El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-11
(By Paul De Brabant.)

1 II y Cnann6l steamer WIS nearing
| Ostend. The lights of the gay
little watering place could be
| seen glimmering in the distance like
a thousand stars. The captains in
| structions to half speed" tinkled out
| of the engine room.
| I'VE shall soon be there, honey
| said Alfred, tenderly, as he clasped
| the slim figue of the woman a little
tighter
Yes" she replied, with all the sim
| plicity of a young bride, very soon"
Alfred and Matilda had only been
| man and wife since 2 o'clock that day.
1t was just before midnight now, and
| they were both looking forward to a
rapturous honeymoon in giddy Os-
tend.
Rapidly the boat slowed down, and
stopped alongside the old quay
You stop here a moment" said Al
fred, and look after the luggage. I'll
skip around and see if 1 can get a
cab
And so Matilda. surrounded by
trunks and hat boxes waited patiently
for her hubby to return.
Five minutes, 10 minutes. Is min
utes. Matilda grew pale. Her heart
went pit-a-pat Alfred was long time
looking for that cab! She walked up
But no Alfred.
Wherever can he be?" she said, half
aloud Surely he is not going to de-
sert me so sooni"
After half an hour she became
positively agitated- In despair, she
stopped a bibulous looking gendarme.
Pardon" she said. Have you
seen"
81 do not understand" interrupted
the officer. Poor Matilda nearly
wept
"Avez-vous WI mon homme% she
said. trying to remember the French
OF her schooldays.
The gendarme looked her up and
down. grunted, shifted and passed on,
without paying any more attention to
her.
What am to do?'' sobbed Matilda.
"I know; the only thing to be done is
to go to the hotel. Let me see, 1t was
fhe-the-Heavens! I've forgotten
what it was,"
She looked in her purse. One Eng
lish sovereign and a few shillings.
And at this moment The Stranger ap-
peared on the scene He was hand
some young man, obviously English.
"You seem in trouble. madam" he
ventured. Can I assist your
Matilda blushed a rosy red.
Thanks, but it's all right" she said.
Come. come" said The Stranger,
tell me what has upset you. I am
British, too. you know"
Well" said Matilda, I've lost my
husband. He went to look for cab
half an hour ago, and 1 haven't seen
him since! 1 don't know what to dor
That's all right" said The Stranger.
I'VE will see what can be done"
Tbox- obof+od tooafbar for while
and he did his best to put her at ease.
Her husband had missed her, he ar
gued; they would wait for a little
time, and he would surely turn up.
So she took consolation from him and
waited. An hour passed. The clock
of Notre Dame struck 2. 1t was a hor-
rbble hour for a respectable British
bride to- be, without her husband, In
the streets Of Ostend.
Now, my good young lady" said
The Stranger looking at his watch.
to first call at the police office, re-
port what has happened, then find
hotel and go to bed"
"But I don't know anything about
the horrid police office" she cried
angrily. 81 feel too miserable for any
thing"
"I'll take you there" said The
Stranger, and he hailed a tired looking
cabman, with a horse that suffered
from the same complaint Matilda's
boxes and things were quickly stacked
on the growder and very soon they
were trotting slowly along towards the
police station.
With the assistance of her newly
made friend, Matilda managed to ex-
plain to the officer on duty what her
trouble was all about. He grinned. he
gesticulated like monkey he
shrugged his shoulders and regretted
he could do nothing. But" he said,
taking a bulky ledger, report of ma
DANES predicament will be duly en-
tered in the books"
1.-The only thing you can do said
her companion, 'is to come with me
1 dare say they have a room at my
hotel Your husband is bound to
make Inquiries in the morning, and
we will call again at the police of
flee"
Matilda saw it was the only thing,
and as his hotel was only a street or
two away. they sent the cab on with
the luggage and walked.
1t must have been 4 o'clock when Ma
tilda woke. She felt as though some
one had poured cold water down her
back She sat bolt upright in bed and