,
Henry, about matter that has, by ac-
cident, come to my notice. l don't
want to seem to bother too much about
it, and I suppose if were as free as
some women are / shouldn't mind it in
the least. But my mind is quite made
up"
He was not listening, but her head
was averted and she went on.
81 have left the keys in the bedroom,
and my account book is totalled up to
date, with the exception of the bill that
came in to-day There is no reason
why we should have any high words. u
Il beg your pardon. dear. haven't
heard word that you were saying"
He had found the news page in the
evening paper and was reading with
much interest a diverting breach OF
promise case.
Il was only saying"-she raised her
voice to pitch of distinctness-"that
Look here; here's an idiotic letter
the girl writes to the fellow"
Il don't want to hear it, thank you. y
"Yes you do; listen, this is how ii
goes: Just as the wind sighs for the
seashore, so do sigh for YOU Why,
the wind doesn't sigh for the seashore,
does it?"
go on, please" she said, quickly;
''read the rest of the letter. Is it really
in the paper, Henryp"
Look for yourself, dear. It's too
funny for words so do [ sigh fol
you. Can you imagine what you are
and ever have been to me? You are
indeed my king and you know that ]
am your willing slave"
why" cried Mrs. Stewart, that's
word for word the same"
"As what?"
1T doesn't matter, dear"
She took from her blouse the letter
that the disappointed Miss Bagge, with