The Washington herald., 1913-12-28
tCopyright. lelal


peoples confidence, even agains
their will, = has occasionally
placed me in the most uncomfortable
situations. Take, for instance, what
will call The Affair of the Pleasure
Cruise, or Matched.
The story began at Chari1g Cros:
Station. / had just entered the sta.
ton and was looking about for the
platform from which my train was
going to start, when l saw one man
hurrying up TO another. | do moi
know what it was which caused him
to catch my eye, unless it was that he
was in such desperate haste, and was
so covered with freckles, and had such
very rcd moustache; but l distinctly
saw him say to the other-what he
meant l had not the dimmest notion
some of the language he used was
strange:
She's done bunk all right, and is
away with the best of the swag. Here's
her brief He handed to the other
man what looked to me like a Cont
mental railway ticket. 81 don't fancy
the bloke is going; you'll have to go
on and get the lot out the other end.
It's worth having, you know; we'll be
able to plant it easily. You under
stand? Move yourself; the trains just
starting"
The man addressed did move him
self, tearing through gate over which
was board inscribed "Folkstone Har-
Dor and Continent His doing so
made me think of Mr.. Brookes. had
been TO his wedding that morning, and
had, indeed, only Just come away from
the reception which followed. l had
gathered that he and his bride were to
travel by that boat train.
Thinking thus about the bride and
bridegroom, who, since the train had
started, took it for granted were al
ready on their way, what was my sur
prise TO see coming through the wicket
on the platform which the boat train
had just quitted-Mr. Everard
Brookes! A railway official was on
either side of him, each of whom
seemed doing his best to calm his OBJ
vious agitation. What struck me as
the strangest part of it was that he
was alone. An idea occurred to me as
l walked toward him.
"Mr. Brookes," l asked, 'have you
missed your train? You haven't let
your wife go off alone?"
She hasn't gone on alone" he re-
joined "She isn't in the train at all"
"She might have been in the train, +, ,
you know, sir" struck in one of the
officials.
q tell you l saw her go through the
gate as clearly as l see you now, but
though l watched for her to come
back she never returned, although l
never once took my eyes off the gate;
that l am prepared to swear"
He turned to me with an explana-
ton of his discomposure which filled
me with surprise.
We were standing, my wife and |,
outside the compartment in which.
had reserved our seats, when, about
ten minutes before the train was due
TO start, she said to me: Evcrard,
I've forgotten something. l must go
and see about it at once. I'll be back
in a moment She got into the COM
partment, took her travelling bag off
the seat and was about to hurry down
the platform. ] asked her what she
had thought of so suddenly; if it was
something she wanted / offered to go
and get it for her She laughed at ;
nc. You stay where you are and let
no one get into Our carriage. I'll be
Jack in less than minute She was
"A before | could stop her. saw ;
her go down the platform and through
The gate; then, when had waited two S
minutes, | strolled down the platform 1
o see if | could discover her. l could I
zee nothing. / was afraid to go
through the gate lest we should miss '
.ach other, so | stood close to the
gate, and I'll swear that no one the
east like her came through it. t
Mr.. Brookes took off his bowler hat 2
md passed his handkerchief across his '
ROW. | had never seen him so dis i
urbed
1t occurred to me, after ! had been t
Waiting some little time, and the train a
vas due to start, that, at her sugges-
ion, | had put the tickets in her bag
nd practically all my money. l did t
lot know what to do. What had be- c
ONE of Claire? / could not imagine. I
could not go without her. Our lug a
age was in the train, l could not ask
he officials to delay the train on our c
ccount, and while l was in a state
on distraction the issue was
aken out of my hands-the train
tarted. What has become of her l d
ont know, but Ill swear she wasn't d
! that train" II
The amazing part of it was that he W
ever did know what had be- h,
orne Of bar-tta br;do Lad IoE.I