The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-08-24

OF france, where they had been living fl
I more than year. Mr.. 1den had Ion
been dead. Reginald Poyntz was one {
the principal partners in a great tiverpo,
firm which carried on business with Indi
and China, and he had Just returned fro1
= trip to China and Japan, by way of Sa
Francisco and New York. Reginald
bride'--7-as. Mr.. Fletcher was pleased t
call her, saying, that the name so,lnded.s
delightfully."- like the title of q fsshionabl
novel-was coming from Algeria, wher
she had been spending the winter with he
married sister ard the husband of the lat
ter, who was little of an invalid. REG
! maids bride" was, of course, only hi
fiancee. They were cousins, and ha,
been good deal together, and were YER
atfectionate and all that, but nobody eve
supposed that they were lovers, until on
day when Reginald proposed and wa
gently accepted. Reginald's bride had
pretty name, Violet, and was pretty girl
with sweet temper that nothing eve
imbittered, and an unchanging wish t,
give, everybody pleasure. As she hat
lived chiefly in the north of England, thu
Fletchers knew but little Of her cxcep
through Reginald, who was as much il
London as in Liverpool, and knew almos
as many people in Madison. avenue anc
on Murray Hill as in either of the Englisl
towns. Now, however, she was coming
with her sister and brother in law to spenC
Il few days in the pleasant house of the
F1etceB.s 1t was to be a grand rendez
vous, as one consequence of which the
host and hostess were to be domiciled
every. night in. a bed made up in Mr.
Fletcher's study.
Reginald Poyntz had rather an uncom.
Portable night of it, He had protested to
be sleepy, but he sat up until dawn began
gtosshow itself; anskwhen he slept 1t last
he only dreamed of Alexandra Iden. g
wish hadn't come here's all, 'she said
to himself in the morning. 1.-THE mo.
ment entered the house the whole thing
came back upon me, and saw her again
AS If she were before me. l wish |
hadn't come. No, don't. I'm glad |
came. What do care? No more than
she ever did. l ought to be only too
happy. Myssweet, httle Violet is worth a
Thousand such; A gin without a heart is
odious. l wonder why she didn't marry
that fellows'
''@ Was his discomfort decreased by sight
which he saw as he looked out of his win.
dow, attracted by the rattle of wheels upon
the gravel before the door! A carriage
drove up, piled with trunks and shawis.
Mr.. Fletcher jumped out, He handed out
first an elderly lady, and next tall young
woman, who stepped lightly to the ground
and ran to greet Mrs. Fletcher. who had
come out in her friendly way to receive
her guests. That was pretty group EN-.
powered in the green of the lawn and the
trees, and with the soft, delicious at
mosphere of an English June all over it..
Mrs. Fletcher was very pretty little
woman, over whom her forty odd years
had had no power. She was fair and
soft, pink and white; and she wore a pur
pie morning dress, and had something
white and tieecy thrown carelessly over
her head and shoulders. The girl who ran
up to her caught her in her arms and
kissed her several times. She was
tall girl, with noble presence,
every movement suggesting energy =;
she had dark hair and eyes, and
a face of intellectual shape, from
which the sunny air and the glad
meeting had driven the paleness habtual
to it. Reginald grew red as he saw her.
He drew back and turned away; looked
out again. She had disappeared into the
house, He almost groaned. 1t was Alex
andra Iden j; and only the other day it
seemed he was wildly in love with her,
and it was in that house he first saw her,
and he once thought she loved him. and
then he thought she didn't, and he tried
to pique her into love through jealousy,
and he played off his innocent and sweet
little Violet against her, and Alexandra
drew coldly away from him altogether;
and then he heard that she was about to
be married, and rage glowed within him.
So when he saw little Tiolet's eyes resting
sweetly, tenderly, one day, great rush Of
emotion compounded OF resentment
toward another, @kindfiness to her, and
wantOn, reckless sclf-sacritice came over
him, and he asked Violet to be his wife.
That was all. A better wife he could not
have. Why did he complain or repent !.
n hundred times day he assured him.
self that he did not complain or repent.
But we know what it. means when man
insists to- himself that he does not COM
plain, does not repent. 1t is like Sir An
thony Absolute's prOtestations that he is
not in passion, or the quick and repeated
declaration of some girl that she is not
blushing when her testing companions
press her with questions about her lover
However, Reginald assured himself as
firmly as ever that he had had lucky es-
cape; that Miss lden was q sffirt and had
no heart. 81 wonder for kwhose" benefit
all that kissing on the lawn was meant :?
Girls like her don't kiss women in that
way out of womanly affection. Fletcher
is married, and Lsaw nobody else. But
suppose even Fletcher as spectator is
better than nobody. How unlike all that
is Violet!'''
{ Poyntz was determined when he met
Alexandra to display cool and easy in
difference. But she met him with a
friendly welcome that seemed so unaffect-
ed as to compel him into kind of cordi-
ality. She was evidently determined that
they Should be good and even warm
friends. She asked after Violet with
affection. Poyntz was really puzzled. He
had expected any thing but that. Her
manner toward him was, altogether that
when a woman assumes quite naturally
when she has a frank and warm friendship
for man, and takes it for granted that
he knows it and feels just the same to-
ward her. 1t was almost as cordial and
unconcealed as the kindness of sister.
al see it all now" Reginald said to
himself. "She never cared rush for
me, except in the way Of mere friendship.
What fool was!- Yes, there is no mis-
taking her manner now; how did I ever
mistake it? There is no atfectation in that,
at all events."s -
No, Mons whltstef. No affectation! If
Reginald could only have seen the rush of
color that came over Alexandra's face
when she heard, too late for any retreat,
that he too was guest in the house of the
EaAs1hers; if he could only have seen her
assalonA tp her fooM she tried TO- school
hd&elf fnSa subrnission and self com ahd,
how she tried to learn, how earnestly She
prayed to be.tpaght, what course she
oHkhttC pmsG& Tow shesat last RESOLVED
that. he right tlifng to do as a woman
resQlute TO fcgive, and sincerely wishing
sfnthe E6oab him Mho was lost to..ihnei
and of the ope who, she believed, sup.
, q { ,wYH y tsproye stE once
her-of him exactly as of her, and nc
more. lAffectationv Il Ne putting on Of
a noble part, despites all The struggles OF
passion and the. spasms of pain, can be
saHed adectation, then surely Alexandra
ld4aa frSak and placid friendship was d
unreal and as much affected as the false
smile OF any coquette. If peace hath hel
victories no 1esS renowned thon 11.r or