Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-12-27

"How Fred ever came to marry her, /
can't imagine
"Prettyp"
Rather; but coarse and common.
She has no style, no education, no
polish. What am to do with her, I'm
sure | don't know. 1t is positive
misfortune to be left with such an incu-
bus on ones hands,
So far Cora had listened; then she
| sprapg III. clasping both hands over
| her ears.
He need not fear,n she thought
with, cheeks tingling as if every drop
of blood in her veins were separate
needle-thrust. Il will never be bur
den to him. will accept Aunt Me-
| linda's offer to go to her as companion
and reader. | will never take cent of
the Martindale money. | have heard
them say that the money was all Cap
tain Guyon's and | will never live upon
his grudglngly-given charity!''
| And when the old lawyer sent up his
compliments, and request for an inter-
view with Mrs. Frederick Martindale,
the young widow was nowhere to be
found.
She had gone away from Cape May.
''With the mourning outfit not COM
pletedr' said Miss Pringle, the Dress
maker, "Poor dear! Trouble must have
upset her mindp'
1T is very strange" said Captain
Martindale; ''but if she prefers to 60
to her own people let her go. 1t will
certainly be an infinite relief to me;
and of course the allowance must be
continued to her just the same"
But the allowance, represented by a
generous cheque, was returned, with
out word of comment, to Captain
Martindale.
He shrugged his shoulders.
''Let her do as she pleases,n he said.
81 have done my best; / can do no
more
So ended chapter one; and in the full
ness of time came chapter two.
Six years afterward, Captain Guyon
Martindale was introduced, at Rome,
to the young American beauty who was
queening it IN the gay circles of the
Seven-Hilled City.
1t was in the palazzo of the Prince
Contadino, and as he looked at the
slight, graceful figure seated in the
shadow of cluster of blossoming
lemon-trees, a sudden wave of remem-
brance swept athwart his soul
MRS Falklandr' he said. "But
there must be some mistake. at is Mrs. |
Martindale, my brothers widow"
In another instant the Princess Con-
tadino was Introducing them.
"A countrywoman of yours-Mrs. |
Falkland" she said, in her soft South
ern accent. ''ll Capitano Martindale.
delight to see you two become friends! |
Mrs. Falkland looked him full in the |
face, with regal composure which he |
found it difficult to comprehend
She had ''style'' enough now. The |
budding promise of her youth had bios
somed into the fullness of royal beauty. |
Indeed, he felt that she was condescend-
ing to him, as she allowed him to touch
the tips of her equisitely- gloved fingers
for a second.
ing" she said, with the slightest eleva-
ton of her perfectly brows.
"Ah, my poor, Alderney calf! l often
wonder what has become of her."
The laughing sentence broke the ice,
and Captain Martindale took Mrs Falk-
land in to supper.
In the course of the evening he
learned why she adopted the name of
the old aunt, who had taken her TO
Europe, and was still living here with
her-an eccentric sister of the Catskill
farmer. And Cora Carson, the untu-
tored child of the wilderness, was now
a cultivated, graceful woman, rich in
oil that makes life beautiful and attrac-
tive.
ut ia like a magic transformation"
Captain Guyon Martindale declared to
himself. | never could have believed
it if | had not witnessed it with my
own eyes. She's the loveliest woman |
ever saw in my life. 1t is no wonder
that the American society in Rome is
wild about her. But / can't think it
true that she really likes that young
English colonel of hussars, who follows
her about like her shadow"
When Jealousy takes the field, Love
is not far off, and Captain Guyon Mar
tindale began positively to hate Colonel
Sandifer Willoughby.
Am | in love with my brothers
widow?" he asked himself Alas, it is
rather late to question the state of my
heart now!h
He asked Cora to be his wife one
purple summer twilight, as they sat in
the oleander-wreathed balcony of the
old palazzo where Mrs. Falkland lived
NO. she said calmly. Il will not
marry you, Captain Martindale. l do
not love you. There was time, once,
when | might have learned to care for
you. You rememberi it, perhaps-when
l was newly widowed and alone. But
you were cold and unsympathetic-
even cruel to me. You never could
see, you said, show Fred came to fancy
me. l was but burden-an incubus
And the country milkmaid had more
penetration than you believed, Captain
Guyon Martindale. The past is past,
but if ever in the future you have to
deal with wounded and inexperienced
spirit, try to be more gentle and con-
siderate.
And she married the English colonel
of hussars, after all.
1t was cruel blow to Captain Guyon
Martindale, but he could not deny that
he had deserved it.
''If one could only foresee the future!
ha Uroanad within him = HoIos,