The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-05-18
CHAPTER III.
THE CIT DIRECT.

when he wrote him an unvarnished ac-
count of what had transpired, and
meantime Rodney had made all haste
to remove his bride from the contain
mating associations which surrounded
her.
Tredegar Almont showed little emo
ton at parting with his only child. She
had disappointed him, bitterly as he
had it in his nature to be affected by
disappointment: but he was philoso-
pher who took life as he found it. She
chung to him at the last moment with a
sudden rush of tears in her eyes.
''Oh, papa, dear papa what shall L
do without you?"
ats rather late in the day to take
that into consideration" replied Al
mont. eff you had reflected more
npon what l am to do without you-but
there will not reproaeh you. You
have thrown away great deal of
money. Mignon, for sentiment which
will not give you half the satisfaction of
the grosser dross. don't think you
are wise, but hope you'll be happy"
Rodney was waiting in the hall; but
she still fingered.
Papa" she whispered, you'll
keep him away from me !"
A shade touched the gamblers fea-
lures, almost the first which had dis
turbed their even repose.
"Tll do what can," said he. Its
lucky for you, MignOn, that this little
ahem Necessity has sent Varick flying
to Mobile. He would make you trouble.
But enough! Don't borrow it, my
child, whatever else you do. Good
by,"
The slight sense of some element lack
ing which had heretofore contributed to
his comfort went over Tredegar Al
mont as he returned to his empty draw
ingroom, but he soon put the feeling
down. He had sat at tables with his
entire fortune depending upon single
card, and won Or lost without the quiv-
ering of nerve. Mignon had simply
staked her fortune upon such chance,
and, whatever the result, he was out of
the game.
For the young couple, there was a
month of bliss, of '.love among the
roses" a month during which Rodney
put away lurking sense of uneasiness
that he did not attempt to define, while
he breathed the sweet incense of orange
blooms, and tried to believe that he was
the most blessed of men. Once, and
once only, Mignon referred to her past
life.
Rodney" she asked. 'hadn't better
tell you all there was of it, for fear you
may think worse of me than l deserve?"
my dear child" said Rodney, .does
any fellow ever care to remember what
the swamp was like where he plucked
his lily? | only know that | saw YOU
first in church and that you looked
like a saint. 1 have yet to discover
anything that is not pure and sweet and
womanly about YOU
A saucy look flashed up over the RANT
face.
81 think must tell you, then, that I
have very horrible temper when it is
once aroused. Fortunately, it lies
deep; has nevergot complete possession
of me more than twice in my life. My
old nurse used to say: Little missy,
dem tantrums like de appleplexy; you
neber stan it to hab more dan free OBJ
'em,' and that prediction makes me
careful to avoid the third. You are toll
erably safe, Rodney, if you are not ty-
rannical beyond endurance"
"You would vanGuish me with one
look out of your beautiful eyes, if it ever
came to a pitched battle, my love-
The beautiful eyes" were cast down,
and a graver expression replaced her
gay smile.
81 suppose You would be as hard and
pitiless as men generally are, and that
you would conquer in the end as men
generally do. We women have not the
gift of endurance, however strongly we
may feel for time.''
Hard to you, my love?' cried Rod
ney, reproachfully.
The thoughtful shade fingered on
Mignon's face. She wondered that he
could so thoroughly trust her. that he
could so readily forgive her own lack Of
trust.
yet if had told you what I was in
the beginning. Rodney, you would have
dropped me like snake"
He reached both his hands to take
hers in clasp so fierce and strong, that
her color changed with the sudden pain.
"Listen to me, Mignon. For Gods
sake, let that past which 1 am willing
to ignore, lie as dead as if it never had
been. If 1 did not know that every link
which bound you to it was severed COM
pletely, 1 could not feel as do. If l
found you going back to it, even in
thoaght, with one regret, j would curse
the hour that brought you into my life.
As 1 am, you have taken me; as you
are, have taken you. The rest is all
before us, and there is to be no looking
back
But it is not always so easy to turn a
clean page in life. Words and acts
work out their inevitable consequences
which must be entered on the record;
there are links which may be invisible
and unsupported, but they make them
selves felt in good time.
The honeymoon month wore away.
Mr.. and Mrs. France went North in the
late spring, and Rodney took cottage
on the Hudson, until he should look
about him for some lucrative business
opening. He had $4,000 inherited
capital to invest, and, with youth and
health and industry, he held the key to
q prosperous future. Two weeks later
he went to the city to call upon his
former guardian, Mr.. Sangerford.
That eminently successful merchant
sat in a dim, close counting-room,
stepped in business to the eyebrows, but