Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-01-04
MY ONE ADVENTURE.

No doubt there are some people who
actually enjoy strange experiences or
anything that is startling or different
from the jog trot monotony Of their ev-
eryday routine. may say at once that
am not one OF these. My nearest an
proach TO an incident was having nv
life endangered by q drunken cabman in
the BayswaJer road, but on that occa.
sion my shrieks and geSticulations Mt
tracted attention, and he drew up at
last. whereupon instantly got ont and
walked away. Regarding what / call
my only adventure this proceeding
was unfortunately impracticable. Ii
proved, as will be seen. a disastrous af-
fair for me. and am now writing q
short and truthful statement in order To
clear myself from the scandalous i'm
putations to which it has given rise.
My husband, Mr.. Thomas MoCgins.
Is r member of well known firm in
Mincing lane. We have no family and
have lived for years at pleasant wa
tering place upon the south coast.
Thomas has not been an active member
Of Podd Plants for a considerable time.
hat he generally goes up 20 business
once or twice n week His heart is in
pods and plants Of a different desorip-
tiOn. He is devoted to his garden. where
he works away rs hard as any laborer
for hours, although we keep Scotch
man who has the gate lodge and G6O a
year, not 60 speak Of coal and vegetables
Our house is fine detached residence.
standing in close upon two acres OF
ground, and is called the Manor, and |
may say without boasting that no one
i'll our circle gives better dinner or is
more generally respected and looked up
to than we are. My husband is one of
the churchwardens at st. Peters. |
am chairwOman of the Society For
Providing Old Women With Clothes
and secretary to the Young Women's
Sunday Out association.
Now l am really coming TO my ad-
venture. which occurred last summer
! had been up in London for days
shopping and was returning by we'll
known fast train, but discovered when
l got To the station that il was ON the
point Of starting As / hurried along
the platform ] caught sight of some
people from my own neigbborhood. Mrs
Uppingham and her sister. ] noticed
that they looked remarkably smart-be-
lowered hats. white wells, white gloves;
probably they were coming from San
down racesl l did not get into their
carriage. for Mrs Uppingham is no.
body who has recently come 10 my
rOad-a dreadfully pushing person, fe-
verishly anxious to he visited by "the
residents" But am rather fastidious
/ did not like her looks, and have not
called.
am little stout. and l hate 60 DO
fused. l hate being hustled along by
the guard. saying Now. ma am. look
sharp, please-look sharp" On the
present occasion, before i knew where l
was, found myself pushed headfore-
most into f:st class carriage, and in
staDtly the train began 10 move.
IT took me considerable time TO re-
cover my breath and my composure.
put aside my bag and parasol, pull
down my veil and rearrange all my lit
tie parcels. i was aware that had a
fellow passenger, man who sat at the
far corner, but all that | could discern
were pair Of gray trousers and a pair
Of tan gloves holding the evening paper.
did not give him . second thought
was moss devoutly thankful that had
not scrambled into the next carriage by
mistake. It might have led to al ao-
Quaintanoe with that odious Mrs. Up
bingham and her sister. They bad q
young man with them too. Mrs. Up
bingham gives out that she is the wife
OF an officer who is quartered in Hong
kong (but say Jericho); she has taken
little house and done 1T up prettily
(they tell me) with art drnperies. In
dian rugs, curios and cheap furniture;
she keeps two servants, and, i did hear,
buys New Zealand mutton and Ameri-
can beef. Mrs. Herring, our rector's
wife, asked me to meet her at tea and
introduced her To me, but did not take
10 her nor bow when / mot her next
lay in the library. To me she looks sus-
piciously like an adventures. III she is
30 poor. why is she always so very
'martiy dressed? For my part, don't
believe that she Gas she declares) makes
all her own gowns. know she has al
ways n pack of men to tea on Sundays,
and some people think the sister pretty!
AT this moment happened to glance
toward my companion. found him
staring at me over the edge of his paper