Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-19


situations. Take. for instance, what
sill call the Affair Of the Pleasure
Hruisc, or Matched.
The story began at Charing Cross
Station ] had just entered the sta
ION and was looking about for the
>latform from which my train was
,oing TO start, when | saw one man
,urrying up to another. | do not
,now what it was which caused him
% catch my eye, unless it was that he
,as in such desperate haste, and was
10 covered with freckles. and had such
very rcd moustache but | distinctly
Jaw him say to the othcr-what he
meant ! had not tho dir,mcst notion;
One of tho language he used was
Itrangc:
She's done bunk all right, and is
way with the best of the swag. Here's
Ter brief He handed TO the other
man what looked to me like Cont
rental railway ticket y don't fancy
Inc bloke is going; You'll have to go
on and get the lot out the other end
is worth having. YOU know we'll be
,be to plant it easily. You under
itand? Move Yourself the trains just
itarting."
The man addressed did move him
elf. tearing through gate over which
vas board inscribed 'Folkstone Har-
Dor and Continent His doing so
made me think of Mr. Brookes. had
been TO his wedding that morning, and
mad. indeed, only Just come away from
The reception which followed. 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
rarted. took it for granted were al
'eadv on their way, what was MY sur-
,risc to sec coming through the wicket
IN tho platform which the boat train
had lust quitted-Mr Everard
Brookes! A railway official was on
either side of him, each of whom
,eemcd doing his best to calm his OBJ
vious agitation. What struck me as
the strangest part Of it was that he
MAS alone. An idea occurred to me as
. walked toward him.
"Mr. Rrookes," ! 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
Il tell YOU l saw her go through the
gate as clearly as l see you now, but
hough | watched for her 10 come
,ack she never returned, although |
ever once took my eyes off the gate
hat I am prepared to swear"
He turned to me with an explana-
ion OF his dscomposure which filled
ne with surprise,
I'VE were standing, my wife and |,
outside the compartment in which
lad reserved our seats, when, about
ten minutes before the train was due
70 start, she said to me: 'Everard,
I've forgotten something. ] must go
and see about it at once. III 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; il it was
something she wanted ] offered to go
and get it for her She laughed at
me. You stay where you arc and let
no one get into our carriage. III he
back in less than minute She was
off before ] could stop her. saw
her go down the platform and through
the gate; then, when I had waited two
minutes, ] strolled down the platform
to sec if ! could discover her. I could
sec nothing. ! was afraid TO go
through the gate lest We should miss
each other, so ! stood close to the
gate, and III swear that no one the
least like her came through it,
Mr.. Brookes took off his bowler hat
and passed his handkerchief across his
brow. | had never seen him so dis
turbed.
1T occurred to me, after | had been
waiting some little time, and the train
was due to start, that, at her sugges-
ton, had put the tickets in her bag
and practically all my money I did
not know what to do. What had be-
come of Claire? | could not imagine.
| could not so without her. Our lug
gage was in the train, | could not ask
the officials to delay the train on our
account, and while ] was in a state
bordering on distraction the issue was
taken out of my hands-the train
started. What has become of her
don't know, but III swear she wasn't
in that train"
The amazing Nrt Of it was that he
never did know what had be-
ome OF her-thc bride had left
he bridegroom on the eve OF their
Gedding journey and vanished into
space. Unfortunately, there were one
or two suspicious circumstances about
ihat vanishing. She had taken her
brand-new dressing-case with her a
present from him, which contained all
heir portable PROPERTY which was