Sharp County record., 1881-05-19

an old fashioned lawyer; that john
arbitrary division of property had been
throughout dependentupon hev (Rose's)
good will and pleasure. Before the
marriage every farthing of the Shirty
thousand had been, she found, tightly
settled upon her own little self.
"Yes, my dear" said aunty, after
hearing the whole story; "your precious
husband fought hard to get first all,
then any part he could in his own
hands; but we were obdurate, and he,
fearing | suppose to miss the match al
together, had at last to cave in."
so, aunt, and you never told me"
"No, my dear. l was not such a
fool. 1t was too palpably my interest
to keep you single"
81 will never 90 back to him again"
" You would be fool if you did.
Only think what my lawyer found out
afterward. Two months before Griffing
ton proposed to you his mother and
sisters were reduced to penury by some
unfortunate speculations in foreign
funds"
4" So that is the key to the mystery"
exclaimed poor Rose.
Not being like that horrid old Lady
Vivingford, and not loving to gloat over
the torture even of the unworthy. |
refuse to contemplate the scene of
baffied villainy, rage and despair which
was enacted by the Griffington trio
with piercing echo in Tours-on re-
ceipt of very firm but very temperate
letter from Rose, which reached them
within four days OF their victims sud-
den flight.
Every plan was thought of, and many
tried, to redeem the fearful mistakes
into which the Grifington family had
fallen. John rushed down to Bath, and
rather to his surprise to find no diff
Guilty in seeing his wife and in seeing
her alone, but to his intense astonish-
ment he discovered that she had be-
come as unbending and cool as he had
hitherto found her plant and impress
sionable. Even his cold undemonstra-
tive nature at last almost fared up.
DO you not know" he said, knock
ing his knuckles on the table, " that |
can compel you to live with me?n And
there was the feline green glare that
had once so frightened her in his eyes.
But she could laugh at it now. How
many a brave woman is only coward
through love!
You will have to 90 to law then,"
she quietly replied " and l don't think
the evidence would throw much lustre
on the family name
She knew it well enough-knew that,
though he gained his cause, the whole
transaction would not bear the light of
day and that exposure for him and his
meant ruin.
90 Will you COMPROMISED" he said at
last, after a sullen silence.
"Whatm she rejoined. "You mean,
will allow you so much ayear to leave
me alone?"
" If that is the way you put it, yes"
Il thought that was all you wanted"
she laughed. "Well-well-no. Twill
not allow you one farthing. Not if you
stand there for ever; but" she added,
looking him full in the face, "you may
all keep what you have had"
John Griffington was ever decent in
all he did. 1t cost him little to COM
mand his feelings, they were such poor
craven things. He took up his hat
bowed and left the room.
He and his wife have never spoken
siEoe.
Needless to say the little house in
Mayfair was not for the Griilingtons
after that. John was quite ready to
give his sisters all he did not want, but
he protests he can do nothing for them
now and they have migrated with their
mother, believe, into Holstein.
He is back at his identical old quar-
ters in South Audley Street, where his
little dinners are said to be as success
full as ever
To complete this picture, young Mrs.
Griffington and her aunt are again in
stalled at the pokey little house so
often referred to, and there Rose leads
what to her appears a very pleasant
life-for everything in this funny world
goes by contrasts-a life of peace and
refined ease; and is, perhaps, as con-
tented with her lot as nine -tenths of her
neighbors, although she so well knows
the reason why John Griffington mar
ried.