The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-05-21

provoked by his friends tone
He looked up quickly. D..
'Yes, Mr.. Furness is visitor at my
house, and an old acquaintance of my wife.
| Well2' %. N..s.' ..
| 1T is to be hoped it is well, Ridgeland;
but-don't be mad, old fellow-but people
10 say he is there too often. for Mrs. KS
| good. He's one of your handsome, dashlng
sort, you know-just the style to captivate
a woman, and he was q beau of your wife
long before you werc.'
The stern white brows lowered angrily
at this remark.
II you have anything to say, say it, and
don't insinuate IT,, People talk, do they, of
my wife and young Furness2 Let me as
sure you, it is my wish that my wife re-
cciye young company, suited, as you say,
to her years.
And from the 'haughtily decided way. he
used, it was evident Mr.. Ridgeland con-
sidered the subject dismissed2 Dismissed
from conversation, but not from mind.
How could such a subject be dsmissed2
And MIR. Ridgeland found it intrutling
with distastetul pertinacity dozen times
that day as he was busy in his private
| office.
lie went home an hour earlier than usual |
that afternoon-why, he could not have
| said, Ger tainly not from what his over
jealous friend had said, and yet, it struck
him with peculiarly startling and 'unpleas-
ant force when the footman told him, in
answer to his customary inquiry if Mrs.
Ridgeland was in that he would find her
in her own sitting room, with Mr. Furncss.
For one moment the temptation, WIS
strong upon him to 60 direct to his wife's
room aud inform her visitor that he must
come no more. For one moment 1t seemed
us if jealousy, distrust, and anger had
taken complete possession of him-then,
with dignity worthy himself, he passed
IN and went to the library--far enough
| away from where the servant had told him
his wife and her guest--her admirer, once
her lover-were, to prove how effectually
he had routed the evil feeling that had,
possessed him.
His library was charming room, the
very ideal of what library should be-a
long, narrow room, with walls hung in green
f1uted silk, and divided from the back draw
ing room by sliding glass doors that were
draped On both sides with silk.
And the glass doors. were just enough
ajar for him to hear voices the moment he
entered the room-enough ajar to enable
To l. lot ,n hol
mistake-that Mrs. Ridgeland and Mr..
Furness were not in. the lady's own room
but in the drawing room.
The thrill of qualification that he expert
encod did not lessen as he stood in the
centre of his library and heard, without
listening, first his wifes clear, Indignant
voice
81 will not permit you to speak so TO mo
You shall not forget am MIR. Ridgeland's 3
wife," Then Furness' voice, eager, i'm
passioned.
''rhcre ls no danger Of my forgetting the
accursed fact, Diana. Notwithstanding,
believe you love me yet, as you once did.
love you, Diana, dearly, dearly, and you
all know it,
81 tell you will not have such insolencel
You shall be corrected of your mistake in
supposing / ever loved you, and then Sou
shall leave the house, or / will call the SER
wants to assist you out. I never cared for
you'll never cared for anyone but my dear
noble husband, the best man ever woman
had to love and care for her. l will not
have him, or his name, 5or his house, dis
graced by such,a one as you, who dare speak
such words to his wife--the wife who
honors and loves him."
Furness laughed.
Love him-slxty eight years oldt That's
likely, .Dianal Love him--no you don'l"
he sncercd.'
Then Diana's voice, like clear, cold steel,
was heard:
"Leave this room, this house, sir, IN
which you are not fit to be. Leave it in
| stantly, and never dare to enter it again
you ungentlemanly rascal, to presume upon
such insulting language to Il wifep
And Mr.. Ridgoland heard his wife's
dress rustic rapidly over the carpet AMI out
in the hall and ascending the stairs; ana he
saw b1r. Furness get his hat, cane and
gloves and take himself off very like a
whipped cur. ......
Then he followed his true hearted little
wife to her room where he found her pale,
excited, and still indignant.
| ''My little darlingl never loved you
30 in all your llfcl Diana, I heard 1t all,
every word, Diana, my little loyel"
The next day he sent Mr.. Furness his Of
tlcial congo and that gentleman had ample
reason to maligr his unlucky stars that over
his awkward foolishness had shut the doors
of the Ridgeland house against him, while
master and mistress never thought of him
again, scarcely, and certainly not fair
DIANA, wheL, q few years afterwards, she
donned her sombre weeds on tho occasion
Of her husbands death, that left her sole,
unconditional lnhcritress OF his immense