The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-09-26

lied on"
every WELL" answered the outraged Mrs
Suyter. "She is the only young woman I'M
America who would have refused Pierre.
He will easily console himself"
No doubt Phema enjoyed the season. Shek
was natural and healthy girl, spoiled al
good deal, to be sure, but four montns wlthE
aunt Allen and real love affair had donees
much to improve her. She heartily enJoyed5
the gayety of Newport, and still more the5
rides. the walks, the sails of that enchant-A
inc soiourn. She was not above girlish1
pleasure in her beautiful costumes and thea
great admiration she excited. She knew hers
own brilliant beauty was far better illus
trated by the absence of color in her dressE
than it would have been by the prev-ilingf
tints of the day; and she liked to be liked, asS
Ilost women do. To be loved was anothers
matter! This seemed to enrage her, and5
from that a wiser eye than her mother Il
might have discovered that her heart was5
preoccupied.
But when at the end of three months al
love letter, as ardent and as faithful as theE
most exacting heart could ask, arrived att
her CITY home and awoke as fervent rel
sponse, in the fresh hope and courage OF theI
hours. she laid all the facts before her
mother. Imagine the scene!-the rage, theI
fears, the threats, the despair! Through Il I
|all Phema stood calmly waiting for this TEN
pest to subside.
This is just your way" were the first col
|herent words that burst from Mrs. Bayard' $!
|lips: words Phema had heard so often fions
her mother and her nurses that now theyE
gave an air of homely humor to the scene,|
land the girl laughed.
This was fuel to fire. Mrs. Bayard ragged
land sobbed all the rest of the day; yet alll
she gained from Euphemia was promises
aot to marry Stephen Mather before the5
next autumn, and that she would not ask toi
have him received at the house oftener thanE
twice in that time. Mrs. Bayard countedE
lon absence. In nine long months there werei
infinite opportunities to divert Phema' s!
mind. and perhaps change its bent entirely
|'Time and l against any man," might sue
|ceed with men, but he who said it, wisely
Ibid not include the other sex. With an OBJ
|iect in view, certain to be attained, Wom-
Ian can outwait time. 1t is the want of final
certainty that makes us impatient. AndI
lPhems smiled over this last cause. SheI
knew very well Stephen could not afford to|
leave his business oftener in the prescribed!
time. The thing she dreaded was to ask oil
him such delay, but she knew her power
and used it for this end.
Stephen had never seen her among herr
proper surroundings. A matter of course
Ito her, she forgot that the luxury and ele-l
|gancies in which she lived would astonishI
and perhaps dismay him. Aud. indeed, It'll
ibid.
GLOW can 1 ask you to leave all this for
Inv little home, Phema?" said he, the firstl
thine he came to see her, as he looked about
him.
II didn't expect to leave it all, STRIP sheI
laughed. 81 hope you won It refuse to mar
Try me because l happen to have some mon
|ey?''
"That isn't any matter" said Stephen,
with superb simplicity. SIT is all these ap-I
|pliances am thinking about. We have notI
even room for them. l should like it BETTER
lii you had been poor. Phema, am afraid
You will miss something"
Her answer was too lover-like to record.
AFTER it's earnest devotion there would be mol
talk of money. With him there was no morel
Thought of it; and she only said to herself
lit was good that he would not have to work.
$50 hard. Poor ignorant souls! Would either
LOT them stand the test when it came?
All this time Mrs. Bayard refused any en- 1
|gagement. She chose to consider that Phe-I
|ma's decision was delayed, and that no quest
|tion of marriage had arisen yet; and shel
hurried her daughter from one scene of gale
|ty to another, sparing herself fnery (which
black, in order to buy Phema all sorts oil
|adornment. Her jewels she had reset forI
her and her personal wardrobe was lavishly|
Supplied.
But none of these things beguiled Phema.
She went out and saw everybody; drank sol
deep of admiration and flattery that the|
|monotony and insincerity of the draughts att
last disguised her; but her mothdr was in Il
|exorable She had one crushing blow in re- i
serve that must succeed, she thought.
Surely, when Phema knew she was entirely
|penniless, she would not dare to marry a!
poor mani So, just before they went toI
Newport, earlier this year than last, Mrs
|Bayard told Euphemia all about her affairs,
with a pungent distinctness that left no mis-I
take or palliation. A cold hand seemed forI
Ia moment to clutch poor Phema's heart.
She turned pale, but her eyes flashed. Thei
|Bayard blood came to the rescue, and shei
|ga re no other sign of emotion. Her voice;
|w as hard and ringing, as she asked:
"But what did you think would become OF!
|me, mamma, in case of your death?''
81 expected, and still expect, Euphemia,l
that you will marry WELL"
''Sell myselfw retorted the girl
'Don't be coarse, my dear. A girl owesS
something to herself who has been brought
up as you have BEEN"
Euphemia said no more. She set her redH
lips tight, to shut in the torrent of disgustE
and dismay that threatened to pour itself
on her mothers head, and locked herselfs
into her room, to think it out and writeE
to Stephen.
She faced the question of her life cour-
ageously. Had she the power to accept
such a situation and endure it? Could sheI
be poor calmly and happily, or wonld thej
absence of these appliances OF comfort ands
luxury weaken her strength chafe her tenn
per, aud make both her and Stephen wretch
ED when their love should be time-worn?i
She blushed to think so meanly OF herself.
Her courage rose at sight OF difficulties.
She sat down at once and wrote cami
letter to her lover, relating the new aspect
of affairs as CURLY as possible without AM
expression of opinion or feeling on her own!
part, or even limiting at any possible sus
pension of their engagement.
81 will not insult him." she said to her
self,a she closed the envelope and ros
to take it to the letter box; and warm!
hush lit her face at the thought. She coulds
trust Stephen, she knew.
And Stephen read all between the lines|
of that letter that Phema thought. HisI
answer was immediate, and he broughtE
it himself.
'I am so gladp' were his first audible(
WOlQS. GU Ia ~ relleVeu bHo Ouly uiO"uk
Il had my darling. 1 did not want you to
have what could not give you. want toI
take care of my wife, Phema, and not have|
her help me-"
Mrs. Bayard was disguised, hopeelessly3
with this state of things. Her selfish SOUL
neither thought nor cared what Stephen
and Euphemia must think of her heartles5
provision for herself alone. She left New
port in a rage and went to the White noun
,ans, though first she consented with an
i'll grace to be present at very early we'd
ding. The little world of Newport wasa
astonshed at this unexpected event, andj
held up their hands in horror when theyI
heard the happy man was only poor
lawyer. Il
Just Phema Bayard's wayp' way! said
Mrs. Sluyter.
Eut what did Phema and Stephen care? MOI
more than a pair of robins whose nest Isl
ready for them. Phema found poverty. nots
so dreadful as it's shadow. She accepted
the situation fully and cheerfully, wore hers
old finery on Sunda with a good grace, ards
came down to calico and alpaca on we II
days with hearty good will. She electrifedA
Stephen by her skill at cooking, and sungS
about the house at her work all day long
1t is true that troubles came; but they weres
the small stings of life, and she learned to-
treat them with comparative indifference.
Her littr9 house was bright, sunny and ex &
quisitely neat. 1t looked like verltables