MRS SENTALL'S ADVENTURE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 240, 3 October 1908, Page 3

MRS SENTALL'S ADVENTURE

Mrs. Scnta-ll 'was a very pretty woman, thirty-seven, rather plump, blueeyed, and smiling. In her cheek there was a dimple, in her brown hair a charming kink, and soft little curls framed her forehead. Her husband was something in the city, it doesn't matter what, it produced twelve hundred a year, which was a comfortable and material fact. He was a good deal like the husband of the lady about whom the young man lied in a brilliant one-a~t piav, in that he thought her the most remarkable and beautiful woman in Loudon society, and that he was ready to be jealous, with or without reason, at a moment's notice. 'London society was represented 10 the gentleman in the play from a South Kensington point of view: Mr. Sentall regarded it from Snrbiton, where he had Imuglit a red-ibrivk villa, with a portico, a gable, and a weathercock, detached, of course, and known as the Acacias. There were four little Scntalls; the eldest, Maude, was fourteen, and wore a pigtail down her back, tied with a bow at the top. There was a -smaller girl, called Daisy, who had a thinner pigtail, tied with a bowat the end. And there were two little buys, t'vril and Gilbert, who are of no concern to us here.

The -Sentalls thought it would be a wise thing to endow .Maude and Daisy with a better knowledge of French and German tongues than tliey appeared lu be getting from the daily governess who came to them at fturbiton. Tley thought a year or two at a foreign boarding-school would lie . the thing. ■They were told of one at Bonn, but the astute Mr. Sentall felt sure that the University students would notice, not wisely and too well, the budding beauty of his daughters. Then Wiesbaden was suggested as ilieing a place at which there were many schools, and of Wiesbaden they had*.sentimental memories; •they had stayed there on their honeymoon trip—at the grand lvaiser, a quiet, drowsy little hotel, with indifferent food and moderate charges. Mr. Sentall was too busy to go himself, but it occurred to him that it would be a good idea to send his wife to inspect the various scholastic establishments (as the agent called them), to interview the mistresses, and discuss the details.

Mrs. Sentall went —and thin is how her little adventure came about. Hev ""Wilfred, boy*' husUmd. iu she called bint, saw her off via the Hook—she knew tin* route well. They sighed as they kissed each other on the platform at Liverpool .Street, and thought of their first month of bles-*ed matrimony. She arrived at Wiesbaden half an. hour before >upper-time the next day.. Her husband had not written to secure a room at the (Jrand Kaiser: she would be sure to get one. he said, and they would charge more if it were ordered. He was right: she could have had half I a dozen room-. The hotel was as drowsy as ever, as clean, as ugly. and as quiet. Mrs. Sent all looked round her room, slutfy by reason of its hangings and its 1 chair-back*. and felt a lack of excit-.--nient. But Munething templed her to put on a fresh blouse l>efore she Went into supper, to arrange her pretty h-iir 'becomingly, and to jmll iu her waist an inch or two with a silver belt which she had ]>ut into her Uu#, in ease sao met anyone she knew. When she entered the dining-room -he didn't look a day more than three and thirty—wh'.eh 1 is a beguiling fact to the other sex. j At one table -at two large and solid ladies evidently sisters; they were wry serious and silent: their appetites were obviously healthy: at another were a father and mother with their three children—a "masterful ficrman husband/' thought Jlrs .Seiitall as she saw him help himself before he helped his wi;.-. A third table accommodated a honeymoon couple—-or a young one still at Me holding the hand under the table stage. At the fourth table there wan »eate:l • a distinctly good-looking Englishman of j fivc-and-tliirty, with a short, welltrimmed brown 'beard <and moustache? ' his <ew«. looked pleasant, and altogether f he Vas the most pleasing object in the] room -to Mrs. Scntall. She took her!

I phce. all aloiH'. at tlip end at ill' 1 room, and wi'iit through n horrible meal tliftt i 111-111,1c,1 coarse beef and wool; tot. Kvi-rvlmcly looked at Iter i|tiito M'veroiv except tin' Hrown man. itt whose e_>vs there va- a little unconscious curiosity. IVrli-,\p- lie wondered why «ln" w.n alone, whether she liafl a hnsbnnd or was a willow, for lie had cau^' 1 sif-'lit o; her wcddinj.'-rin;.'. Tint iiotliiu" happened. After slipper -lie went to the dis--11-al >a!oii. read'a New York Herald, and an old I'-nyli-h paper, and. r-1 ant of (irnnaii. left the rest alone. She I wit- much bored. and went to lied.

