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

arm of a successful rival, what good
could possibly come out of this unto
ward encounter? And for moment.
airy thrill, a JOY that was first cousin tc
q sorrow, was it worth while to jeop.
ardizc even such very gray-colored do
nestle felicity as now belonged to him
Yes, the more he thought OF it, the less
he liked the prospect. Visions ol
strange heartrending scenes. tragic
duets, and more tragic trios, began to
fit across his brain by night aud day
After all, he had suffered marvelously
| little for the want of Miss Nerulam' !
society since his marriage. Indeed
this had often been a subject of wonder
to him. lie was really comfortable
enough with Amelia, and rs to 70.
nance, passion, ecstasy-was the whole
thing worth while? Was he not getting
just shade too old, or, to put it plain
ly, too fat and lazy, for these fatiguing
toys?
All this time Amelia was perfectly
happy and serene; for when Lucius
was with her he more than ever aitr
paits scias: and then had she not
gained her own way in the matter OF
inviting those Verulans?
Ard they were coming, too. We're
going to pay other visits in the neigh
borhood, and should be so delighted, y
Lady Constantia's note had said.
For some days before they arrived
Mr.. Fitzgerald had good deal OF
spare time on his hands, with which
his wife did not interfere. She was so
engrossed with her first hospitable
preparations, and in adding touches of
beauty to the somewhat hastily fur
nished rooms, that she had little leisure
to bestow on her husband. The quit
lance would have been, perhaps, some
thing of mercy at any other time;
but as hour after passed on, and the
time approached nearer fer the arrival
of the erulams, Mr.. Fitzgerald grew
more and more detected. till at last
even Amelia was compelled to notice
it, and she inquired with some solic.
tude what allied him. Of course he
brisked up suddenly and said Moth
ing" How could he own tina. he long
ed for or feared the arrival of these PEG.
pie? In point of fact he was absolute
ly beginning to dread it.
"Iou will go and meet them at the
station, Lucius? It will DE so uacivil
to let them come up here all alone.
But think / had better stay and re.
ceive them in the hall; that is the way,
is it not, in your world?"
Eyes, yes. You always bit the right
mark love- which was more than he
did, for he bobbed down and kissed
her plump on the nose, and barely
smiled at his mistake,
With this he da. he'd out of the room
leaving Amelia little bit disconcerted
at his ill-concealed excitement. A
moment later she heard the sound of
wheels, and looked out of the window.
Mr. Fitzgerald in u white chapel was
going down the drive.
"Gone to meet the Verulams in that
thingl' cried his wife. 81 ordered the
carriage"
But Lucius Fitzgerald had gone to
meet the Verulams, and so had the
barouche. He would just drive him
self to the station, see them into it, he
thought; after ALL it would only be
courteous.
|
craithle is in state of fluster, for the
train from the south is due; visitors,
too, are expected up at "the house
and pOrters are running hither and
thither, each more anxious than the
other to show assiduity and attention.
| And natural enough too. Other peo-
pie may be looking out for friends who
may be false, for relations whom they
may not love; but these honest fellows
are welcoming silver charms most un-
| likely to prove false, and of whose
CLAIMS upon the heart not even skep-
ties are skeptical. No one, however
eapreSSe though they all seem, is in SO
great a state of real fuster re- the mas
ter of ''the house himself, impassiye
rs he looks, standing there on the plat.
form, his usually long, pale face just a
little longer and paler than ever, hir
large Clark eyes burning just little
more brightly in their deep setting o
heavy lashes.
At last the bell has rung, aud the
train pants with slow dignity into tht
station. Still Lucius Fitzgerald doe.
not move, but leans on, as though
watching to be recognized, against ths
office door. A second more and thu
bright color mounts to his brow, then
suddenly fades away into a sort of blu,
pallor. He walks forwark to carriage
bat with no haste; yet, from that car.
riage window is gazing on him a fair
young, girlish face, face such as N
indifferent passerby in crowded
thoroughfare would turn to look at
such a face as u painter might have
chosen for "a Calypso when looking sea
ward from the shores Of Ithaca. |
had the stamp of blighted love upor
it.
A porter opened the carriage dool
aud Lady Constantia, fat, rubicund
and fifty, came tumbling out, "Fow dc
you doing Lucius with easy familiar
ity. He gave his hand to the girl. She
did not attempt to speak as she stepped
down on the platform, though hel
hand seemed TO linger in his just &
moment longer than was necessary
Perhaps it was the whispered, "My
darlingp which he uttered, in a very
, low tone rs she stood Decide blm