The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-07-07
I'm BONDS nE STEEL.

wife among these agreeable country peO
| pie. Siba is an active, industrious little
body, and l wish you both every possible
| happiness"
4 bland, but half disconnected smile
flickered over the florid visage of the
elder man.
as not your congratulation rather
ambiguous :" he returned quiZzingly. 81
am inclined to think you consider the
happiness you wish me as somewhat
| doubtful"
Mr.. Dugald laughed uneasily. He was
| always disquieted when his shrewd cous-
in chose to be critical.
''SibA is no more perfect than any of
| u.s." he answered evasively, anG with
some asperity "She is easily offended,
and not disposed to be reasonable when
angeTed. You are same, Rufus. But
she loves you and you love her, so
when you come TO understand each 9TH
er thoroughly, can apPrehend no rea-
son why you will not be an ordinarily
harmonious pair"
| 81 am afraid you have contemplated
| disagreeable possibilities. - remarked the
| other with unnatural good humOr. But
have you decided 10 come with US to
kentucky, Walter go
81 shall be Obliged to go with you,
suppose" responded Mr.. Dugald gioOmi-
| IT, IL can obtain no employment here,
and j must do something and that
spepdily too. for my funds are becoming
Internationally small"
aEReil, have plenty for US all, and
my business is lucrative" observed the
cousin consolinglY.
ayes, know" responded the younger
| man "but can adapt my abilities TO
your business, that is wholly CONNER
cial, as understand ="
Certainly, and with profit" was the
quick reply. "But We must dispense
with q business consultation just now.
! hear the ladies coming"
There was a sound on the stairs, not
unlike the ffuttering of birds wlngs-a
| sound Of almost narrowing rapidity-so
rapid that neither the clink of heels nor
sweep of skirts was distinctly audible.
The next moment Siba sIacqult cater
ed the parlor with an unceremonious
and scarcely gracious assurance OF man.
neR.
al would not wait for Regina" she
purred, with 8 smirk. "She is horribly
slow and particular about her toilet. l
am afraid she is vain-I really am, in
deed; and I think ] should pity you,
Walter-just a little, in q sisterly way,
you know"
81 am not conscious of any special
need of pity, in any sort of way" re-
turned the young man, with some cold
ness. He had very little liking for
Miss Jacquit. She always reminded
him of that type of woman of which
Shakespeare must have been thinking
when the passage
And though she be but little, she is Iierce."-
was written.
This young person was decidedly
small Of stature and proportions, yet an
gular of bone and strong OF muscle. She
was quite Insignificant in her littleness,
albeit her aspect was certainly not that
of one who would choose peace instead
OF war. She was q brunette. with Ane,
plenteous, but lustreless dark hair; a
small, unintellectual head ordinary, but
not displeasing features; q crimson
mouth, with long, thin lips, and with
big, dark, dull eyes that seldom bright
en- except in times of wrathful passion,
and then with q strange, savage glitter.
Walter Dugald believed her TO be as
insincere as shallow; as relentlessly
cruel as she was violent and shrewish.
And he marveled at the infatuatiOn of
his cousin.
81 suppose their natures must be coun-
| terparts," he would reflect obviously,
"She is little and sWathy, and he is large
and fair. He is slow of movement,
speech and thought, and she is an in
carnated whirl-wInd OF impulse and
physical motion. Possibly they may
| prove o sufficiently peaceful couple. At
the worst their married life can only lie
petty skirmish of snow balls against
smOldering finder"
Falconhridge had led his betrOthed to-
| ward an ancient, tuneless piano at the
further end of the room. and the two
were ieSting and laughing so gaily that
| q VS. evident they i70sGi4 not b mo- tzf-
~ offended if they were left quite alone
together.
"They will never miss me-" thought
Walter, as he quietly left the parlor and
went up to the pretty chamber where his
beautiful young wife was adjoining her
bronze-broWn curls and the simple cor
sage of her plain gray silk dress with
pink and white rOse-buds.
"I fancied and hoped you would come
| for me, dear" she smiled, as she turned
| to fasten a delicate bright blossom in
her buttonhole. "DO l hear Siba and
| Rufus singing already? How happy
| they arc tOgetherm she concluded, CON
tentedly.
Evidently, our presence is not essen
tial to their comfort just now" laughed
! the young husband. "Shall we go with
them to Kentucky, Regina?" he ended
/ with abrupt seriousness.
II am not inclined to regard the pro-
ject very fayOrably," was the gentle re-
ply "Siba and I have never been the
most loving of sisters, and-pardOn me,
dear-I do seriously mistrust this appa-
rent friendliness of your cousin. But
shall cheerfully do what you think best,
Walter, alwaYs-and in all things"
l ST tnovSy that 6oPlinnu affirmed tho
husband, with much feeling. But re-
| spect your wishes and value your ad-
vice. OF course ! do not contemplate
locating permanently there; but the ex.
perience OF a year or two among new
scenes and new faces might be bene.
fetal"
"Yes, if you were an artist or an in
valid" said Regina, smiling. "But can
Rufus assure you any benefit or profit as
an engrav0ry"
mot at all was the answer. "IIe is
to find me some agency or something
that he promises me will he most lucra
tive. In the meantime, if we are moi
pleased-if We are dissatisfied, we car
return. / am afraid can do no better
than accept his offer, my love-"
"Then we must accept it," aveTTed thu
wife, promptly.
il But Regina Dugald was not satisfied
| She had presentiment of i'll, and he
heart was heavy with indefnable sad
ness, as some weeks later she neared thu
/ wild mountains among whose emerald
and amethystine shadows was the new
! home promised them by Rufus Falcon
bridge.
: The new home was not palace O
} luxury, nor was il an abode OF ATcadiai
quietude and simplicity.
| TA WAS q ct1riOuS PiIda wooden RfrEC
: ture, oddly resembling huge, square
: dun rock among the rocks around AM
, | above il. Thick, low trees hid its low
roof, and thick wild ivy hid its walls ant
) narrow latticed windows. 1t was suff
e ciently comfortable, and its several CON
e modiOus rooms were finished tastefullJ
al had the house built after the mode
Of a hunting lodge / once saw in til
north of England" explained Falcon
0 bridge. cheerily. e Is it not delightful
: | secluded? Is not the site romantic an
4 picturesque? Are not the green of tn
8 grass and the forests, the gray of tn
j rocks, the purple of the peaks, superb
4 have wine a century old in my cellars
: | have the finest horses in the cOuntr
o in my stables; / have cattle grazing o
4 thousand hills / shall keep yOu pre-
ty busy, Walter, what with my herd
and folds and other matters"
"And what are we 10 dO-Regina an
g =" inquired Siba, brisklY.
ri Anything you may prefer my dea
est" declared FalcOnbridgs, laughin
heartily. you may read, embrOide
Z gOssip or toast quail and brOil venisO
, steak for your mighty hunters. An
l. when You desire something adventnsOr
= y0n may explore my subteFranean shoe
ing gallery thai leads through sti
more WOnderfuI passage To the hank Of
deep and narrow stream. And there
&c dim, delightful grOttO you will in
q HlOOrcll little canoe as light as , lark
d leather, strong rs an eagles wing an
- swirl as an Indians arrow. have pr
= uirle.l Esr all onnr ls.airnE and nanaseifia