• _U l>reakfa-t tlie next morning one wn- d<■ \\ii 1 in! I lie brown-heardod F.mjH-liman. had hey hi'eaklaM 'it out* iiiU'e. lie h;id lii« ;tt another. Jli.'l) «he w*-n\ out and h<>v srlioo!-. looked J l *- i |iP ;<»d vetnnieil in lime fur tlie mid-day '.inin r. which was vi'v Ion;/ and inrlmVd ;in iro-]»n ldinir in' llie shape nf <i The brown-hen rded msui v etched her a <_o>od <l.-al Mrs. SentnlJ thought him handsome hv MiU timr. and wi>hed -he knew who he was. R the afternoon slio \v;mdcred along Uic arcade and looked ut

more shops, then walked in the Kursaal grounds. There were to be fireworks that evening; she longed to go to them, but she hadn't courage to do it alone.' While she was looking at the proguaninu—it was stuck up at the gates—the brown-bearded mail passed, and regarded her with interest. She .was aware of it. telle went to a shop and had some tea; it was dreadfully dull, and s he wished she knew somebody. Suddenly the brown-bearded man entered, and asked for coffee, and ate two cherry tarts with a dab of cream on top; ills. Sentul left him there, and she knew that he looked after her as she departed. Supper—that hideous He'man supper—took place again as it had done the night before. She was thankful to remember that the next day—the afternoon would see her departure. Wiesbaden was delightful with Wilfrid, but it didn't do alone. Bhe went to the-rending-room after supper; she had to Wilfrid and the children earlier in the day, so now .she looked at, an old illustrated time-table and other

I equally exciting books oil tin; table, She , was horribly bored again. Tlic brownbearded man entered and sat down at a writing tabic on her left, with his. back to her, and in front of a muchused -blotting pad. He opened the drawers of the table—in search of paper and envelopes probably; she could have to'd him they were eni]»ty—and .shut them with a -bang. She sigh with sheer lack of nothing else to do, and pushed awav thV time-ta'ble. lie turned round. "'forgive nie for speaking to you;' he said; "1 don't mean to be impertinent or discourteous, or anything of the sort, .

| " Xo." slip said feebly, anil waited. "1 can see that you arc here alone, and that vou Are bored, I'm here alone, and don t know what to do with myself. J don't care to go to the Kursaal alone, and, naturally, you don't; lint 1 think you want to see the fireworks—l saw you reading the .programme to-day. Why shouldn't i take you?" "Oh, no!" Ishe tried to look a little shocked. "Hut why not?" he persisted. -'I shall not say a 'word or do anything th'at you could resent—or that' your husband would mind." lie thought it better to take it for granted that there was a husband. "We don't know any-1 thing alioiit each other; we 'needn't. I know anything; but it seems ridiculous' that two sensible, well-conducted people as wie, are—not children," lie was too polite to say, of course, that he took, her to be about'fivc-aud-thirty—" should not spend an hour or two together as pleasant acquaintances, just because, instead of meeting at a' friend's house, where we didn't want to talk together perhaps, we meet at a dull hotel, where w« do, and can ,be of some use to each other."

" I think what you say is very sensible " began Mrs. Senlall. " 1 hen let us Ik* sensible and go. It's five minutes' walk from licrc. and :f we don't hurry we shall be late." Mrs. Sentali was a woman of spirit. 'l'll go.' she.said. .She harried upstairs, put 011 her hat and arranged a laee isearf Weeoniingly aboul her neck;, her coat, she knew.'w'as well cut, anil made her look slim. A» 5 1 U . eanie down the stairs, which were rather wide and led into a square hall, she met tin', middle-aged sisters of the vigorous appetites. The brown-bearded man whs waiting for her, obviously; they regarded her with astonishment. So did the waiter, who came forward to ask if she would like a cab, when he saw her go up to him, and they walked away together. It was a little awkward at first, but presently words came, and thev talk.-'l about music and the lighter kind, places on the Rhine, and the different boats. Mrs. Senlall was not a cultured woman: the brown-Uearded man was not highlv educated, but he was intelligent au',l good-natured. They entered the Ku> saal, each paying for their own en- | trance, 'lie had some beer when they sat down at a little table; she had some I coffee, and paid for it. Altogether it was a quite sensible, well-regulated little expedition. They saw the fireworks admirably, laughed and chatted, and grew excited. They passed the father .and mother and children, -who looked a little surprised at seeing Mrs. Sentall with the man who had formerly been without acquaintances at the hotel The German father looked buck at them two or three times; the German motile;' spoke excitedly and quickly. It didn't matter what they said. Mrs. Senlall went back a happy woman. They had breakfast at the same table the next morning, and afterwards went together for a long drive through the most beautiful woods. He insisted onpaying for it: he gave her strawberries and cream. It. was after this refreshment that, her heart being full and her mind burdened with her own audacity, she turned to her companion. " Mr. '' She stopped. " Never mind," he said, "wc agreed not to mention names." " I'm certain they all looked shocked at the hotel " He laughed. '"That they think me wicked, or something.'' " But you're not: we've only been extremely sensible, and we've done nothing wrong." " I have a husband " she began. "1 have a wife and two children,"' 110 said. "They're at Hatnsgate at present. 1 thought 1 should like a change alone." "Oh!" Mrs. Sentall was relieved: but it took from tlie romance of the adventure. '• But my husband is dreadfully jealous; lie would never believe—and he would never forgive me " "I quite understand. It's just the same with my wife. I wouldn't let llu little woman know for the world." He touched her hand in a friend fashion, and she didn't draw it away; he liked her for it. "It's all right; don't lie] afraid." he added; "I think you arc j charming, and 1 wouldn't say a word th'at was disrespectful for the world. I haven't, have I? And I won't. Now, shall we give ourselves a certificate of virtue by going to buy something for my wife. 1 never know what a woman likes—you do. Help me to choose it?" So they went and did some shopping. She thoroughly enjoyed it, for she hud all the pleasure of buying pretty things and not paying for them. Then lie helped her to get a notcsliook for Wilfred, and some other things, which he. shrewdly guessed were for the children. She didn't tell him that she had four, because, having a spice of coquetry in. her heart still, she thought it wou'd ; look so very matter of fact. They went /lack to the hotel and lunched-at the

