The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-09-19
ON THE VERGE.
BY DAVID LYALL.


Mr.. lanes Wedderburn came out
from his room with a queer, dry
smile on his face. He held an open
letter in his hand, with which he
beckoned me from my desk. When
l followed him into his room he pass
ed it to me, and bade me read it.
1--WE seem to have a good deal
to do just now with affairs matrimo-
dial, he observed. "What do you
think of that?"
He had but newly retured from
Pittendrie, where he had been at
tending the marriage of Miss Anne
Jefreys with Captain Balfour Buchan-
an. He b come back in very
genial mood, though l fancied it at
times not untouched by sadness. Per-
haps pensive regret were better term,
and 1 wondered whether he was
thinking with tenderness of his lost
youth with its many "might have
beens." l did not hear the story of
that youth, with its crown of self
sacrifice, until years after it was my
privilege to know him. 1t made me
love and honor him the more, if that
were possible, but of that old story
another day.
''It is the letter of miserable, al
most desperate woman," l answer
ed. 'What are you going to do?"
"She must not be allowed TO leave
him yet, at any rate" he said, decis-
lively. Besides, she will be more
miserable away from him. I have
seen it again and again."
''But she is very determined. She
says nothing will induce her to live
with him again these are her very
words"
"Oh, yes, and I've heard them
often before. She was desperate and
determined, I grant you, when she
wrote it, but it won't last. l want
you to go out now and explain to her
the legal position"
(Which is ?''
"That she cannot get a separation
on the grounds mentioned in the let
ter, and that if she persists in leaving
her husbands S house, he is not bound
to support her, and, moreover, he can
take the child"
turned to the letter again and
read it through.
"They have had bitter quarrel,
evidently" 1 said. "Do you know
anything about them? ?"
II know him pretty we'll. / don't
think the fault is his. Certainly he
is incapable of such conduct as she at
tributes to him. He is a fine fellow,
but he has the national characteristics
very strongly marked in his character
and disposition. He is reserved to a
degree and couldn't make a fuss to
save his life. She is English"
Mr.. Wedderburn' utterance of the
last sentence seemed to me to explain
everything but it made me curious to
hear something more.
"You think it is risk, then, for a
Scotchman to marry an English wo-
man ?"
"Oh, we'll, perhaps risk is too
strong word but there can be no
doubt the national characteristics are
directly opposed. Now this wife of
| James Abercrombie's is a highly
strung, sensitive creature, who lives
on words and signs. Realities mean
nothing to her. Everything must be
embroidered. Abercrombie can't do
it-there it is. Then his relations
have made it rather hot for her. I'm
sorry for her, too; but she wants a
good, sharp lesson"
f'Is she young?"
eyes not yet thirty, and hand
some. The fact is, she came from a
big family, where she was idolized.
She lived in garrison town, too,
where admiration never lacked. 1t
was an awful change for her to come
to Edinburg, with its stiff, west-endy
ways. She has mortally hated it since
ever she came, and has made no secret
of her discontentment, which has
been very CALLING to the Abercrom-
bies, as they only tolerated the mar
riage, doing everything they could to
prevent ii"
Wont she resent my going
DOWN." Iasked bluntly. ''She would
rather see you, / am sure"
"Not she. That sort of woman
will always talk more readily to a
young man than an old one. But il
there is any feeling shown about it,
tell her to come up and see me to-
morrow at ten. l shall be engaged
the whole day on Dalziel's case, and
she wants an immediate answer"
Thus fortified, 1 took my way tc
the residence of the Abercrombies
which was situated in a handsome
terrace on the other side of the Dear
Bridge. I had performed many {
strange errand for Mr.. Wedderburn
and some wherein 1 felt awkward anc
at loss, but 1 had seldom felt more
uncomfortable than that smell Novem
Der day when I knocked at James
Abercrombie's door. was shown a
once into the great drawing-roon
: which ran the whole breadth of th'
house. From the windows at th'
back there was glorious prospect
which even on that wild Novembe
day did not lack in charm. The Sc;
tossed tumultuously under the lash o
the NOR easter" and the waves al
rode on the white horse, beloved anC
feared. of my childhood. The lov
coast-line of Fife seemed sharply Gu
into the long yellow rim of a darkl.
lowering sky. The sea-birds were al
on the wing, sometimes circling loV
upon the angry sea, their white wing
sweeping the dark water with fear
n