Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-09-14


Lady Constantia was Brides step
mother, and the girl was dependent on
her for food, shelter and clothing
utterly dependent; and her fathers
!chattering, goodnatured, shallow-pated
widow wa, calculating, though kindly,
and mad, moreover, but limited in
come.
To marry Lucius, Birdie knew was
utterly mpossible--knew it from the
moment the first love hutter agitated
her heart; so she resigned him-gave
him with her own free will to Amelia
She had a morbid longing to witness
the success of her work, and had accom-
panied her mother TO Abbotscraithie,
deluding herself into the idea that she
would henceforth endure the void IL
her life with bitter pangs if she were
but allowed to see Lucius rich, happy
and contented.
So when Lady Constantia told her
that she had received an invitation
from Mrs. Fitzgerald, and in her blind
ness and her love of living at other
peoples expense suggested that they
should accept it, Birdie lad offered no
opposition.
She got in,o the carriage and seated
herself by Lady Constantina's side, the
maid opposite Lucius preceded them
in his cart. He had chosen wisely in
leavin3 Birdie to her reflections for a
while. Furthermore, he went ~ the
back way into the stable yard to avoid
being present when Birdie and Mrs.
! Fitzgerald should eet.
He could easily make an excuse for
not being at his post to IN fill the cere-
mony OF introduction. Perhaps. even
i'll the abstract, he was right, although
! his action, or, rather, his innction, in
the matter was due on this occasion to
! his inclination. Where people are
bound to make themselves acquainted,
the formality of an introduction is very
| likely better omitted AT all events, IN
this instance the affair passed of com
fortably enough, and the impression on
all sides WAS favorable. But this fact
by no means tended to mend matters
AS far as danger was concerned, and
Miss Nerulam was too wise and too
! honest TO deceive herself into contra
ry belief.
When woman allows herself to love
married man, she may tell her con
science that every fault from the wife
palliates her guilt; but she must be
morally blind indeed if she imagines
that all the qualities of the angels cen
tered in the wronged one would ever
have weighed with her in the ,mdul-
gence of her unlawful passion.
a.,
dent desire to like aud be liked-about
the woman in possession, winch went
straight to Brides heart and disarmed
-disarmed her of any ill-feeling
against Lacius' wife--that is to say
no more,
This is the first time | have ever
met any really great friends of my hus-
band" said Amelia, pouring out the
tea, "and you don't know how | have
been looking forward to your coming
Lady Constantia declared herself de-
lighted to be there, but the journey
"Oh, that railway carriage! thought
| should have died of heat apoplexy
and that horrid old-young man-ridic
uous creature! he must have been
City, at least--would insist upon hav-
ing the windows up all the time, and
Birdie would not suub him. Why
would you not, Birdie? Oh, he was
good-lookjng very, but not my style;
in fact, quite one of 'the have heens. y
She was something of a rGttle, was
her ladyship, and not over particular
about being listened to. This the Biz
die has long since ascertalued. At that
moment she was dreamily contemplat,
ing Amelia.
Glow man might love that sweet
little woman if she had only got the
first chance of himl" was the menta
ejaculation.
Dinner that night was not altogeth
er successful attempt at being festive
Percy had arrived just before, and dc
cidedly second rate as were his Joke,
and general behavior, more than one
of those present felt grateful 10 him foi
I. keeping up the conversation, his broth
erin law perhaps toe most of all.
Next day two or three men, invited
by Lucius for shooting, put In an ap
pearance; and the master of Abbots
craithie, in doing the honors TO his
male friends, avoided on all possible
occasions being brought into anything
like close ompanionship with the la
dies. Only he would look at Bird,
sometimes with such a longing, wistfu
look in his large, flaming eyes that i
made the girl more than once creeF
away up to her room, and send the eX
cuse of headache instead Of reapear
ing ut dinner. Meanwhile Amelia saw
nothing except that Percy's attentions
were received by Miss Veruiam with
cold disdain, and that Lucius looked
sadly weary and jaded, which she en-
tirely ascribed to his having over walked
himself shooting on the moors. Thu.
a week passed, and Birdie suggested Il
Lady Constantia that it was Time they
took their leave and went to the house
of some other friends; but lady Con
stantia was comfortable and contented
in luxurious Abbotscraiihie. and she
would not be hustled Birdie mus
endure her torture little longer.
She had gone out alone one lovely
September afternoon, taking a volume
OF Shelley to dream over, not to read
| I'm Blrdip's frame of mind all tho limos