Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-13


determined on, and, what is more, Will
Danvers had no sense of having suffered
defeat.
VIII DanverS heard a great deal Of
Miss Atkinson between March and Nav,
and was allowed to read specially wise
and lofty paragraphs in her letters. He
affected great admiration for the lady,
but IN reality he was quite sure she
would prove a tremendous bore. ''But
John and can get out of it, he re-
Elected; ''that is one comfort. And if she
manages to put Fan under her thumb,
she is cleverer than am; that's all. 1
don't believe Fan will give in-much;
never knew her do it. TIL bet twenty
dollars they have a civil fight before a
| month is over, and that Fan comes out
ahead"
In a.week after Miss Atkinson's arri-
val Will had modified this opinion. Her
| appearance was not formidable-quite
the contrary. Indeed, she was so petite,
so gentle, so appealing, that VIII had
| not at first thoughtit necessary to guard
| one Of his prerogatiyes. But gradually
he found himself abandoning his
dearest rights. miss Atkinson
was not we'll; would Mr.. Dan
vers kindly breakfast alone and
allow darling Frances to have quiet
talk and cup of tea with her?' Mr..
Danvers politely consented, and in a
week the favor had become a custom,
and Mr.. Danvers breakfasted alone as a
matter of course.
| 1t was the same thing in everything;
Miss Atkinson took possession of
his wife, his child and his house.
Her cool, calm, authoritative way was
irresistible, and she delivered her Opin-
ions with such an air Of settled convic-
ton in their infallibilty that few cared
to dispute them. ''She was really sorry
to find so much to disapprove of in New
York society, and she wished she knew
how to pass it over, but it was her ma
ture to speak the truth, though il was
often very disagreeable duty"
And even VIII gave her the usual
credit of this unpleasant characteristic.
! at Is just her honest, straightforward
nature that makes her say this kind of
thing" he said to John Lawrence one
night; ''but l wish she was not so fond
of plain truths Fan is made to see
faults in me she never would find out by
| herself"
| spitefully. ~ have always noticed that
!
truths never feel called upon to tell
pleasant truths. I have always refused
to meet the lady, VIII, because I like
women who are not above nice little
! hypocrisies to please US; but l declare a
woman who proposes to accompany us
into the woods, and turn our private
pleasure into public picnic, must be a
character. I'll go home with you to-
day and see her"
''Oh, John, thank you. I shan't feel
so helpless against Fan and her then.
Poor Fan! She hates the woods, and
can't endure a dinner without entrees
and dessert; yet this English woman has
absolutely persuaded her that she is
looking dreadfully i'll, and that nothing
but pure natural life will save her
from consumption"
To say that John Lawrence had nc
curiosity about Miss Atkinson would be
false. He had heard all about her con-
tinually for month; she was always do
ing or saying something which contra
dicted his ideas of what woman ought
to do or say; so that going home with
VIII was not committing himself to any
great act of self-denial.
1t was a lovely June evening, anC
just dusk, as they entered the parlors
They were empty, and they walked
through them on to a balcony latticeC
with vines that overlooked the little
plot of city garden. Miss Atkinson wa.
standing in the very center Of q small
lawn. She was quite unconscious O
any observation, and John stayed by al
imperative motion VIII S first movement
to announce their approach. LET mt
look at her, he said, in an agitateC
manner.
As she stood there in the June twi
light she was worth looking at. A WON
an about twenty-eight years of age, O
the most delicate type of English beauty
Her small, light figure was exquisitell
! rObed in fawn-colOred silk and grena
| dine. She had pink rose at her throat
and another in her hand, but, even a
they looked at her, she dropped it from
her Istless, grasp. For a moment sh
regarded it pitifully, and then Their
passed over her face an expression 0
such hopeless sorrow or WEAKNESS tina
J viii was quite startled, and turned t.
| his friend:
, "She does not look very bad-temperet
/ now, does she? Why, John, what i
| the matterP Do you know her?"
| Il can not tell, VIII. Either I know
her, or have been dreaming about he
for eleven years, that's all. y
: Half an hour afterward they wer
: sitting side by side in the gas-lit parlor
Every trace of sensibility had left Eliza
beth's face That womanly melanchol
that had made her so lovely in the twi
; light garden had quite vanished. Sh
, was now only keen, clever litt
: woman.
But somehow John felt sure that sh
had assumed character, and was play
: ing up to it. ''She is a clever actress
t and enjoys interpreting her role; bu
why she chooses to do so is a question.
s And from this evening forward job
Lawrence fell as completely under tn
, spell of Elizabeth Atkinson as Fam
? had done-with this difference: Eliza
; beth soon became aware that In thi
, case her slave was also her cOnquerOI
Il LII