Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-03
weighed with her in the indulgence o

| the WOMAN III pOSSSSoion "hiN
straight TO the Brides heart and DIS.
armed her-of any ill-feeling against
Lucius' wife--that Is to say-no more.
s"This is the first time | have ever
met any really great friends of my nus
band" said Amelia, pouring out the tea,
"and you don't know now have been
looking forward to your coming"
Lady Constantia declared herself de-
lighted to be there, but the journey
"Oh, that railway carriage! thought
I should have died of heat apopleXyi
and that horried Old-young man-rldlc-
! uIous creature, he must have been fllty
at least-wouid insist upon having the
! the windows W MI the time, and Bride
would not sncb him. Why would you
not Bride? Oh, he was good looking
very, but not my style; in fact, quite
| one of the shave beens"
She was something of rattle, was
her ladyship, and not Oyer-partlcular
about being listened to. This the Birdie
had long since ascertained. AT that
moment She was dreamily contemplate
ing Amelia.
aHow a man might love that sweet
little woman, it she had only got the
first chance of him." was the mental
ejaculation.
Dinner that night was not altogether
successful attempt at being festive.
Percy had arrive just before, and decide
" second-rate as were his jokes and gem
cral behavior, more than one OF those
present felt grateful to him for keeping
up the conversation, his brother-in-law,
perhaps, the most of all. :,
Next day two or three men, invited
by Lueius for shooting, put in an appear
ance, and the master of Abbotscraithie,
in doing the hOnOrs to his male friends,
avoided OH all possible occasions being
brought into anything like close COM
paniOnship with the ladies. Only he
would look at Birdie sometimes with
such longing wistful look in his large
flaming eyes that it made the girls
more than once creep away up to her
room and send the excuse ola headache,
instead Ofreappearing at dinner. Mean
while Amelia saw nothing except that
Percy's attention We're received by MISS
Verulam with cold disdain, and that
I4ucus looked sadly wearied and Jaded,
which she entirely ascribed to his hav-
ing overwalked himself shooting on the
mOors. Thus week passed, and Birdie
suggested to Lady Constantine that 1t
was time they took their leave and went
| to the house of some other friends, but
Lady Constantine was comfortable and
contented in luxurious AbDOtScrlthe,
| and she would not be hustled, Birdie
must endure her torture a little longer,
She had gone out alone one lovely
| September afternoon, taking volume
| of Shelley to dream over, not TO READ.
| In Brides franc of mind all the lines
were one blurred mass, all the words
were indistinct. She sat down in
little arbor that had been built at the
edge of wood, hanging over an extern
| siye view of heathery moor, and there,
till the dressing-bell rang, she felt she
could weep and think i'll peacc-at least,
so she hoped; but a quarter Of an hour
| had scarcely passed away when she
heard mans footStep approaching the
! arbor, and she almost sprang up, with
little frightened cry.
Not LuciuS; no, not LucluS; there
! alone: she could not bear it.
! II was Percy, and she sank back into
her seat as though relieved from great
fear. Not that she wanted Percy )
companionShip-fa from 1t; ana had
| he been a man of the world ana gen
tleman her monOsyllabic replies would
speedily have induced him to pursue
his way to the house. But Percy, like
his sister, was not easily daunted; he
could not understand the word "no,''
unless it was written in very plain letters
before him, and he actually had the aud
acity, though he had never received at
any time the most remote encourage
ment, to make Miss Verulam formal
tender of his hand and possessions. look
ing quite surprised, too, when she got up
and told him that she regretted ne had
made so great mistake, such al alliance
being impossible.
"ImpoSsiblew he repeated; ''impOsSi-
bic that you can ever care for me-"
And Percy, whose belief in himself
was immense, looked at her i'll absolute
establishment.
Under happier auspices Bride would
have laughed: as it was, she turned from
him with sort of disgust, merely say
ing very quietly:
"Please leave me: would rather be
alone"
A hot flush rose into Percy's face as
she spoke. This son of the people
imagined that Birdie, being the daugh-
ter of great house, was tlOuting him.
and he resolved to be revenged.
Poor Birdie! OF the social chasm that
Law between them she never thought
ONLY of how utterly incapable man
like Percy was to supplant' LuciuS il
her aching heart.
Bitterly angry with himself for evok'
ing it, and with Birdie for offering
what he was pleased to call anmsult, h,
left the arbor without another word
walking rapidly along the path toward
the house. When he was about hal
way some sound attracted his attention
and he looked around. Lucius, stroll
ing back, gun in hand and, along, hat
reached the arbOr and stopped, another
second and he passed inside ana out o
view.
"So-so, my lady! "Please leave me
| would rather be alone" Otcourse you
would. But you will not carry on you
little games at Abbotscraithie il L cal
prevent it, =.
In less than five minutes Amelia
forewarned by Percy, was creeping alonl
through the bushwOod to the back o
the arbOr, in order to learn, possibly
herself unheard, something OF what wa
going on between her husband ant
Birdie Nerulam.
"Iwould never have come III hat
known; but, Oh, Lucius, | thought
J could have burne it. Why did you lie
her invite us?"
"My darling, did my utmost to pre-
vent it; but she was very positive, an
well, you babe me marry her, and
well, YOU see, | did not think yo
would care so very much"
"Oh, Lucius, should have made n
sacrifice for you If had not really cared
, but | thought l was Drawer. If onl
, Lady Constantia would be persuaded I
| take me home"
, "My poor, poor, sweet love, Birdie!
was all the man could murmur.
, There was no consolation to offer nov
: "You must not kiss me. Lucius-wel
only this once, my love. Now 60. L ca
not bear it if you stay longer--l can nc
r indeed. Besides, it is not right to YOU
| self or her.