Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-24

cause she did not love them. She loveu
them dearly. with tenderness all her
own; hut Mt that time she was too ut
,erlv absorbed In her own tumultuous
happiness to he able to conceive of there
being n serpent trail in her paradise. She
clung to them with-passionate kisses be-
fore she started on her wedding journey,
and had almost To be torn from their
embraces; but this without probing the
nature of their regret and wrctchedncss.
She and George sailed for Europe al
most Immediately. He was rich man,
but he had profession to which he
proposed to devote himself. For the
next two years he attended medical
lectures in Paris as assiduously as though
he had been needy student anxious TO
go to- work To earn living. lie and
Edni were very happy during hose two
years; it was the life that suited Edna
art and music and congenial society.
The world was even gayer and brighter
than her day dreams had pictured II.
Then n year of travel. Then home.
Eddie had never known how she had
missed her dear father and mother until
she found herself once more claspcd in
their loving arms, How had she done
without, all this while. their extraordin-
airy devotion, their blind infatuation?
She had never half enjoyed her own two
babir, until she had shown them to her
father and mother. Tears of JOY and
pride ruined down Mrs. Clark's cheeks
Eddic's little girls! There never were
such beauties, such darlings. Eddie's
eyes, clear, brown, eager, with their
fathers beautiful golden hair. Forum
ately they We're sufficiently like their
fathers family to win favor with their
grandmother Leroy on that score. On the
i 4 4. &.
ance presented by her sons family. Ed
dies French toilettcs were stylish and
becoming: the elder baby prattlcd in
French in distinguished way; the baby
proper was "A study for n picture rs she
lay in the arms of her bonHc, whose pie
turesque cap and apron we're the first
that had ever appeared in Port Royal.
Edna really did not do George discrcdit;
she would be we'll enough. if only it
were not for her vulgar father and
mother.
Still there were no Jars. But. all the
same Edna grew gradually harLssed and
unhappy. 1t became patcnt 10 her that
Mrs. I.e Roy looked down upon her ante
cedents, and that IL was perpctually upon
her mind to instruct her in the different
articles of her own social cr,v d. Eddie's
gentle soul rebeiled. She had her own
pride of birth She hated Mrs. IL Roy's
arrogance and assumption. She almost
hated Mrs. II Roy. Day after day she
was made To appear 10 disadvantage be-
fore George. Day after day she felt that
she was stiflrning and hardening before
the icy breath of her mothcr-in-la laws
constant surveillance. A word here and
a word there viii prejudice almost un-
awares. George, for the first time.
noticed that his wife had defects: she
lacked self-control. sclf-posscssion. These
things would come in time but they were
nm indispensable part Of the equipment
of finished woman Of the world
Gradually George began To object to
her frequent visits TO her parents. al
though never in so many words. The
argument he used was that she gas so
much away from home; he saw so little
of her, Gradually Eddie abandoned
this point; but i'm return she resolved
that she would be equally chary Of her
visits to other places. She established a
character for unaociability and indiflcr-
enCe among all the L. Roys' friends in
Port Royal. people whom Mrs IL Roy
had urged her to cultivate for your
husbands sake, my dear; a physicians
wife cannot exercise too much discretion
in the choice Of aCqulintanccs. ="
Gradually she did not seem to herself
to be- the same girl. oh. If only she and
George could live in n little house Of
their own! This great, grand house was
n prison. But 1t had always been on
the cards that George shouldsivc with
his mother An unusual devotion ex-
listed between the mother and son.
Eddie was not a wise woman Sho
made no effort To conceal the bitterness
In her soul from her own parents. They
knew that she was not happy: they
never dreamed Of blaming her when day
after day went by without their seeing
her. But they did blame Mrs. H.
Roy. and none the less rs they saw Eddie
grow quiet and duh and changed
George and she drinod farther and
farther apart. His was an impression
able nature. which speedily fell away
from the magnetism of any influence
which was not vigorously exortcd. And
he liked life and gaycty; Eddie's mood
chilled and reprcssed him. Ifc had no
sympathy for people with the blues. So
lie sought amusement elsewhere. If Ed.
die.refuscd to return visits the more rca.
son that he should visit vigorously. ITc
WAS always warmly welcomed NJ the
houses of his old intimates. The Sto-
reys, for instance. made as much oi him
rs though he still were unmarried. lie
believed those girls would do anything
for him. IIe showed Eddie with some
what OF schoolboy triumph n pair Of
slippers Minna Storey had worked for
him in shaded fosscs.
Port Royal-at least its exclusive
circles-always LEFT home in August and
September. Tie IL Roys from time inn
memorial had gone to the Swcetbrier
springs during those months. II was
decided to carry out his usual pro-
gramme, almost without consulting
Mrs. George I.e Roy. She, for her part,
detested the idea of going, ne indeed she
had ended by detesting all the Lc Roys'
doings.
Nevertheless. Swectbricr springs was
n pleasant place enough. In the heart of
the peaceful, serene mountains. 1t was
not so lar from Port Royal but that
George could join his family once a
week. for which fact Eddie would have
been more than thankful had she had
the full benefit of hig society when Ia,