El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-16
A SECRET KEPT

Poor old Charlie Seton left the regi-
ment when we were stationed at Delhi
and went down to Bombay en- route for
home. He was our senior caption and
the best soldier in the regiment. He was
also our best bachelor, for did not count
for much, being only a doctor and small
and plain and getting on for 40.
Whatever you do don't get married..
we all adiurcd we bade him farewell
Then came the rumor. week later. that
he was still at Bombay, then the tele-
gram to me to go down and serve him rs
best man.
went down by the mail train and
found awaiting me on the platform
Charlie Seton. who looked 50 very quiet
and So a>tonishingly HAIRY that / felt
sort Of Juggling sensation III the throat.
Extreme happiness il always alarming.
Miss George. to- whom i was duly pre-
scented. was not in the first flush Of her
youth. She was girl Of perhaps % and
good looking.
She was travelling in India with friends
who. il struck me. were not on very in
innate footing. They were all staying a
a hotel from which the wedding was TO
be un"btrusiveIy celebrated. The couple
had only been engaged week. 1t is the
only case Of love at first sight-sincere.
permanent. convincing-whichI have ell
countcrcd.
My simple duties were duly performed.
Charlie Seton and Eleanor George were
declared To- be- man and wife. i saw the
ceremony. / heard the declaration /
appended to the entry in the register my
name, which looks more ut home on n
death certificate. l was deadly sober,
folks are at weddings.
'.She * giving up n lot of money to
marry me-" said Seton after the cere-
mony, when he and l happened to be
alone for n few minutes.
And you are giving up a career" / re-
hected, mindful of many young men mar
ried.
But there are some marriages which
strike one ut once as inevitable. The only
question * why the people concerned
have not met sooner. This union was Of
such n description
The bride and bridegroom went away
from the church with that distressingly
happy look which makes one feel I'M
comfortable. They were to sail for home
the next day.
journcycd slowly back to Delhi by n
stopping night train, after seeing the last
of their boat from the outer pier IS l
stepped out of the carriage in the early
morning and noted the mist rising from
the Jumna two quartermasters OF the
Peninsular and Oriental steamer Ru-
mana tipped up n plank and precipitatcd
the dead body of Charlie Seton into the
siivery waters of the Arabian He
died one day out from Bombay-of chol-
The thing left a shadow over us
which lasted all that hot weather.
In due time forgot Charlie Seton.
The surest proof of the existence of a
merciful God is surely the facility with
which we permitted to forget
Years afterward the whole story was
suddenly recalled to me at garden party
in quiet country village near Beccles. in
Suffolk. ! was taken to this entertain
ment-chiefy remarkable for the number
OF clergy preSent-as the friend of one of
the guests. The house was a long, low
buildin. If. / was informed, the Queen
q Anne period The host was n genial old
chatterbox of an admiral who concerned
himself with his own affairs in his retire
ment and refrained from writing to the
newspapers. which pastime is n special
weakness of superannuated admirals- He
was immensely proud OF his home and |
seized on me, the only stranger present, |
TO observe its beauties. From the lawn L /
followed the direction indicated by his |
shaky finger. but instead OF noting the |
carving OF a gable committed the indis- |
erection of looking into an open window /
on the first floor.
Then the tragedy OF Charlie Seton |
cnfrc bacl; to my mind. for / saw the wo-
man who had married him pinning on her |
hat before a glass. She did not see me.
I was still with my host when we met |
Mrs. Seton face to face.
'Ah." said the old gentleman with gen |
uine delight. "here is my niece"'
Going forward. held out my hand
-How do you do. Mrs. SeftonT
she looked at me quickly. without a
Eiimmcr OF the eyelids.
You are mistaken" she said. II am |
Miss George
And. with perfect good breeding. she |
hooked toward her uncle, inviting an in |
Production. This the old gentleman &c
eomplished with all the ceremony OF his |
day. mentioning the lady's name as Miss |
George. 1t was not sister. i was not |
mistaken. This was the woman whom 1 |
knew to have been a wife for the space 4
Of 4S hours. There was the evidence Of
internal trouble beneath the eyes, /
which ! remembered and now saw de-
veloped as the intervening years would |
have developed il.
We spoke for a few minutes on indif
ferent topics
1.-THE doctor is a great traveller" the
old gentleman said. He knows India,
my dear
''Yes." added. Il know India
All" answered the most intrepid wo-
man / have met, .-indeed"'
Then my host hurried me off to exam
inc n carved mantclpiece of which have
no recollection ut this time. / do not
think ] even saw il.
allow funny" said the admiral conf
dentiaIly when were alone. that you
should have mistaken Eleanor for some
one else. especially a married woman!
You know there Is a little romance about
her"
"Indeedg"
-Yes: my brother left her 10000 on
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