Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-10-20
EQUAL PARTNERS |
BY HOWARD FIELDING {
Copyright, 1901, by Charles w. Hooke. !

By HOWARD FIELDING


THE gentleman in question had no
soul" said Elsie. Il think he will be
spared all punishment hereafter, as
the brutes are. Let us proceed, Bren-
da, dear. The remainder OF the story
is not long. We took the IL o'clock
train and reached Philadelphia in
time for luncheon. Our marriage was
to be kept secret for awhile. and there
seemed to be some slight objection to
the public dining room of the hotel
where our hanson set us down. How
ever, we lunched there quite hastily,
! for had no appetite. Then we re-en-
tered the hanson and went TO look
for minister. We had remarkable
difficulty in finding one, considering
that Philadelphia is a large city full
Of churches, but we finally succeeded.
Then II appeared that we had neglect
to comply with certain formalities,
hut the clergyman was able to reCtify
/ the matter. and so we were married
old servants and a chance labOrer
who happened to be at work in the
house as our witnesses.
when We got back to the hotel. II
| was q o'clock. and was nearly fam
ished. We hurried right into the
dining room. and my husband ordered
a great spread with champagne. for
our miserable celebration, and now
will tell you the unromantic part. In
the midst Of that dinner, and while |
'ianCied that | was eating with splen-
did APPETITE, was suddenly seized
with the most awful pain that ever
devastated my poor little stomach.
, Yes. Brenda, II was a regular, terrible
stomach aChe-just pain, without a bit
of nausea. felt as II some one had
| my stomach in his hand-a hand about
the size Of Captain Neale's-and was
crushing 1t to pieces.
My husband said he guessed ii
would soon pass away, but il didn't,
and so he left his dinner and ran out
to a drug store to get me something to
take. When he came back, ! took II.
and didn't feel any worse, because
that wasn't possible, but certainly
felt no better. In few minutes ! be-
gan to realize that | was going out Of
my wits. | talked insanely and saw
things that weren't there. The next
thing ! knew We were riding up in an
elevator, and it seemed TO go up for
a week. Then there was a woman
leading me along hall and into "A
room, and she began to take off my
clothes in the bedroom of little suite.
stared at her and asked her who She
was.
Tin the assistant housekeeper,' she
said. i belong to the hotel
AS If she had been a piece OF furni-
ture Then asked where my hus-
band was, and she said he had gone
out for doctor. So she made me lie
down. Probably | seemed 10 be there
on that bed. but in reality-my own
reality was playing in that old barn
stOrming company and studying,
studying, studying on long parts that
were always changing, but sometimes
! | was little girl again in a town way
out in Michigan. running through the
| streets, with my long legs flying and
| my heels touching the back of my
head, as my mother used to say
stole the neighbOrs' flowers in the
scented June evenings and staid out
under the little whispering stars till
! my mother came. weeping with anx-
icty, to bring me home. And, strange
!! enough, right in the midst OF It all
there stood the doctor. a tall, gaunt
! young man, asking me how ! felt.
, But whore was my husband?
! He has not got back said the wo-
man. I was afraid to wait any lon
ger, so | got this gentleman. who is a
New York doctor stopping in the
| hotel
Then felt something sharp prick
ing my arm and afterward the pain
was easier, and my mind suddenly be-
came as clear as II is now. | heard
the doctor say that | would be all
right when | had had some sleep, and
then my husband appeared. looking in
between the curtains that hung by the
bedroom door II seems that he had
not brought doctor, but had LETT
word for one to come.
My husband remained there, be-
tween the curtains, perfectly rigid,
staring, pale as a ghost. He was look
ing at the doctor beside my bed, and
glancing up ! saw that the doctor was
staring al him.
"'You'' said the doctor and h took