The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-07-20
THE LOVES OF sNowDoN EARLE.

AAN ALV' Ic Or CNVVDVN EAoh Ne
knew what / was doing-yes, per-
fectly well-when wrote that note ask.
ing Nina Vandyke to spend week with
us. knew her whole life-all of it
that is, all that it behooved me to know
that part wherein she had loved Snowdon
Earle and he had loved her, in the days
not so many or so long ago--before he
married me. knew the whole story
how they had been engaged, and, quar-
reling. had parted; but when he met me
the sting was three years old, healed
over, to all appearances, and forgotten.
I never dreamed of it, God knows!
He had kissed me, sleeping and
waking, and I had never guessed that
another WON ms lips had drained the
fire and sweetness from his mouth. 1
had been his wife two months-two
whole months of blind, unreasoning
bliss-before knew that my kingdom
was only bubble shining in the sun, a
castle in the air. Never mind how it
came to me; it was sharp, sure and I'M
mistakable. He never knew that I had
found it out; he only saw that I had
changed little. How could 1 help it?
AS for l. i'm, it was in his nature to be
outwardly lender. Snowdon Earle could
have driven dagger clean into q wo-
mans heart and watched her die, if need
were, but he could not have spoken an
unkind word or offered an unintentional
slight even to one whom he hated with
9he hatred of hell. He was always gen.
tie and tender to me; only being proud
man to the last fibre of his nature, he
checked the old warmth of manner as
mine iced over.
After little while very little while
Il ceased to be afraid of his enforced
kisses, or to shrink from the caresses he
had given me, knew only as my right.
So, when nearly year had gone by since
my wedding day, Nina Vandyke, passing
through New York on her way South,
came to visit us. It was against his
wishes--my husbands. He said so once,
briefly, and then dropped the subject
forever.
"Do you particularly wish to have
Miss Vandyke here?"
He was standing before me, looking
shade of melancholy so many young
ladies had called romantic.
Eyes, very particularly"
newer tnouSuu you Hhou ucI
much"
"No9 Why. I'm devoted to her." I
said carelessly, staring past him into the
fire.
l knew he was annoyed. He stood
there, pulling his curly brown mustache,
as he did in such moods, with unsteady
fingers.
I'm sorry that you are"
''Sorry? Why, pray?"
"Because-for q thousand reasons
Miss Vandyke is the last person care to
have for a. guest--your guest and
mine
1 held the note up in my fingers,
weighing it daintily, and glancing at the
address which I had just written, as
answered.
''As you please, of course. I've ex-
pressed my preference in the matter, but
it lies wholly in your hands. 1 can toss
the invitation into the fire if you say SC"
Without turning my eyes on him I saw
the slender white hand move quickly,
impulsively, as if to snatch the note, and
then Snowdon folded his arms tightly
over his chest again. 4.
IF II gives you any degree Of pleasure
to send it, he said in the cold, courteous
tone that always covered hurt, II
haven't one word to say"
And SO the letter went.
"Oh, how exquisitel What perfect
taste! Snowdon is quite lover yet, isn't
he, Maidie dearP"
How she says it!--such a compassion
ate, soothing lie a. one feeds frxctious
child upon. Nina Vsndyke bends over
the great basket of flowers that has just
been handed in for Mrs. Earle" and
chances from them up at me with false,
sweet smile. She came to rs, knowing
Just how much OF Snowdon Earle's heart
had been hers in the past; she had no
need to stay twenty-four hours, fancy,
before she knew 81 we'll how little OF il
belonged to his wife in the present
Enthusiastically lovers Offering, eh?"
I answer carelessly, drawing the basket
to me. "Well it doesn't happen to be
from Snowdon; I'm indebted to Mr..
Herbert Olives exquisite taste on this
occasion"
"Oh, Maidie. dearr' Nina says in gen.
tie depreciation. She has such IN inno-
cent, girlish way Of speaking, and of
using those great brown eyes of hers-a
piquant, pretty fashion, which makes
even one who knows her ago forget the
stubborn fact that she il Just one yesr
younger than Snowdon EArle-and
Snowdon 10 twenty-nine. "6urely,' she
II saving softly. hesitatingly. 'you do