The record-union., 1898-12-08

carriage by mistake; 1t might have led
to an acquaintance with that odious
MRS. Uppingham and her sister-they
had young man with them, too. Mrs.
Uppingham gives out that she is the
Wife OF an officer who is quartered In
Hongkong (but I say, Jericho): she
has taken a little house and done 1T
up prettily (they tell me) with art
draperies, Indian rugs, curios and
cheap furniture; she keeps two SER
wants, and. / did hear, buys New Zea-
land mutton and American beef. Mrs.
Herring. our rector's wife, asked me
TO meet her at tea and introduced her
to me; but I did not take to her, nor
bow when / met her next day in the
library-to me she looks suspiciously
like an adventures If she is so poor,
why is she always SO very smartly
dressed? For my part, I don't believe
that she Gas she declares) makes all
her own gowns. I know she has al
ways a pack of men to tea on Sun
days, and some people think the sister
pretty.
AT this moment happened to glance
toward my companion. I found him
staring at me over the edge of his
paper as If I had seven heads. / am
accustomed to being stared at, hav-
ing Though ! say it as should mott a
more than fair allowance of good looks;
but there was no admiration in this
mans black eyes. They expressed a
mixture of amazement and incredulity.
For two or three seconds we continued
to survey one another in frozen sill
ence and then / turned my head
pointedly away and gazed out of the
window.
We were now travelling at a high rate
Of speed. The fields. trees. hedges
seemed to be racing past. The pace was
about forty-five miles an hour. Sud-
denly I was aware of a slight move
ment in the carriage, and received a
distinct shock when I turned my head
and discovered that the man had
changed his seat and was now sitting
exactly opposite to me. He had every
right to leave his place, but he had no
right to sit there devouring me with
his great black eyes. I did not like it..
fiatter myself that / am renowned for
my look" I have found it most eff
fective on several occasions. SO I drew
myself up and gave him its full effect.
He was apparently about 3S years Of
age, clean-shaven and sallow, and gave
me the impression of one who had suf-
fered in health or mind; his face was
haggard, his hair was touched with
gray; otherwise he was rather good
looking. He was dressed in a dark
tweed suit and wore a red neektie, a
gold locket and brown boots.
I had slowly surveyed him from the
crown of his cap to the soles of his
boots with deliberate inspection, and
was about to survey him as carefully
from the soles of his boots to the crown
of his cap, when suddenly he bent for
ward and spoke to me. To me, he, an
utter stranger, who had never been in
troduced to mel And this is what he
said, in a strange, husky voice
''MaTy."-as it happens my name is
Sarah Hannan-'how could you?"
"Sir?'' I screamed at him.
How could you find it in your heart
to do it? Now, what is the use of
pretending, when you know as well as
1 do that I am your husband?'
As I sat gasping, and for the moment
unable to articulate. he proceeded to up
braid me most bitterly.
How could you bring yourself to de-
sert me and your three poor unfortun-
ate little children and run away with
that scoundrel?''
At last I found my breath and an
swered:
"You are making a most extraordi-
nary mistake, sir. I never saw you be-
fore in all my life