People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1895 — JACK'S WIFE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JACK'S WIFE.

Ulr W/Xgjf RS. HABESHON’S f/jHymfk ball seemed to ma&guj be a great suecess. At least Mrs. Habers hon fffeku gathered as much from the satisfied expresr sion on Lady A Gracia MartinW dale's face. For II the party was a V combination affair, Lady Gracia inviting the “right" people and, to a cer-

tain extent, guaranteeing their presence, and .Mrs. Habershon paying the necessary expenses of what was proving quite the ball of the season. Mrs. Habershon was a worn in who had every essential for a 1 suial career except a visiting list, and Lady Gracia Martindali was si woman who knew the best ways in which to obtain a thoroughly reliable article. So Mrs. Habershon to >k a house in Carlton House Terrace, and Lidy Gracia occupied a suit of rooms thero, an l duly “piloted" Mrs. Habershon, wao was fifty, among the intricacies of social circles. “I think you may safely give a ball in July,” Lady Gracia said one day. “It will probably clinch your posiI tion. But it must be done regardless of expense, and—the invitations mast be left entirely to me.” And so on July 10, Mrs. Habershon, (gorgeous in white an l silver, and smothered in diamonds, stool at the head of her great double marble staircase an 1 received in h *r be it ra mneg soipi eight hundred of Lady 'Gracia's triendsj. Things went well, and Mrs. Habershon would h-ve beamed had not a shadow sat below D idy (jlraci i’s coroj net of piuk pearls, but that disappeared toward midnight, when the duchess of Torrington an l her two daughters sailed up the crowded I stairs. “It’s all right, mvdiar.” whispered Lady Gracia in Mrs. H abnrshon’s ear. , “Your position is quite assured. The | duchess is most particular and only takes her girls to the best homes. ” Lady Gracia was about tp leave her protege and bjg.n a to tr of tin billroom, whan the sight of a n sw arrival i at the so >t of th * stairs arrested her. “Who is this, Mrs. II luirshon?” she inqu red sharply of h r hostess, who like herself w is staring at the slowly advancing fi jure. And indeed she was worth staring at, this woman, wio v.is leisurely ascending the stai c tse. More than commonly tall, her height and the wondrous whiteuess of her bust and arms were emphasized by thj dead blackness of th igovn sh j wore. Her hair, too, .was of tie ijnvjst hue, and was coiled in a hundred stran Is round her exquisite.y sha >ed head. As she neared the two ladies at t.ie stairhe d they saw that her face, though pale, was beautiful as a Greek st >tue. th it great velvety eyes 11 is le l sombrely beneath tiVo fine level br nvs, and that her inout i, on ill an l s iarlet as a rose, was full an I out n i vard at the corners. Abov • t.i > wli i “in o of her low br jw burnt an norm >is ruby, fas.iioned like a tongue of fire, but

the gdorions curves of her throat and i arms were >fu Itless >f all jew -Is. | “Who is tills-l idv.’" ara'n whispered Ladv (fracia, a-t cipatinpr a hundred questions of the like order , within the next five rainot-s. “I am sure 1 don't know,” answered Mrs. Ilaberahon n.-rv>u >]y. "Perhaps some oie has bWmiflit her.” >* ‘livery card has Iwen through ®jr hands. »n I I kno.v every soul, here ten ni#ht. I lisa > wove of the loose way some peopl •* do their parties,” returned Ldy Gracia. se'verely. Then She ad led: •‘Perhap> has i come to the wr m r hou* 1 !' I believe those Americans at Xpi SO are reueiv- { iujr to-flight.’’ • Butth:nc<t moment the new arrival wao had bom • the scrutiny of a hundred eyes reached the broad landing. . "Mrs. Uabershon?” she said, advancing to Lady Gracia an l speaking with an inflection of inquiry in her low, rich voice. Lady Gracia drew back stiffly. “You are mistaken, madam. This lady ia Mrs. llab-rshon.” Then t'i • lark vo nin held oat her han <C. i ' .v 'i': u iveJ and very white a.id sic i !jr> to Mrs. Haberahon an , cried w. »ii a tender thrill throbbing through her tones; “ft*

