Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-08

her only reply was shake Of her head. Ger
tainly, if she should, at any time, choose
confdante, that preference would never fall
upon her mother-in.law. She did not possess
her affection and regard-much less her con-
fidence-and it would never be into her in
quisitive ear that she would pour the sorrow
ing complaint of her overburdened and un-
happy heart.
20, he understand. You decline to
tell !" said the old lady, vexatiously.
"Tell? What have I to tell that all the
wide world may not know, too?" said Ger
trude, imperiously.
"Much much you poor young thing!
You can't deceive my eyes. They see every
thing Poor thing! Poor thing" Andshe
donned her spectacles to mark more surely
the ravages a nameless sorrow had made upon
the fresh and exquisite loveliness other daugh-
ter-in-law's face.
T would be obliged if you would spare me
the inAction of your pity. Ihave no demand
for it," said Gertrude, flushed and indignant.
The old lady shrugged her shoulders-and
looked condoling, despite her daughters OBJ
lection.
"Why should you call me poor thing
1 should like to know, when it is we'll known
fact that Irving's wealth is like the sands of
the sea9"
"It was only mode of expression, dear
child, and not uttered in financial sense"
ut could have no other meaning for me-"
"There were never two people who thought
exactly alike on the same subject, my dear"
After this there was silence for some mo-
ments, during which cessation of hostilities,
Mrs. Mcdonald, senior, examined the hand.
some rings upon her large, shapely white
hands, while her daughter-in.aw sat pale and
stern, staring directly in her placid face
Finally, seeing that her mother intended to
maintain her quiescent state for an hour to
come, she demanded with evident effort
"Who is Mrs. Vaughn Fessenden p
"The consort of Colonel Vaughn Fessen-
den, of the regular army, I conclude" an
swered the old lady, with smile like deaths
head.
"Of course everybody knows that much
as we'll as you do," rejoined Gertrude, knit
ting her brow into an angry frown; "what l
want to know-is-who was she before she
became Mrs. Vaughn Fessenden-' 'consort of
Colonel Vaughn Fessenden, of the regular
army?'" and she concluded her sentence with
a sneering and scornful emphasis.
"Oh all yes-to be sure-I understand
you now. Well, her name was Cecilia Har
wood"
"Cecelia Harwood And did she and Ir-
wing know each other before they married?
"Yes-very well-indeed they were very
intimate"
"Intimate DO you mean that they were
devoted"
EYES,"
"Were they lovers? Is that your opin-
ion?"
"Well, really, now, that is a queer ques'
tion."
"Queer or otherwise, I would be obliged for
an answer auant it-now"
"Well, 1 used to fancy they would make a
match some day; but you see was mista-
ken," admitted the old lady.
81 knew it; I felt it !" inwardly moaned the
young wife but she assumed an outward de-
gree of calmness and said nonchalantly-
"She is beautiful, I think"
beautiful! should say so! Far too
beautiful to be the wife of that old brute of
Fessenden. Goodness have seen dozens of
men wild about her. She was worshipped.
See her now-bright and lovely as girl in
her first season and yet she has been yoked
to that disgusting old churl for six years. 1t
would have killed me but it has not dimmed
even the fire in her eyes. Did you ever see
such eyes! They outshine the very stars of
heaven p
"You, too, love her?" questioned Gertrude.
"No I love no one, except Irving"
"But he and she were lovers, you say?"
Gertrude's voice was scarcely audible.
mo, 1 did not say sol"
"But you gave me the right to draw the
Inference did you not, mother-in-aw ?"
The old lady laughed maliciously
care you jealous, that you ask so many
questions about Mrs. Waugh Fessenden ?"
jealous! I jealous?"
"Yes; every wife--every woman who loves
may be so. 1t is innate in all of the sex !"
"Perhaps you are right; but am not jeal-
Gus. She and Irving are both married, and
l believe them to be honorable in heart and
Decd"
"Fudge You talk like little nun, in
stead of woman who knows society as thor
oughly as you ought to know it, considering
the time you've been in it..
Old Mrs. Mcdonald sneered out these
words in accents of the most evil meaning.
Gertrude looked at her with shocked and
frightened expression on her sweet face, and
then, suddenly bridling up, she said
"My husband is an honorable gentleman,
madam, and were he the degraded creature
you insinuate he is, his mother should be the
last being on earth to divulge his error to his
loving, trusting wife"
She said all this, not because the conviction
was in her own soul that she had asserted the
truth but because she was trying to compel
herself to think so, despite all his late cold
ness and indifference toward her; and despite,
also, the ardent devotion Of speech, and ges-
lure and glance which he constantly lavished