The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-27
HER ELOPENIENT
tCopyrigh., 1895, by American Press Associa.
BY j. Ii. CONNOLLY.


ton.
MIR. Sharplcigh was distinctly annoyed
by tho note no found untlor his plate. 1t
was both unexpected and inopportuue.
Mr.. Dcnims, who had como homo with
him to dine, heard him ask Mary in tho
hall if hor ''mistrcss was out" and her re-
| ply, "Shc said you wasn't to wait dinner
for her, sorr. :" Incidentally he wondered
why thoso people never return direct
answer to any question asked and gcncr-
| ally convoy q wrong idca, oven when they
| have no intent to deceive" Donims must
have understood, rs no had. that Mrs.
Sharplcigh had gono out, might DO de-
tanned beyond tho ordinary dinner hour
and would return homo later. Yet all tho
timc this 10y under his plate
MIR. SHARpLEIGu-Farcwcll. 1 make no re.
proachc5. l leave you to your conscience I
simply go. 1t will bc useless to seek me- II
you should find me, you could not bring me
BACK TO this house Perhaps after the step
am taking you would not wish to. No matter
Farewell. Your wife until now, ETHEL.
Ho wished he know if Mary was aware
of That note and guessed its contents She
had guilty conscious look, no fancicd,
though possibly 1t was only n consciously
guilty expression srefcrablc to raiding his
sidcboard for tho policcman's dclcctation
If Ethel had only waited few DAYS it
would not have been so bad, but hero was
Jack Dcnims, who would think it strange
If he did not SEQ her, particularly as his
wifo-her old friend Annic-would arrive
In town tomorrow and had already been
tclcgraphcd to by hcr husband that she
should come to Sharpleigh's' to meet
him. What would sho say when told that
Mrs. S. had clopcd? Some explanation
would have to be made to Jack, that he
might break it to her gently ana mako
the situation little loss awkward Tho
letter would explain sufficiently, so Mr..
Sharplcigh simply handed it across the
table to his friend.
Jack read it in silence. His eyebrows
lifted, and his eyes seemed to bulge out n
little, but he returned it without IL word
and went on with his soup. Mr.. Sharp
leigh added n little tabasco and n dash of
shorty to his soup, got it just to his taste
and began his dinner. When the girl who
waited at tho table had Como out for the
fish, Mr.. Dcnims suggcstcd
Perhaps sho has just gone to her moth
er's"
Scarcely so desperate as that, should
fancy" replied Mr.. Sharplcigh dryly
Mrs. Grymm would DO an awful alter
native, in any CASE
Then havo you any suspicion"-
"Who he is? Why, 1 might as we'll say
you as anybody else. It's an old saying,
you know, that tho guilty man is the ono
least likely to be suspected, so by that
rule, ms you only arrived by today's steam
er from Europe, met mo ut tho pier and
have been with mo ever since, it should DO
you"
Add tho damnng circumstance that I
haven't seen Mrs. Sharplcigh for two
years. -
Exactly. I can think of nobody moro
open to suspicion, except perhaps total
stranger"
You've got good nerve, Dick, to takc n
thing like this rs coolly as you do"
Try that clarct L think you'll like it,"
- suppose Two got to tell Annie
There's no way now of heading her off
from coming hero. She's on the road and
ought to get in before O'clock
Head her off! No; of course not. Why
should you? Sooner or later she would
have to know it. Everybody will. a man
who marrics takes his chances of affording
that much amusement to the public. That
he does so involunturily and unwillingly
only makes him the more enjoyable as a
spectacle And the harder he takes it tho
more amusing he is. Even men who arc
themselves married chucklc at seeing him
writhc. Oh. know what / have to OK
pcct. In few hours the rumor will be
all over the town. Then the reporters will
nave the audacity to come for details. Tho
newspapers will try to be funny; tie COS
sips will circulate lies to the husbands
prejudice; the shystcr divorce lawyers
Will offer themselves"
Dick, You are getting excited. That
bottle you've got hold OF is the brandy.
not tho claret."
We'll brandy is what want. But I'm
not excited. I'm not made of wood. that's
all"
AS dinner drew to n close Mr. Sharp
leigh sent to his room for cigars and upon
receiving them proceeded to light one
Hadn we better go up to your room
to smokc?" suggested Jack hcsitatingly
NO not now. I'm u bachelor again
and don't care II cuss for the curtains.
Light up, and after u smoke we'll go to
the club"
Tie hour was lato when the two gcntlc-
men returned from the club but Mr..
Sharplolgh did not feel inclined to sock
his lonely room without Il preliminary
"hraccr. Turning on the electric light
In tho dining room, he led tho way to tho
sideboard, but suddenly paused, stared
steadily at vacancy only, SO
Lar rs Jack could Sec-and then, with a
chucklo, went on with his purpose His
friend noted the pause and shook his head
WHEN he heard the chucklc, but he made
no remark. Poor fellow" he reflected;
IN fancy he saw her He is hard hit,
| but carries it off bravcly." They touched
glasses and retired to their respective
rooms.
Before o'clock, as predicted, Mrs.
DENNIS was in her husbands arms, ef-
1uSivcly welcoming him back from abroad,
| ana so dcmonstrativc Of her wifcly affcc-
ZION That Jack felt sympathctically sorry
lor MS friend Dick, who stood looking on