The Sauk Centre herald., 1904-02-04

1 uOA W oPpCai III LILO 4uoi tCA.
Out of breath with his unusual ex-
penditure of energy. Pelgrove dropped
J his run to walk and glanced furtively
back. Thank goodness, that hat with
the flaming, artificial flower-garden in
it, visible for fully 100 yards with the
naked eye, was not in sight! Mary
had not seen him, then. He walked
on hurriedly to the small hotel where
he was stopping.
Arrived there, Pelgrove sought the
smoking-room and put to the test the
nerve-soothing properties of good
/ cigar What an escape! He hated a
scene in public, and that his wife evil
IDENTIFY sought. Here at least he would
be safe, for no one knew where he was
stopping. AS long as he kept we'll hid
! his privacy would not be invaded, un-
less, indeed (perish the thought!), his
wife sought in turn every hotel in
| Hastings.
That evening Pelerove made himself
fairly content with illustrated papers.
Next morning the sun rose in cloud
less sky and everything pointed to a
day of perfect weather. He longed to
; venture forth-but, no. If he stepped
! outside malevolent chance would GER
; tainly send him straight into the arms
| of his wife. He could not even sit at
the window and be famed by the
breeze, lest she should pass below and
catch a glimpse of him. The scene be-
tween them must come, but better-far
better-that it should be reserved for
tomorrow evening, when their next
door neighbors at Hornsey (the Pei
groves occupied a semi-detached resi-
dence) should alone be edited.
Towards nightfall Matthew became
exceedingly restless. AS an additional
cause of grievance not speck of cloud
had showed itself in the sky, and
everybody abroad looked more than
usually happy. Over a whisky and
soda-the despairing effort of an alb
stemious man to revive his spirits
Matthew groaned. His impromptu'
holiday was not doing him the least bit
of good. Better pickering at Hornsey
than Imprisonment in Hastings, with
that dreadful shadow of the morrow
hanging over his head!
81 don't care; I'm going out" he said
to himself, when the sun had set and
chances of recognition were slighter.
Pulling his hat well over his head
and turning up his coat-collar, Matthew
ventured outside. But despite the Sc
renity of the night he did not enjoy
the walk. One thought intruded-
would he meet his wife? He peered
into the dark corners of shelters be-
fore he passed them; dozen times
in the dim light other womens hats
assumed the appearance Of hers.
When people streamed out of church
and the crosd on the esplanade grew
thicker Mat bew decided to return to
the hotel. This weekend at the sea-
side was an entire fiasco.
AS he passed through the hall the
young woman in charge of the Office
spoke to him.
Some people called for you when
you were out, sir"
"Oh!" replied Matthew, with ill-as-
sumed unconcern. 'Who were they?"
"a lady and gentleman. Said they
had seen your name in the visitors
list. They left no cards."
Gould you-er-describe them?'
Il only spoke to the lady, sir. The
gentleman kept behind. He looked
rather seedy beside her."
"You can't remember at all how she
was dressed?"
at was too dark to see much, and
we hadn't lit up. She had on a Won
derful hat, though" Pelgrove started.
Il couldn't help noticing that; it was
so startling. What my young man
would call a kind of conservatory with
the glass left out. l thought it would
hardly go through the door unless she
stepped back sideways, but some wom[
en- know how to carry that style of
thing" and the young lady shifted by
way of slight contempt, and returned
to her ledger.
Pelgrove had not moved. The blow
had fallen; his wife was hot on the
scent. But who could her companion
be? Seedily dressed, eh? Probably
some private inquiry agent whose serv-
ices she had enlisted.
did they say-er-they would re-
turn tonight" Matthew stammered.
mo, sir. Said nothing about that.
Where shall find you if they do?"
I'm going to bed. I have-er-a
lad headache. Have my bill ready
early in the morning, please?"
Twenty minutes later Matthew was
snugly between the sheets. Yet, even
there. was man safe from his wife?
He listened nervously to every noise
on the stairs, fancying her step in the
tread of every chambermaid, and it
was fully a couple of hours before he
sank into Inconsistencies.
How Matthew Pelgrove transacted
his business next day he does not per-
fectly remember. Even in the days of
his apprenticeship he never glanced so
many times at the clock. But with
how different motive! Then it was
with the longing that some invisible
agency would push on the slowly-mov-
ing hands and bring release from the
irkSOme bOndape Of the ofice-Stool.