The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-04-17

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"Olive, you have never told me about your
marriage"
"About my marriagew echoed Mrs. Gresham.
"What about it, Kate ?"
Chow did you become acquainted with Mr..
Gresham 2"
"He came to the place stranger, and met
him at q party. II had never seen any one
I liked so nuch-I don't mind saying 80, Kate,
now am his wife-and he seemed to be at
tracted by me. Before We had met half
dozen times he went to papa and asked for me.
There was no objection-he is very well of,
You know-and we were married directly
Mamma grumbled. There was not time to get
my wedding things ready, she said. But he
would have his way"
aoh, yesl He iinduiges me in everythingp.
asome cne, talking of him the other day,
said he was so cold"
s'Cold! Well, I think he is that"
"And he seems to treat you as a child,
Olive"
Olive blushed. The fact vexed her often.
"Pm great deal younger than he is, Katep
"How long shall you stay at Seaview 2"
"Just as long as John pleases. His time is
his own"
ave shall be here month longer, think.
My aunt says the air suits her better than any
she has ever tried. Just look at that blue light
being thrown up from that vessel atsea, Olive!
What is it for, wonder?"
Passing about the balcony to obtain better
view of the ship in question, they got to the
open window there sat Miss Dorne. Olive:
glanced in and saw her husband bending over
her. Keen Mrs. Davenal-keen in regard to
obseryation-stood opposite glancing at them.
There arose sudden clamor at the piano for
Miss Dorne. If Miss Dorne would but 90 and
sing!
II suppose I shall have to crafty them," she
said, looking up into Mr.. Gresham's face with
her dark, Eastern eyes. "Do you ever sing
at the Orchard Stile' nowS John2"
"No," he answered ~ have never sung it
nor heard of it since-siuce that summer"
Olive fancied that there was something like
regret in his voice. What summer did he
mean? Had it held disappointment for him Of
pleasant dreams and hopes? And had Miss
Dorne anything to do with it? The words of
Mrs. Davenal rose up like nightmare.
"John, I'll sing that song now, if you will
help me" said Miss Dorne. "You used to sing
it with me, you know, in that good old time"
"I will try" he said, as he held out his arm
to take her to the piano. "But l cannot sing
as sang then, Gertrude"
"He calls her GertrudeP" thought the young
wife. "They must have known each other very
WELL"
Miss Dorne sat down and touched the keys
softly. An exquisite touch had she-frm and
correct, and capable of expressing her best
feelings: She played simple prelude-win-
ming from its plaintive pathOs-and began to
sing.
A silence fell upon the room. 1t was song
that had once been very popular-one of those
little waits that come from no one knows where,
drift through the world for while, and then
disappear as suddenly as they came Olive had
never heard it-and never, she thought, had she
heard anything so exquisite.
She watched them both-she could not help
it-her husband and Miss Dorne. He stood at
the piano, his eyes fixed on her face-not
staring at her, not seeing her, but in utter alb
straction. He quite forgot that he had prom
ised to sing. That he was buried in some
dream of the past, Olive doubted not. Then
he came out of the dream with start and did
look at her-looked like man charmed, spell
bound, fascinated.
A sudden fear smote Olive Gresham's heart.
Had she cause to fear this womans influence
over her husband?
The song ended and, amid the low mur-
III
Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique." An opal
ring upon her finger glowed and glittered in
the light like fiery eye. Olive hated opals.
This one seemed to be mocking her.
The parties at Seaview-ladies and gentle
men both-went in for much pleasure and
revelry, so that nothing save gayety was appa-
rent on the surface. But, for all that, skele-
ton was there.
A great friendshp-a wonderful intimacy
had sprang up between Mr. Gresham and Miss
Dorne. There lay the skeleton. Olive shud-
dered. Mrs. Davenal and one or two more
keensighted women looked on with bitter dis
approval. Others laughed openly at the pass
ing Irritation, and supposed there was nothing
in it save little idle pastime. How should
there be7 Was not his wife there?
Olive knew better. She knew better Too
surely she saw her influence over her husband
growing less, and that of Miss Dorne greater.
He was almost always with Miss Dorne, now
She seemed to have fascinated him.
Once-and only once-Olive spoke with him
about it. He laughted at her, jested about her
;ealously, and called her his "wld rose"-his
wild rose as he used to do and he fondly
kissed her, and for the time she was appeased.
But not an hour later she saw him smiling into
Gertrude Dorne's face with an expression that
no man can we'll put on unless he loves. The
fear, the dread, she knew not of what, came
over her again, stronger than before. What
could she do? Nothing absolutely nothing
She loved him, but her love was not strong
enough 10 keep him at her side. Miss Dorne's
will drew him from her end kept him away.
She was queen, and he was her slave-a
willing slave, Olive thought, sometimes, with
bitter feeling at her heart
There was no friendship between the women,
and no semblance of it. Olive had never liked
her from the first. There was something repul-
sive about her, to Olives mind-(and this
would have been the case had there been no
John Gresham in existence e)-something that
kept Olive at distance, and prevented any
approach to friendship. Miss Dorne seemed
wholly Indifferent on the subject. Knowing
how great her influence was over John Gresham,