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

e'"'ou az, ndVlnB (tnOugn
say IL that should mott a more than fair
allowance of good looks, but there was
no admiration in this mans black eyes.
Ahey expressed a mixture OF anazement
ana lncredulity. For two or three seo-
onds we continued TO survey one another
III frozen silence. and then 1 turned nv
mead pointedly away and gazed out OF
the window.
we were now travelling at high rate
OF speed. The fields. trees. hedges.
seemed 10 be racing past. The pace was
ABOUT 40 miles an hour Suddenly was
aware OF slight movement in the car
rage and received a distinct shock
when turned my head and discovered
that the man had changed his seat and
was now sitting exactly opposite ma.
He had every right TO leave his place
but he had no right 10 sit there devour-
ing me with his great black eyes did
not like 1T. l fiatter myself that am
renowned for my look. " have found
y most effective on several occasions.
30 drew myself up and gave him its
full effect
lie was apparently about 38 years of
age clean shaven and sallow, and gave
me the impress sion Of one who had suf
tered 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 ami wore a red necktie. n gold
lOckct and brown boote.
bad 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 10 the crown
of his cap when suddenly be bent for
ward ana spoke 10 me-to me. he. an
utter stranger. who had never been in
troduced 10 mel And this is what he
said IN a strange. husky voice:
Mary Ills il happened my name il
Sarah Hannah-"bow could YOU"
Sir" l screamed az him.
How could YOU find il in your heart
e. do II: Now. what i the use uf pre-
tending when you know as we'll as I
dc that ] am your husband?''
A. / sat gGsping and for the moment
unable to articulate he proceeded TO up
braid mo most bitterly.
How could yon bring yourself to de
Sert me and your three poor unfortunate
little children and run away with that
scuundrel:"
At last 1 found my breath and an
Swercd
You are making "A most extraor-
binary mistake sir. never saw YOU
before i'll all my life. -
Never saw mev' he repeated in "A
loud, angry voice. "You and / that
were man and wife for five yearsl''
Never go answered. You must be
out of your senses. You are mad" "
No, but perfectly sane. though what
have suffered was enough to turn my
brain. Look at my gray hairs" " remov.
ing his cap, "all owing to you, Mary"
Il never saw you before-never
"Oh. what Is the use of this sort of
thing?" ne asked impatiently. "You
know You were always "A born nuiress.
ou recollect your successes before we
were married. 1t was always easier for
You To be another person than yourself. "
I've never been inside a theater and
never acted since / was horn"
If IL was not too serious "A moment.
/ would say that in all your life YOU
had never acted as You are acting now !;
You have surpassed yourself And you
know how proud l was Of You and the
nit you made in The Pink Petticoat.
And, as to your dancing, jackson declar-
ed that in that graSshopper pas You
could not be equaled at the Empire
itself" "
Grasshopper pas-Empire! If our
dear rector could but hear my name
coupled with such abominationsl
rose, snatched up my bag and para
sol and hurriedly seated myself at the
far end of the carriage, merely present
ing my back to his gaze. But. utterly
undaunted he Immediately placed him
self beside me and actually endeavored
TO insinuate his arm around my waist.
l screamed and beat him OFF with my
parasol, and then he seized my hand
and held 1t III viselike grasp and said /:
Mary, darling, why do you go on
like tbis-as If you did not know me?
Don't you remember the balls at Covent
Garden and the jolly suppers and our
dear little house in Avenue road and
how proud l was to be pointed ont a
the husband of Polly Cantrippe? Think
OF our three fair haired children! oh,
how could You have 1t in your heart go
desert poor little Esmeralda. only an
infant IN arms? She is now years old
and the image of you. It's a terrible
thing to have handsome wifer'
LET go my handv' cried out hys-
terically.
ITO have handsome wife, ne re-
peated. "who has been OH the boards
and has thousands of admirers-a terri
bic thing for man to have to be III the
city and forced to leave her alone all
day 1t was partly my own fault, and
I've never divorced your'
now made a desperate but futile at
tempt to tear away my hand. He still
held it tightly. talking all the time in
. loud, resolute voice.
"A pretty woman has SD many temp
tations. Here at last wrenohed my
self free and looked about for the cord
of communication.
''No need TO call the guard, Mary, /"
he said. Your own husband is suffi-
cient protection.
But you are not my husband" i
shouted, "and l will call the guard if I
can -