Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-07-12
Gales a1lb Sheirkes.
60 SEARLY Wes.
Continued from yeserdsv.,

'sss'j
You are good fellow to turn ND af-
ter the awful affair of Yesterday. I'm
sure wonder YOU survived it.' he ex-
claimed. nearly wrenching the bachelors
hand OF.
.'I'm sure | wonder how it's been
done ~ returned Grafton.
Weddings are such a sell. >. grovled
the young married man. a. James Grafton
turned to the sofa and expressed ferveut
hope that his hostess was quite well.
Dreadful headache; nearly frantic
WIN 2 said Mrs .Cathcart, knitting her
Pretty orows and rising, pressing one
nand to her forehead a. she did.
There had been times, and those distant
but . few brief hours ago, when such
words and such movement of pain
would have wrung her husbands heart.
ana MS my darling what can do for
~ woold nave sounded perfectly agoniz-
ing: now. the wretched being only turned
abruptly to his sister-in law with, ''COme,
Eunice; dinners late enough already"
and marched OF with her hufiily.
II am sorry you are so unwell. The
day has been oppressive You will be
glad 70 get down to the seaside, won't
your said James Grafton, as he gave his
arm to the too evidently snubbed wife.
IL shall be glad TO get away somewhere.
I'm sure don't care where it is. l want
change terribly said Mrs. Cathcart, with
certain hardness OF tone in her voice
that her guest had never before observed.
DO you know, | always admire your
dining.room 80 much" put in the bachel-
or as they entered the room.
There's perfectly hideous glare on it
just now" retorted Mrs. Cathcart.
"And your decorations are charming
these trailing bits of briony and Wild
Don't agree with Won. Grafton. I'm
sick of seeing the place Uttered with
weeds" in,erpolated Cathcart. the Young
married man, with an angry sniff, as they
took their places at table. John" he
exclaimed turning to the servant, "see
fhat there's something decent out of the
conservatory in the centre of the table to-
morrow-somethjnp at least three feet
high, and bushy.n
John. "A he went about his work with
imperturbable gravity. remembered with
great inward mirth that only few DAYS
before he bad been ordered to remove a
tall fern, because. as his master had said
1t hid his wife's face. Rum 'uns. mar.
ried folks, amt thew" he remarked to
himself All. indeed ,hey are. especially
when Young. good looking and very much
in love with each other, But their "rum''
ness, oh, worthy John, strange as it NAV
seem, is as nothing to their utter want OF,
consideration for other peoples feel
ings.
What James Grafton and Eunice Bell
suffered at that little square dinner real
ly have not the heart to relate in detail;
and, indeed, there is but small need that |
should do so, for have not you aud taken
melancholy part in many only too SINH
lar scenesP 1 could. however forgive the
young couple for their conduct during
dinner; but what consider absolutelv
brutal and NINA rdonahle no. Tho, .I,homni
I feel certain that Canta;n and Wrs Catb
cart knew that lanes Gra,son would i have
enjoyed ouiet stroll about the grounds
when the sun was setting (for Of course
he was on certain subject as easy for
them to read as the paper), vet these two
selfish married creatures absorbed only
in the interesting game of irritating each
other, hung on to the two unmarried ones
the whole evening with a relentless malice
that il perfectlv nna,ta;nahla axoa,,, b.,
husband and wife who arc Tor ,ha ,;,na
being, not on speakino terms
AttcT MIS-. Satncart, Dv way OF
pretending she did not care. ratified off her
gayest dance-music and sang dozens of
her brightest songs; but nothing would
please her except to have Eunice SITTING
quite close to her. tnrn;ng over N. na oas
Once, indeed. Miss Bell yentured as far
rs the window. but she was sneei,lv can.
tured; a sisterly arm being gently hpt
firmly placed round her Will. plaintive
voice murmured in her ear: ..Ah. Ennice (,
q sisters ffection-love-is. after ali the
only thing in the world one can really de.
pend upon 7"
And while this was going ON in the
drawing-room Cathcart had effectually
button-holed Grafton. and was confiding to
him that as his domestic life had suffered an
utter collapse he iptended-indeed IL was
his only chance to save his life and reason
he intended to exchange with Hn,cbincs
and go to seek glory. and he deyoutedIv
hoped, death in South Africa
But the most wretched evening must a,
last come to an end. Abont 1o O'CLOCK
James Grafton again found b;mself in
Tulip-tree lane; but instead of the hanpv
calm of few hours earlier, he now fell as
if he had been assisting at an eartbouake
He was quite dazed, and unable to con.
template ANYTHING at all exeept the extr,.
ordinary WAYS of married naopla ~ which