The Red Cloud chief., 1879-07-03
OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS.

Ihere Is scarcely any tnlDR moIc un-
fortunate for q man than the absence
of loving women around his childhood
and youth. Marx Ripon bad
known such women, and / offer this
fact as some palliation for his want OF
faith in them.
He was ignorant of his parentage;
he had been found q summer morn
ing on the steps of the Foundation
School In Baxfersgate, Ripon; and as
it was On the festival Of st. Mark, he
had received the name Of his native
city, and been adopted by the institu-
ton.
Wholesome food, stout clothing and
a decent trade had been given him by
the Foundation, and in many respects
he was felt to have done it honor, for
after fifty years Of creditable citizsp,1
ship, he was one of the cathedral YES
try, sat in the Common Council OF the
ancient city which had adopted him,
ard was said to be worth 100000.
But there is q success which the world
sees little of-that of the heart-and in
this respect Marx Ripon was the veri-
est pauper. OF the nurses n matrons
who had been around his earliest years
he had not one tender memory; none
of them had fed the hunger OF his
heart. He had no home, no mother,
and no sister. The school had been
simply a place in which TO eat and TO
sleep and to learn.
Unfortunately, when the lad fell in
love, it was with a pretty firt infinitely
more heartless than himself. But Marks
love had been cruelty deceived and
Knocked, and he had come out OF his
chagrin ard sorrow with a confirmed
belief in the general and natural I'M
f%aithfulness of women. Popular maxims
and jests confirmed him every day in
his idea, and like most Englishmen, hay
ing once avowed this q his opinion,
every reiteraiion of his own idea was q
fresh confirmation Of it.
But he had many friends among his
own sex. Men generally spoke of him
as a crusty old bachelor, but otherwise
a well-to-do, shrewd, and honorable
fellow. Chief among these friends was
young George Downes, the child of the
only companion his boyhood had ever
known, and his own godson. If Mark
Ripon loved any human being, it was
George Downes, though, as the latter
grew up 10 manhood, he gave him a
great deal of anxiety. For George pre-
ferred the society of women, and would
not credit Marks positive assurances
of their universal falseness and I'M
worthiness.
One moonlight night, as Mark was
coming from a vestry meeting, he met
George in the cathedral close, and on
his arm was a very beautiful girl. The
old man looked angrily and doubtfully
at the pretty face lifted to his favorite's.
The bright moonbeams touched her
long, fair curls. and made the white veil
around them like a glory. Mark re-
membered just such a.lSyeiy, innocent
face Lifted 70 his, and be had no doubt
whatever that this girl would be just as
false to George as pretty Fanny Maltby
had been to him.
George, however, would not be per-
suaded to doubt her. Then Mark offer
ed to pay his expenses if he would 90
abroad and travel for two years; but
George said 1" he had just got a place in
Butterfeld's Bank, and preferred a
home" The young man, in Marks
eyes, was bent or running himself, and
in a few weeks he celebrated his wed
ding with an elaborate rejoicing that
reused the old mans bitterest con
tempt.
George fully expected that he would
now be ignored, and probably lose for
ever any chances he might have had of
~inheriting his godfather's wealth. But
Mark was unlike the generality of men
in many respects, and in none more
than in his behavior to the young man
who had so flagrantly disregarded all
his advices and ~entreaties.
He redoubled his care over him, and
watched all his movements with a con-
stantly increasing interest. In fact, he
did not blame George at all; he regard
ed him as one who, in an unfortunate
hour, had fallen into the hands of a
power which was too great for him. He
pitied the happy bridegroom, and re-
solved as soon as possible to release him
from the tolls of the woman who had
charmed and enslaved him.
In vain Georges wife. smiled upon
and entertained Mark Ripon. He Wis
tied her house, indeed, for it was neces-
sary to watch her movements; but
+, neither her smiles, nor songs, nor at
tentions moved Mark. He had gone
through that delusion once, and was
not to be deceived again. 1t was one
great point in his favor that George had
taken a house in such a situation that he
could keep the young wife under very
close surveillance, and he was confident
that sooner or later he would prove her
all that he believed women universally
to be.
But month after month went by, and
George was more in love than ever.
There had also come to the happy home,
over the way from Marks, q fine little
boy, that had been called after him, and
. blue-eyed girl, whom not even Mark
could yet find in his heart to regard as
false and dangerous. He was even ven.
turing to make Mrs. George Downes
that exception said to be contingent on
every rule, when suddenly all his sus-
picions were forced into active life and
prominence. =.
One day-a very wet one-a close car
riage drove up to Georges house, and
Mrs. George, heavily cloaked and veil
ed, was driven away in it.
"Very well, ms'am," said Mark, sus-
piciously, to himself, "we shall see
whether you confess to having been out
to-day"
So he went ver to Georges, played
a rubber or two with his favorite, and
tried every way to induce q confession
as to the drive in the rain; but the
young wife would make no allusion to
1t. This was On q Monday. On Thurs
day, at the same hour, the carriage came
again, and Georges wife went away in
it. The next week she went out on
three different days, and twice, the
weather being fine, he noticed that she
wore her very best satin dress, the rich