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


such Maize and charming abandon of idola
try, that it was delightful to enter her pres
ence; and her beauty!aud ease attracted many
guests coequal with his gorgeous banquets.
This gaming and dicing never seemed wrong
to Gertrude The poor girl had a mother
whose chiefest thoughts were of her NERVES
and "the fashions" and, therefore, she neither
knew nor thought of morality or principle be-
ing involved. This mother was the wife Of q
captain in the regular army, and besides the
widows pension, which the government annu
ally paid her, she was utterly unprovidcd for
and almost friendless.
Irving Mcdonald, short time previous to
her death, had rescued her and her lovely
daughter, Gertrude, from the crumbliDg
fame-devoured walls of the Richmond thea
tre, and at her death received in trust the or
phan girl.
"Watch over Gertrude; be kind to my
beautiful child!"' murniured the dying mother
Irving was very much affected by the ap
peal, and fervently answered her
II will devote my whole life to her happi
ness. l will make her my wife if she will
consent" he added, with increasing fervor
The expiring woman took his hand and
carried it to her lips, and her sad eyes beamed
with gratitude no words could ever have ex'
pressed.
"God bless you! God bless you both !'
she said in a voice almost inaudible from
weakness The day after that she closed her
eyes, as ifwooing sleep to restore her to health,
since peace was in her heart, and never
opened them in life again.
A few weeks subsequent to her demise IT.
wing Mcdonald took Gertrude Fairleigh for
his wife, and thereby made her not only the
happiest woman in all America but mistress
Of the finest house in Boston, Of another in
New York, and Of superb residence in Ten
nessee.
There was only one shadow on Gertrude's
life She detested her motherin-law, and it
was not to be wondered at for Gertrude
Fairleigh was Thoroughbred" Marylander,
although poor, and Mrs. Mcdonald, senior,
had something indcscribably repulsive about
her. She was cold suspicious mercenary and
exacting. Gertrude had brought no dowry
to her husband, except her youth and her
beauty and this fact was the incentive for
many discursive theme from the old lady on
Irving's wealth, and the folly of throwing it
|
away on penniless GIRL
Had it not been that Gertrude loved Irving
with all the passionate ardor of her nature,
and trusted him and believed in him as the
truest and most perfect of mankind, their con-
jugal relations would have been unhappily
restless and doubtful, and she would have
been, consequently, wretched wretched, be-
cause Irving was everything in the world but
perfect being, and could not, under any cir
cumstances, have abidcd peaceably with wife
who exhibited the least imperious spirit.
/ Sometimes he would be subject to moodi-
ness that amounted to mania with him. At
times like these he would lock himself up in
his private apartment and none-not even
Gertrude would dare to approach him.
This demeanor cast a gloom over all the
household, for everything was silent as if the
dead inhabited the mansion. Servants trod
the halls noiselessly and talked in whispers +;
the bells we're muAied and even thedog were
confined in their kennels, lest an untoward
bark should disturb the master of the domain.
Gertrude remained in her room, Mrs. Nc
Donald, senior, in hers, and never a guest
was allowed to step across the door-sill. All
this care and anxiety was shown because Ger
trude, once, deeming it the best plan not to
notice these fits" of his, ordered that every
thing should 90 on just as usual, and not q
shadow of notice he taken Of his mood; but
the merry sounds of a happy household jar
red on his excited and tensioned nerves, and
he came out among them in the most violent
and uncalled-for rage, making everybody
fly from him, right and left, as if he was a
furious and cnraged tiger escaped from cage.
After that time, Gertrude never allowed
sound to break with a jar upon his utter mel
ancholy. In return for this, Irving McDon-
aid was all the tenderer to her when he re-
covered himself and would take her every
where she even fancied she would enjoy visit
ing. One week they would be in Boston
another in New York another in Baltimore
a day or two after that they would be in Chi
cago in a week in New Orleans; soon after
in San Francisco or'Paris, or London, or Ma
pies, or Charleston and they would travel as
if they had wings. Then would they come
home with feasting, dancing, gaming and
rest.
Gertrude never questioned her husband
about these strange freaks. She knew that it
was best to take everything in her life with
him Just as it came, and to care for nothing
that did not explain itself She liked variety
and beautiful robes and jewels and laces she
liked elegant turnouts, and gracious people;
she liked fine houses and all the appurtenan-
ces that wealth and luxury bring about them
and the travelling from city to city, from
country to country, suited her to admiration.
After Irvng's stay in Boston, he joined his
wife at Bristol, some weeks later, and brought
with him half dozen gay friends. He met
Gertrude with every demonstration of affec-
ton. She noticed that he was palcr than it
was his wont to be; but his gay manners and
his light laughter reassured her anxious heart.
1t was his keen.eyed mother who took note
that his laughter was hollow and mirthless,
and that though talking with ease, it was at:
fected, and that his words smothered sghs. A