Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-22
CHAPTER XI.


lifting OF carpets rendered Mr.. Charkup's
"palatial residence unfit to live in, and
converted it into bowling wilderness,
wherein greedy carpenters wandered up
stairs and downstairs and in my lady's
chamber" Miss ChaIkup presided as Cap
tain-General of the forces, and taught them
how things ought to be done and undone,
until her father scarcely knew the way to
his own room. To all of which ne sub
mitted meekly enough, for he was more
afraid of his daughter than of any other
living mortal. She was his only guide and
absolute ruler in matters of social observ-
ances, He had never entirely recovered
from the bereavement he had suffered
when forbidden to eat with his knife,
and even now he would, when his
daughter was not looking, furtively
make use of that labor-saving implement
After so arbitrary decree he was pre-
pared for anything, if only his daughter
told him that the g best people did it.
There was no reasoning logically about the
doings of people who converted the hith-
erto simple and untrammeled pro-
cess of eating ones dinner into
species of game in which GER
tain absurd rules were to be observed,
in order to increase the difficulty. If only
he might absorb his food without being
asked to drive it through hoop, as part
of the game, he was satisfied. His daughter
was better educated than he, and had en-
joyed greater opportunities of seeing the
world of society, so that she could crush
him in an instant by reference to her
social experiences for, having reached the
pinnacle of wealth, the millionaire was now
haunted by an uneasy hankering after social
positions, and to further that noble am5i
ton he was ready to obey her with I'M
plicit faith. L was all Greek to him.
The outside world of fashion was equally
convulsed Husbands we're learning to ap-
preciate the truth of the maxim of a de-
ceased statesman, that - life would be very
tolerable if it were not for its pleasures. >"
Daily consultations with milhners and
drezsnakers were held, and the rattle of
the sewing sounded ike the steady
firing OF platoon armed with bTeech-
leaders. airs. Harlay was looking anxious
ly forward to the eventful day, for she was
determined that it would be an epoch in
her life, or she would know the reason why,
when she received the following letter:
SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 1877.
Dear Mrs. Harlsy Could you manage to come
across the bay TO me tomorrow. | want to speak
10 you, and VIII drive you down to the Cliff House
TO breakfast. / will meet you at the wharf at
4. NJ. GEORGE.
"'Dear Mrs Harlay,'" she mused-" it
used to be Eliza and George, between US.
l wonder if that mink of a daughter has
been saying anything to him? Well, l
viii co. any way, but / wouldn't be in his
shoes for something if he is going to act
mean to me"
Next morning she dressed herself with
the greatest care. The magnificent column
of her throat was not hidden by an envious
female-but rather set off by a turned
down collar. The shapely beauty of her
tapering hand and rounded wrist
was not obscured, but heightened,
by the long, buttoned gloves, of
dainty kid, and she wore one of those long,
sweeping trains with rustling frou- frou,
which add so much grace to the gait of a
tall woman. The mermaid, in the bottom
of the deep, blue sea, could not have more
easy, gliding and seductive motion, and
the sensuous lines of her figure were made
the most of, and yet not too much, by the
undulating grace of her eliBging drapery.
In word, she was a splendid animal.
So armed with her queen-like beauty,
she started on an expedition which, she
rightly thought, would be the turning
point of her fortune, ." to win or lose 1t
all. She was met by Mr.. Charkup at the
wharf, in accordance with his promise. and
was quickly installed alongside him in the
buggy, with his assistance. Away rushed
the spanking team OF thoroughbred trot-
tiers, that had cost don't know how much
money. please ask Mr. Serawley; he
can tell you TO a cent? Is there any sensa-
ton equal to that of rushing along through
the summer air behind an eager team of
reaching thoroughbreda, hard held and
straining on the bit, their glistening coats
and shining harness hecked with the toss
ing foam? she noticed that he did not
take tie leading s5reets, but rather kept
those (which were less public and more
retired, bat she made no remark, for she
knew that the time was not yet come to
unmask her batteries, and they avoided
with one consent the subject which was
uppermost IN the minds of both. Excited
by a passing street car, the pampered
horses broke from q trot into a run and
dragged the vehicle, with unmanageable
bounds and plunges, over the rough pave
ment and rails. With some difficulty, he
pulled them down into the proper swing
ing gait, when the lady pressed her warm
hand, as if pleadingly, On his. and SAID =;
George, dear, are you sure you can hold
them? They seem unusually fresh.
When he felt tbs living toush Of her
hand on his, it thrilled him to his nerve
centers, and he began TO fear he would be
unable to fulfill the task he had set for
himself, and to think that 1t would have
been better done by letter and without
personal interview. He had placed him
self in vulnerable position, and he knew
it, and he took refuge in a growl to cover
his msgiving.
"Oh, don't be fool, Eliza. You know
I can hold them if they were twice as
fresh. It's something new for you to pre-
tend to be frightened" and with vicious
cut of the whip he set the horses plunging
afresh.
81 feel little nervous this morning
George. Forgive me, please?" and with
a last gentle pressure of her hand she with
drew it, and lapsed, with heaving bosom,
into silence. He felt that she was too
strong for him, with all the advantages of
her splendid beauty and womanly weak
ness IN warm breathing contact with him.
So true is it that women are strongest when
they are weak, and are only not
dangerous when they assume the offensive.
He had made mistake, but there was no
getting out of it now he had set out with
the intention of breaking with her, having
been urged thereto by his daughter, and,
simple man, he had thought that, with a
little reasonable discussion, the matter
could be settled like any other business.
OF course he was prepared to offer qlti{am
honordrium for his liberty, and to pay for
his breach of faith as he might for pair OF
ready-made pantaloons. Now, however,
he began to fear that the ordinary rules OF
business life and commercial transactions
did not quite meet the case.
Onward the horses dashed, giving fleet
ing glimpse OF the Golden Gate on the
right; onward, over the hard, red road,
until the world famed hosiery was reached.
1t was 4 beautiful morning in early June ;
the hoarse, dull roar of thunder
ing rollers made the summer air
musical as they dashed upon the
beach below, weaving brief lines of foamy
lace-an edging for the dull, gray sea, now
turbid with yellow sand. On the cliffs
beyond the hairy monsters rolled and tum-