■hon? mother, lam your daughter-In* law I Jack’s wife!” And Mrs. Habershon forgot her : manners and dropped her bouquet, and clasping her handsome daughter-in-law in her arms, kissed her thrice upon her roselike mouth. “We only arrived home from India this afternoon, and saw by the papers that you were receiving to-night, so I thought—we thought—l might come.” “And Jack?*’ cried Mrs. Habershon, oblivious of her guests, who were, however, rather touched than not by the little domestio scene. “Ah! Jack should have been here to present me to you, to make me known to you, but the journey knocked him up, he stood the voyage so badly, so he sent me alone. But,” and she for the first tims lookod at the brilliant scene about her, and a delicious blush crept into her creamy skin, “but now that I’ve seen you, mother, I will go. You have so many friends, I " “Indeed, Mrs. Habershon,” cried the duchess of Torrington, pushing her way through the crowd, “you must not let your daughter-in-law go again. If she has jußt come from India she must be quite anxious to see what a London ball room is like. Pray introduce her." Five minutea later Lady Gracia herself was run after by a serene highness—the only royalty present—who desired that the dark beauty with the ruby flaring above her brows should lie in tro I need to him. Ail th. t n g':t. t.!l the pnk dawn put the guv i gilts to u sickly blush, and the masses o' flow rs fainted on thi ir wired stems, iii.l the radiant beauty, with the b’nck flouting | draper es and the ruby , n rue, fl t through the lu’-e ball room, and up on i down the m n-ble staircase. The men carried the fame of her glorious beauty into a senr of clubs, while the women paid her the compliment of hating her. When Mrs. Haborshon and Lady Gracia met next morning at a late breakfast in the boudoir of the former, the latter was pleased to be gracious concerning the previous evening. “Of course, success was insured. I had taken care to g.:t Lie right people,” she said loftily. “But I must confess that the surprise about your daughter-in-law went off splendidly. My dear, Mrs. .Jack Habershon has actually managed to give society a sensation, and a creditable one into the bargain. Elopements and divorces have become so common they are quite vulgar. Now Mrs. Jack is quits desirable; the least shade p ouliar in appearance, perhap , but not moro perhip- than can bo. called di e. Even that queer rubv she wore maybe ” “I beg your pardon, madam’" cried Mrs. Habershon s maid, entering from the dressing room. “I dp not se • your collet necklace among vour things, and the largo iiamoii t 'mo you wore at the back of your bod ' ce ii> mining." “Nonsense,’' cried Mrs. Habershon, “the necklace must be on the dressing table, the sen muy have been dropped downstairs. Jujjt gp down and sea if anv ono has pipkp l it up. Everything that is found is tQ be taken to Parkin. Here, Purkin,”-r the butler’s voioe was heard at the door: “Please, madam, Mr. and Mrs. John Habershon have called, and would like to see you, and the duchess of Torrington has sent a footman ro n i to say thut she lost a large sapphire an l diamond spray here last night." “lell Mr. and Mrs. Habershon I will see them at once; and, Parkin, have the duchess' jewels lo’oked for at once. Parkin. I’m sure you’ll find the necklace if you look or it.” Then the door opened, and forgetting about diamonds and duchesses, Mrs. Habershon flung herielf into the arms of a tall, bronzed young man who hud ntered the room. “Dear mother, I am so glad to see you again. But I must present my wife to you. Effie, darling, this is my mother." But Mrs. Hab'-rshon drew back, for the girl who stood before her with trembling outstretched hands and tearful eves, was small and slight, with flu If y fair hair curling above two sapphire eyes. “This is Eflie, my wife———" “This your wife?” cried Mrs. Habershon. ’ ■'f'lien who is the la ly who was here last night?” “I am sure I don’t know," su i Jack dragging his mustache. “But I do know that Effie never left me the whole evening. We only arrived in the afternoon.” “Yes. I know, and you were knocked up by the voyage—your wife told me so.” “Who ever told you so was not my wife,” retorted Jack with emphasis. ’This is my wife.” “Impossible!" cried Mrs. Habershon with conviction. “Your wife is a tali, splendid woman with coal-black hair, dark eyes, ; nd ~ “Jack!” exclaimed Mrs. Jack. “Effie!” pried her husband. “That’s the description of Magdalene Barnes. She w.is my maid, Mrs. Habershon, but I cau/ht her pilfering my thlifjgs on the voyage home. Directly we touched England I d sraissed her. She left my service yesterday morning^—” , "And was here at my ball last night,” gapped Mrs, Habershon. Mrs. Habershon.s nail wai remembered in *s mart circles is the ball of the lost jewels, licarce a woman in the room but had paid toll in some form ir another to the lady who ha t made h*r fl-st an,l >a,t appearance in society as Mr-.. Liabershon’s daugh-ter-in law.—L >ndon P&k-M.'-tJp. Of tne 250 successful I'lodt dales for the degree of B. A. from Uu Lon io i university, recently, oir!U <o.i. vrj women. Last year there were oni/ thirty-1 wo women graduate*

KISSED HER THRICE.