The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-07-15
M u R Ell,

URIEL.
Muricl Fcnton. at seven o'clock of the
morning. stood looking out on the dun
skies. that held no promise, past or fu'
ture, of sunrise, looking ut the s0dden
earth, tho gaunt tree-tOps swaying
through the mist of whirling snow like
spectral arms-and, in that solitary
hour. before there was any stirring in
the house, forced herself TO look DELHI
crately in the face this that had come
10 her.
In tho first place, she thoroughly dis
liked MIR. Stretton, and equally thor.
oughly loved his wife. She had been
strongly inclined to refuse the pressing
offer. the tempting offer he had made
her, one week bcforc--the day heI
father had been buried after the
note Mrs. Stretton had sent her. beg.
ging her To consider the offer, showing
Muriel how helpless and loveless and
hopeless her life was, forever imprisOn-
ed between chair and lounge and bed
and giving her, in such sweet, mother
ly dclicacy, glimpses of the true and
tender affection waiting to be bestowed
upon HEREAFTER this letter from Mrs.
Sirctton, Muriel had decided to go, as
Mrs. Strctton's companion and little
Flossic's govcrness. and to receive in
return n fair salary, II good home, the
child's and mothers honest affection.
And-to have to live under the same
roof with Hubert Strctton.
To Muriel it seemed rs though it
could not be possible for one person to
dislike another more thoroughly than
she dislikcd Hubert StrcttOn. So long
us she had known him she had felt the
same curious repulsion toward him,
and yet-thcre were enough people who
thought him not only handsome, but
agreeable.
He certainly was not Unlocking, and
he certainly had plenty of money to
make himself agreeable and elegantly
hospitable in his own house. He was q
society man'-fairly fond of his deli
cate little wife, and little blue-eycd
daughter.
In appearance he was tall, with in
tensely blue eyes. and intensely black
hair that curled closely around his
head, with fierce. heavy moustache
and beard of iron gray-a man to CONF
mand attention anywhere. and as much
from his cOurtly, martial bearing Is
from his always faultless attire and dis
tinguishcd appearance.
But-Muriel dsliked him, and since
day two years back, now, when Cyril
Vernon had told her he had every rea-
son To believe that her friends husband
was not the man he represented HIM
self TO he, Muriel had made up her
mind that Cyril knew.
Because, to her, Cyril was lord and
mastcr-was thus, i'm those blessed,
happy days when fortune and friends
and home and happiness were all hers.
While now-siiting in tho gloomy
March morning, all the world in mute
sympathetic mood, she realized to the
very fullest extent, how cruel Cyril
had been. how he who had warned her
against Hubert Stretton's unmanly do
ceit and duplicity. had himself been
worse than guilty Of stsh.
Looking back, it seemed like an en-
chanting fairy tale to Muriel, those
beautiful lovc-lightcd days. Now, in
this cold, wretchcd present, in which
she was so honestly trying to be con.
tent and grateful, everything seemed
unnatural, while-and she did not dare
look very far ahead, there stretched
out Il future rs gloomy rs the grave it,
self future unchccred by the hope a
woman needs to buoy her up, unlight-
ell but by the faint ilickcring of stub
born determination to endure as long
rs might be.
For now that Cyril so evidently had
- hnr mt nf III fn fhnrn nAnlI
only an endurance for her.
Right into her thoughts came sharp,
hcart-broken cry-littlc fOur-year-Old
FlnsSic's; the sound of bare feet pat
tcring in the hall upstairs. from room
to room, and then the child's voice in
the half heart-brokcn, half frightened
| cry:
''Muricl! Me want you--quick-
quick! Mammals so jcdful sickr'
And when Muriel had sprung up the
stairs. and lifted the shivering little
| one in her arms, she was met by Mr..
Stretton just at his drcssing-room door
-paler, perhaps, than she had ever
seen him.
ii think she is dying. Send for DIR.
Heath, if you please, Miss Fcaton-at
once"
And when DR.. Heath came, mother.
| less little FlOssic was sObbing out heI
| fright and hcart-sickness, with tiny
arms wrapped tight around Muriers
neck.
They had laid Mrs. Stretton away fol
| her long, dreamless rest, and tho sister
of the widower, who had volunteered to
stay II month, while things "righted'
themselvcs-if things ever do get right
| cd when the mother and wife is for.
| ever gone away, was TO return home
OH the morrow, and little FlOssie, heI
face pale and wan, her eyes sunkeu
and wocful, was nesting in Muriers
lap, adding all her mute little argu-
mcnts to what her father was saying.
While Muricl sat, for once too utter.
" bewildcred to answer the tide Of
words Mr.. StrcttOn launched at her.
"At first thought, dare say you will
consider my proposition prcmature
but'-and he smiled suggcstively :
"stranger things have happened. You
cannot possibly have failed to know,
Miss Fenton, the admiration and re.
spect with which l have always regard
ell You. You are equally aware that
my daughter looks to you, upon you.
next in affection and dependence TO her
mother. My sister leaves my house
very shortly-will you remain, as my
wife. as Flossie's motherp-for you are
the only woman who will ever fill that
position"
Muriel was sitting with the child in
her lap, and i'm her shock OF amaze.
ment She sunk back almost helplessly
against the cushions.
| "Sirr'
1t was all she could say. But the
thoughts that were crowding fast and
furious over her, were almost beyond
her endurance to contain.
Ono month q widowcr-and propOs'
ing marriage already.
Somehow she was Mortified out of her
usual dislike for the man, perhaps by
his very audacity, and, certainly, he
laid his case very plainly before her.
while, from sheer force of his masterful-
ness, he went quietly. vet resOlutelv.