The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-06-14
A Notable Short Story by a Famous Writer.
Miss Houselye's Disappearance
(By Lucien Hutton.)

Hold up. summers!" Captain
Nevill u sharply as the post was
ing for your company. lad"
The boy Strengthened in his saddle.
next moment a weird little native
rushed out on to the polo field, and
before any n could stop him was III
the middle OF the course waving his
arms to attract Summers attention.
The red sunset was over and it was
almost dark; some had playfully
lighted a candle near the winning post.
The little old native, flying eXcitedly
down the course, looked like a gro
tesque shadow in the quickening dusk.
BEFORE there was time to do anything
more thar shout out a warning the
horses rushed round again-swerved,
and two Of them came down in a
heap.
Chapter III.
"stand back: for heavens sake.
Nevill. who was one of the first to ar
rive on the spot. Burton, I don't
think you're much worse. Get up and
feel yourself. I'm afraid Summers is
done for. What on earth possessed
that crazy old native to rush on the
scene X that"
Gle evidently had something i'm
portant to say to Summers. Per
haps--" Smiths lips drew together
something to do with Miss Houseley.
Who knows? Jessie! Good God!"
No one had seer her approach; no
one knew where she came from; but
the lost Miss Houseley suddenly stood
there like a white wrath, and knelt
in their midst at. the side of Reginald
Summers. The men who had been
pressing round drew back %unconsci-
ously. The girl. kneeling on the
ground, seemed to nave no knowledge
of the presence Of n one.
Reggie, Jess's own boy" she was
murmuring. childishly. as she swayed
waiting for o ever so long, dearie.
for weeks and weeks. / wanted to
tell you that my head is much better
now. ever so much better. Only some
times 1t aches, and aches still"-she
pressed her little hands to her fore
i" / never hav nasty dreams
now about o getting tired of me,
boy. am always happy. like the day
We got married down in Bombay"
She laughed Historically. always
happy, dearie. Do you remember the
''i - bAA WV o't 'AAoS ny A'Se~
was going queer? And I made you
promise on your sacred honor never,
never to tell any one? 1 thought that
people would laugh because l had
holes in my brain. l am never fright
ened now that you will let people see
me. Only 1t is very awkward to have
a funny head"
She looked up from the u%nconsci-
Gus face of Summers to that of Lieu
tenant Smith without a CLEAN of rec
ignition.
You know, the thoughts keep slip
ping out of the portfolios every min
ute, and you can't stop them at all.
When the pains not SO very bad it's
quite comic-only Reggie never had
any sense of humor."
She stopped talking. For two end
less seconds no one in the polo field
spoke: then the regimental doctor
coughed. 1--WE must get the boy to
the hospital" he said shortly.
Il say, DOCTOR" a man began. He
looked in the direction of the little
frail figure beside the boy.
Mad, my dear fellow, and ] should
say hopelessly so. Poor little grill"
you. he's doing splendidly. The little
wife's looking after him like a trained
nurse. She thinks they're out in the
little bungalow in the jungle; it's the
sweetest thing to see them together"
The doctor once again couehed as
he pretended to hurry away.
II say, doctor, wait a minute. Has
he told you anything?"
mot much. There wasn't much to
tell. 1t was the shock of the fathers
death, it seems. The next day h
started t. go queer. It wasn't much
at first, but Summers saw the trouble
coming, and-well, y'see. he'd loved
her from the first. The marriage was
a secret affair. before the worst came
on. The old native was a doctor he'd
picked up in Bombay as something Of
down and warn Summers when she
was worse, and then he'd go off to her.
The day Of the sports he had come to
tell him she had got away from the
bungalow. Heaven only knows how
she'd found her way into the station"
Two months later half the men in
the regiment went down to Bombay to
sickleave with his little wife. No n
spoke a great deal, for h shadow Of
a new hope had touched Summers.
and it looked feverishly out of his eyes
every time they travelled over his
wife's sweet face. The men shared
in that hope, too, and expressed it in
a hundred dumb little ways.
rake her StfalSnL TO LONDON, SAID
the doctor as a last reminder. Don't
be too hopeful. but things may come
all right yet"
And let us know, y'know," gulped
Captain Nevill, wringing his hand
nearly off.
Summers let him know in due
course. The message contained sim
ply:
Successful operation performed yes
terday. MY wife's reason quite re-
stored. I am the happiest man In the
world.-Reginald Summers.