The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-25

! 1t sent cold shivers all through the poor
! woman, and indeed it must nave been a
| horrible feeling but she didn't stir finger.
! Then there was quiet SO long that she
! made bold to peep again, and 10 and be-
| hold he was clean gone. Then she tainted
! right away, and didn't come to until her
| husband found her. and after she had
told them all about IL she had another
| faint. So, Mr.. Portingdale sent round for
| our mistress to go there at once. And
| that's all | know about it. sir
| 1t was quite sufficient. l dismissed Mary.
/ and sat down in a state of mind which it
| is impossible to describe. a married wom-
an, l pondered it hastily. had been d
I iun1lic. indeed, Perhaps at that very mo-
/ uiont the poor woman was giving a full
end accurate description of my person to an
I inspector OF police and TO my appalled,
{ aunt Esther
I | sprang from the chair and rushed to
my room. have packed quickly on va.
: ricLs occasions, but never so quickly rs |
! ga this time. An omnibus passed the
/ door once in every half hour. and / watch
Cd from my window 70, its appearance at
! the head of the road When it came in
! sight l ran downstairs with my bag in my
hand.
Mary was the only one to see me go. l
left her with confused impression that
an urgent telegram had come for me. and
/ that strike had taken place in my de-
! partment at the General Postothce. Before
] she could utter a question l had passed
I the outer gates and hailed the omnibus.
! Twenty minutes later / was at the railway
/ station.
! As have already said, there are people
| at Blessing on-the-Sea who have peculiar
| ideas as to what is the best thing to do
1 in thunderstorm. 1t is to their quaint
ness in this respect that l owe the vivid
I and painful experience related above.
! / had not the courage TO write to my
I aunt. but in a few days received a note
I from her The affair had not developed TO
! any great extent, after all AS no patient
, rad escaped from the local asylum. and as
! Mrs Portingdale had only very vague
! ideas as to the strangers appearance.
people soon began to believe that she had
| fallen asleep In TIE summer house. and
! that her constant dread of lunatcs had
| produced Il kind of nightmare. In n few
| days she was persuaded to adopt the same
! impression herself Curiously eLough.
/ Aunt Esther was able to set her last doubt
/ at rest by second-ha,ld evidence. Her dear
/ nephew Harold. frlm London who had
| been called back to town almost imme
! diately, had been walking in the garden
/ that morning, ana hau cnanced 10 look
| over the boundary wall. There he had
| seen Mrs. Portingdale fast asleep, and
! probably at that very moment in the
| throes Of her awful dream.
! My aunt closed her letter with the hope
| that the strike-which she would read Up
| in the daily paper as soon as she could
| find the place-would soon be over SO that
| might run down again TO complete my
| holiday.
| l have no intention of going. Though 1
may object to being called a nightmare.
| cannot help seeing that Mrs. Porting
dale's last impression OF her adventure is
a very satisfactory one. She may revise it
when she comes to examine her album;
but. In the meantime. I have no wish to
disturb IL by introducing her to the luna
| tic in overwhelmingly Journal.
S1.25 To Baltimore and Return via
ID. Il o.
Saturday and Sunday, February "a and IS.