The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-01
"A CAMERA COMEDY
ON A COUNTRY ROAD
Story in Which a Somewhat Jealous Wife Figures as
the Victim of an Unavoidable Accident

The ladies were introduced to one an
other in due course, and Mrs. Barking
Wilnot remarked with an air Of sup
pressed unpleasantness. Il believe you
know my husband?"
II think not" said the girl What
what is his name"
Mrs. Barking wilmot was equal to the
occasion. "CuriousIy enough. she said,
with an air of bland onensiveness. his
name is the same as nay own. I am
Mrs. Barking WiImot."
q trust you spent a pleasant after
noon O.. Saturday in my husbands
company. she observed
The girl coIored with indignation. and
again said that she was not acquainted
with Mrs Barking Wilmot's husband,
and. so Tar as she knew. had never seen
/ him IN her life.
I So she returned to the conversation
with a stout heart. and produced her
I purse. in which she had brought a
rough proof OF the fatal photograph
! The poor girl was aghast when she
saw an excellent print OF herself being
embraced by man she did not know,
and she made confused attempt to ex-
plain it.
But the two or three ladies present
/ we're all married. and public opinion
went against Miss Davidson
A solution came from the least ex-
pected quarter on the following day.
There was a knock at the front door,
and Barking Wilmot himself answered
It.
On opening the door he found stand
ing on the step the very charming origi-
nal Of the photograph that had given all
the trouble
Il want to come in. please. she said.
That is. if you viii promise TO lock up
your camera and not let it play any fur
Their tricks on US
without waiting for an invitation, she
led the way into the drawing room
Now. want you to ask Mrs Barking
Wilmot to come in here, as have some
thing important to say 10 her, remark
ed the young lady, seating herself com
fortably in the best chair in the room
Are you-are you acquainted with my
wife, he stammeTed; do you think it
wise to ask for an interview
I think I am prepared 20 face the con-
sequences. awful though they may be-
said the girl
He staggered out Of the room, quits
believing in his heart that before morn
} ing broke there would be bIoodshed.
When she heard the message his wife
rose from her bed with look Of truly
awful indignation on her face.
But the interview was a brief and ex-
tremely. successful one. Miss Davidson
remarked that her father had come down
| 10 see her, and that she believed that
l Mrs Barking Wilmot was already ae-
quainted with her father
= Mrs Barking Wilmot denied the sug-
gestion with an air of gloomy joy
/ Miss Davidson persisted sweetly that
her father was an old friend Of Mrs.
5 Barking IVilmot. and Mrs. Barking
? Wilmot limited that Miss Davidson was
= lot speaking the truth. The young lady.
, quite unruffied by this last thrust, pro-
duced from her purse photograph. just
as Mrs Barking Wilnot had produced
= one from her purse earlier in the day.
S Father brought this over with him
t. from nome size Salu anu ne bi-4AifAS
[ you will recognize it..
1t was a very faded photograph. taken.
oh. a great many years ago, and show
ed a Ianky young man sitting IN an
g armchair with his arm round the waist
Of a girl whose dress looked quantity old
a fashioned. The girl was sitting comfort
. ably on the arm of the chair, and. e 5ed
: though the photograph was, there was
u an unmistakabIe resemblance in the
I, young girls face to the middle-aged
: features OF Mrs. Barking Wilmot.
z "Is-your father Birkett Dayidson?'
= she stammered. IF so, II remember
him quite WE'LL
You and he seem to have been great
, friends" said Miss Davidson, sIyiy.
l. But it must have been great many
h years ago Now, how many years would
y it be-"
But Mrs. Barking Wilmot was not dis
=, posed TO go into the delicate subject.
She was more concerned in the present
=, mystery, which was solved by Miss
. Davidson explaining how Barking VII
mot had innocently and CALAMITY come
% to her rescue, and how the camera did
,. the rest.
! Which shows how foolish it IS to
If handle a cheap camera carelessly-es-
pecially if you are married man.