Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-12
THE EVENING STAR.
MRS. BEAUCHAmP,s VENGEANCE.
CHAPTER 1V.-How TO READ A LETTER.

direction his resolution would take dared not
say word and to leave him in this condition
seemed unfriendiy.
Our silence broken by the return of
Briggs, who said, impatiently-
'tkackIt, make me q cigarette. i can't rest.
have been wandering about the streets like a
murderer.
Rackit who had just finished making one,
presented it to him, and he pulled furiously as
he went to the easel on which stood Mrs. Beau
champs portrait.
~ hat face she has.n he exclaimed. "Iook
At it. What smile Who could help loving
such a woman -
Rackit flung a glance at me, IN which read
as plainly as If he had spoken the words, % He
must take her back
Did you ever see one 10 com pare with her!'
inquired Briggs.
Never ~ replied the painter. ..AndIhare
always said that on are a lucky dog-the luck
lest OF dogs-to have capnvated the affections
OF such d woman. johnson Will tell you that
have always said So"
Of my less ~
Pho! she's not lost
- She is though
You fancy So"
II know sou
It's nothing but a lovers quarrel-kiss and
make up
"Ah wish 1 could kiss and make up
What is to prevent you?''
Livery thingu'
"Nonsense. Who ever heard Of q marriage
being broken off for little tiff = Why, my
dear fellow, angels tiff sometmes-for the sake
OF making up again.
al should be glad enough to make up. For
On reflection i will confess that il wasI who
was wrong yesterday-very wrong-i was
hasty.''
mo doubt. Your temper is perpery, you
know. l have always said il Of yOu.'
mo, not generally. But yesterday, per-
Yesterday you were hasty-perhaps little
sfensiUe-it may be BRUTAL
No, no, 1 wasn't all that
'You can be brutal, Briggs-I know you
can not that you mean it. OF course. She Will
understand that. And no doubt You laid too
much stress on little Vivacity in her language;
she is so ylVacioGs ~
She is. Besides if she has a fault, never
expected her TO be quite perfect
"Of course not. A perfect woman would be
e monster-her goodness would be au eternal
repToach. As tar as can judge-and Johnson
Will tell yOu l m no bad Judge OF Women-ny
experience is tolerably extensive. Well, as tar
as can judge, Mrs. Beauchamp combines all
the qualities necessary to make man happy"
"All, ALL responded Briggs.
And, moreover, let us joke as We like about
marriage, it is the dearest aim we have in life,
Jou know
THE haven into which the storm tossed n lr-
iner-and all that kind of thing"
Exactly my sentiments.'
Well, then, go at once and ask her forgive
ness. Tell her YOU regret the hastiness OF your
Never n' said Briggs, with resolution.
"Madman y
- may be mad. am miserable, but l am
resolved. We are parted for ever
Now don't be ABSURD
Yes, yes, It's easy to say, Don't be ab-
tpo ' dine with me at the slH5 to, day-yOn
shall know ALL
Tell it at once" said l.
" That tcon,dn has no hears" exclaimed Briggs.
Then going to her portrait, he apostrophised it,
"No, you have no heart. One can read it in
your face. Rackit, look at this picture-and
then read this letter.
He handed crumpled note to Rackit, who
and s~r4in "a
.Well, upon my word, see nothing 10 objec;
to in it."
You don't ~ exclaimed the astonisned
Briggs, throwing away the end o. his cigarette.
l johnson shall judge. Listen to this" In
] the driest tone imaginable he began TO read
John 20
"WeL your name is John, isn't it! You
wouldn't have her say Mr.. Smythe Briggs -
"YCu think that proper beginning, do you -
s'She might have SAID Sr," replied kackit.
Don't let us be un Just. JOIN, is sim pie, affrc-
tIonate, and comes from the heart. l may be
wrong, and don't know what olnson thinks,
but there seems to me (under the Circurastan-
ces, observe y something very touching in that
simple John 1t is worth q hundred phrases
auch as dearest pet my o,cn dear FOOTE'S r'
land perhaps you say much to what fol-
lows He then read: severely: " W hen people
find they have made mistake they are bound,
by every consideration, not to continue in it,
but, ii possible, TO repair it. We made a mis-
take in iancying our natures suited each other.
1t would be very wrong to continue In this
Tor. Let part.
V.
What do you think of that As what thought
was very unequivocal, was silent; but Rae
kit broke forth
"Well,, never did hear more dignlfied
and at the same time touching, accent of a
wounded heart How free it Is from rhodo-
montade and from sophistry! She throws no
doesn't say that you showed yourself coarse,
tyrannical, violent, brutal"
because l didn't"
ayes, yes, You did; you confessed as much
BESIDES,
you must have been-you were angry, and an
ger is always blind"
IL don't care what was, the letters plain
enough"
90 ute plain, il read in another spirit Let
any unpreIudiced eye read 1t, read 1t without
bias, without anger. and it will be found as
noble in conception rs 1t is severe in ats sim.
piicity OF style"
Briggs, some " hat staggered by this unexpect-
ed, and TO him, incomprehensible, view OF the
matter, looked atme. Fortunately have great
command over my countenance, and diu not
explode in a loud Homeric guffaw.
ssOniy profound feeltnq," continued Racket
lever expresses itself simply
but where is the feeling here ~ asked
Briggs
Listen, " lille l read" He took the letter, and,
throwing a subdued retcent tenderness into
his voice, which did honor to his talents as an
actor, he began, " 1T tcoutd be tUr0ng to continue
error. DO you not feel the selectiye delicacy
of the wore error! Then, too, the phrase Let
part! No shrieks-nO reproaChes-all is Sc
InatrOn.'
But go on said Briggs; "you see, she adds,
We ,cere 10 be married shortly. our marriage is
impossible"
There again After the calm statement OF
the fact, her heart begins to swell, in spite OF
herself, and in brief sentences-each sentence
sob-she says, looking tenderly backwards,
We toere TO be married shortly. Then sorrowing-
ly she remembers, Our marriage as irspossi-
bie. Really, the tears gathered to my eyes as
lead this"
Briggs was moved but not con yinced
You certainly have way of reading it"
he said, which wasn't at all mine. But listen
10 this do not think y0u tcilI find a nature to
ssit your Opn, but you are free to try. Heaceforh
only be friends. You ,oiH only see me u,hea
Enttsd tcith draother.-Emtty.'
"Of course" said Raekit, "if you persist in
throwing that accent into IT, you may read ha-
tired in the tenderest confession OF love. What
doss she really say Why, that she fears you
cannot find woman UcOrthy of you: but Won
are free to seek one she Will not be All OBJ tacle
to your happiness, she will Withdraw into prj-
vacy with her grief
pho! she talk OF mar ying another,
lyon misinteIpret again; read il properly,
4 Inns Yam. mill Il NH r