The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28

duu AlIhC JIG hhS" N.Y. "eS SAAA
ply maddening. Yet it was the right
thought to rouse her.
She had little or no imagination.
Her mind was pre-eminently active
and practical, and consequently, in
stead Of following her husband in
fancy, as nine out of ten women
would have done under the circum-
stances, she began at once to con-
slider how she could follow him in
fact.
1t seemed easy enough at the first
glance. She had only to take the next
train, and behold her!
But then came the question, When
she arrived, where. in Southampton
would she find him, if he stayed there.
which was not at all likely? What
was it they told her at the hotel?
Oh, that he had said he was going
out as English consul to San Fran
cisco.
Poor fellow! That, then, vas his
delusion, and was it not also her
clew? A man bound for San Fran
cisco via Southampton-they had
mentioned the P. & O., too-would
surely be easily found.
And then there was the lame he
was travelling under, Lawrence
Soames-it occurred to her the mo-
ment she wanted it. S., his own
initials. They were on the purse he
had in his pocket that fatal morning.
and PROBABLY, like that poor clergy
man, he had forgotten what they
stood for, or was under the impress
sion that the two first names that &C.
Cured to him beginning with those
two letters were really his.
That new Gladstone bag, too, he
must have bought in London; and
what a lucky chance! for without it,
| she must have lost all trace of him
here. No, though, now she thought
of it, for she knew he was going to
Southampton, and wherefore. And
accordingly to Southampton she must
go with all possible dispatch.
She therefore left the quiet little
parlor behind the bar, and returned
to the station, half expecting to find
herself in pandemonium again; but it
was quiet enough there now The
principal trains of the day had gone.
There was a lull in the traffic, scarce
ly a passenger hung about the sta
ton.
The officials sat on trucks or stood
in groups chatting with coarse laugh
ter, or else they loitered about, as If
lettering were their business, like the
police. Gertrude applied to the first
she met, and found that the next
train for Southampton-a fast one
left in one hours time exactly.
She had leisure to loiter, too, and
she strolled on down the station, find
ing the next few seconds interminably
long, and wondering how she could
endure to wait. But happily she had
others to think of as we'll as herself.
There was her sister-in-law also in
suspense, and doubtless wondering
~uneasily what was keeping her s.
long. There would not be time to go
and return, so she must send her a
note.
She procured pen, ink and paper
from the mar at the bookstall, and
was allowed as a favor to write at his
desk. He also advised her to send a
cabman with it who would be paid
on delivery, and she went to find one.
AS she approached the stand she. saw
a crowd of porters principally round
one of the cabs, the driver of which
was standing up on his box talking at
the top of his voice.
Whats up now" one greaser
called to another just behind her.
Its old Moon" the other an
swered. He ses he's bin deceived
by a lady. All! them wommin!"
HIS a tender-'arted one, is Moon"
the first man laughed.
He's a full Moon now, or I'm
much mistaken" the other rejoined.
And indeed it was only too true.
Poor Moon had been indulging in gin
to beguile the weary time Of waiting,
and also to keep up his strength, for
he had not had an hours rest in the
last twenty-four, nor a single meal;
but the t~reacherous spirit, instead
Of comforting him, had only sufficed
to distort his view Of things in gen.
eral, and of what, in his right mind,
he had considered a great piece of
luck, in particular-this engagement
by the day to parties to whom money
was no object"
The evil spirit showed him to him
self as an ill-used man, and prompted
him to proclaim his woes, moreover,
with a loud voice from the box OF his
own cab. Poor Gertrude arrived in
time for the peroration.
She had forgotten the mans exist
ence and could hardly believe her
cars when she heard him now, and
found her W adventures of the pre-
vious night, much misrepresented, the
subject of his discourse, he himself
appearing in them to the best advan-
tage, his own conductbeing described,
in fact, as little less than heroic.
The crowd vas delighted. Cheers,
Hear, hears." and loud applause
greeted him at every pause; and un-
der the influence of this genial SYM
patty and the eXhilarating effects of
the gin the good mar Moon, ordinar-
lily SO taciturn, so unimaginative,
waxed eloquent and glowed with a
poets fancy.
"What do you suppose uu a be-
| non,n IF ,nr y he Manted to know