same table. KvoivniK' was scandalised. " Von start home Ivy Die three o'olu.'k train, don't yon'!'' lie Hiked, and wlum she liatl assented lie told lier that V" was froiug oil to Heidelberg by the tlu'ce-fifteeu. ?o they went to Ike station in the same cab, and he saw her

Tlit* lintel \vns (lunifonwlcil. ami felf. eprtain lliat lliey ]ia<] eloped. "Mrs. Soiilall never told brr Uuslmiid, Iml slie smiles to Ibis d-iv Avben sbc remoniibpr* Wiesbaden. Tlic children did not yo to seliool tb'oro after all, but to one at Haiiovor, recommended by .sftnic cousin's; it is just as well, for pevliaps tlic (IttVud jailer would iinvo spread a scandal rouccrninjr tli'jir mother.

Dill they ever moot af?ain, M*' - on " (all and liic brown-hoarded mail? Yes, la-t summer. Tliis is how it was. Tliey went to Hasti'tiffs for a weei She had a violent toothache, ami hell liu-lianil insisted that since tile toothi had bothered lier for months past she. should have it out and lie done with it. S.i tliey went to SIY. Algernon Turner, who ha-. ;i brass plate with many letters afl"r liis name on Ma door at the end of llie Parade. Tliey heard tliat he was (In l hest dentist in the place. If course they 'waited ill the usual dismal room (ill thi' moment came when they were ushered in to (he dentist, and 'o! (here wa* the brown-bearded man awaiting' her. She nearly fainted, and said, '■ He-; il've do?'' He bowed ill the most decorous manner, and turned to her hii--hand. She mounted to the operating chair. with an entreaty in her manner, and hj" looked inlo her month, while she s|) violently that her husband mil hi- hand on her shoulder and said. 'Come, my dear, Mr. Turner isn't an oirrc. and lie won't hurt you." Slif' refused to have sas: she a plucky woman, and mil alraid oE a little pain. "Mr. Turner insUte.l thai her Wilfredliny should L'O In till' oilier rricf of ill'' room and linn away his head during Hie oni'in 1 iihi. The (ootli eame out with. ,„,11. a'.ive a little scream, of

"Mr. Sen 1 ;iII rn-Oicd n forward, Imi Mr. Algernon Tumor i Inm au'iiv, ;im.l in 11mt moment <ho r\v<(n| I)cr ami whisiioml: | "Pritv. ilmi'l 101 l ]\\m\ it woultljkill

lrif!" MY. Seiilall heard liev ami 1 iivu.-.l rmiekly. ''What !< iliwe to t ell me. my ilear, anil what is liniiiL 1 ' tn kin von'; The brown-bearded iii.ui bulked ai li' i with n smile Hint wa- almost ;i(l'or-'finn-sitc. and then in n bu-iness-like mannei at illr- extracted tooth nil llie forceps "Why, tlicrc was no occasion to pull i

| out," ho saui. "Ucully, it's quite a good tooth. Your wife thinks you will ho vexed at her losing it." lie shook hands with her as they went away. She let her hand linger in his for a moment; he looked at her gratefully; lie felt for the last time. SeniaH; "he evidently admired your pluck, and I don't wonder." Mrs. iSentall was too agitated to answer. Wilired-hoy ordered a pint of> champagne at luncheon; Ire thought she needed it.—<L.C'., iii the Westminster (iazetto.