The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-04-11
CHAPTER II.

was down III the dlnlng room the next
morning, with the unfailing punctuality of
new conner, at the sound Of the breakfast
bell, before any one else was there. Mr..
Rayner came III in few minutes, hand
some, cheerful, but rather preoccupied
and / was listening to his bright small
talk with the polite strangers smile, when
1 discovered, without having heard any
sound that Mrs. Rayner was in the room.
She had glided in like ghost, and, with
out more interest in the life around her
than ghost might show, she was stand
ing at the table, waiting. l was thankful
to see that there was no trace in her eyes
now of the steadfast eager gaze which had
disconnected me on the i.igls before, moth
ing but the limpest indifference to me in
the way in which she held out her hand
when her husband introduced me.
.She must have been pretty ten years
ago. / thought, as l looked at her thin
face, with the fair faded complexion and
dull gray eyes. There was a gentleness
about her, which would have been grace
still, If she had taken any pains to set
off by q. little womanly coquetry her slim
girllike figure, small, thin hands, and the
masses of long brown hair which were
carelessly and unbecomingly dragged away
from tST lOTtuctit anu l"lSlcu up Oh UeI
head.
Then the door opened, and the servants
came in to prayers, with the elfish baby
and pretty, delicate-looking child, blue
eyed and fair haired, who was presented to
me before breakfast as Haidee, my pupil
Nobody talked during the meal but Mr.
Rayner and the only other noticeable thing
was the improper behavior of the baby,
x-1,4 bow g i L
father when he was not looking, and aimed
a blow with spoon at him when he passed
her chair to cut himself some cold meat,
He saw it and laughed at her.
at is a most extraordinary thing, Miss
Christie said he: but that child hates
me.n
j thought he spoke in fun; but, before
had been long at the Alders found that it
was true that this most unpleasant baby's
strongest feeling was dislike of her father.
though there seemed to be no reason for it,
since he never did anything harsher than
laugh at her. She would not even take the
sweets from his hand.
"You do not yet know what primitive
people you have come among, Miss Chris.
tie" said Mr.. Rayner during breakfast.
ave dine here at half past one. Ii we
were to suggest late dinner we should have
Go prepare our own food like excommuni-
Gated persons. 1t is hard as it is to keep
our modest staff of three servants. They
say the place is damp, which, being inter-
preted, means that it is too far for their
young men, in the town to come and see
them. Were you not surprised at the word
ing of my advertisement"
eyes, Mr. Rayner"
any wife was afraid that it would
brighten off many desirable young ladies
by its ogreish abruptness. The fact is, the
lady who has just left us, quite a typical
instructress of forty, with prominent teeth
and glasses, nearly frightened our lives
out She wouldn't talk, and my wife
wants a cheerful companion; and she said
she was dying of rheumatism, and threat
ened to prosecute me for decoying her to
such damp place. So we registered a |
solemn vow that we would have nothing to |
DO with boar antiquity again"
How could she say anything against |
such a lovely place." said I.
"Well, now, Miss Christie, | grant she
had show of reason on her side have |
thought the place damp myself;
but my wife has got attached to it; haven't |
you, Lolal'
Eyes, said she, without a sign of feel |
ing or interest
''And so we remain he went on. "a
Iady's wishes must DO considered; and
there are special reasons why they should
be in this case. You must know, Miss
Christie, that am penniless wretch, de-
pendent on my wife; am not, Lolal' He
turned playfully to her.
Not quite that" said she gently. but
with no more warmth than before
Practically l am" he persisted. She
was an heiress, 1 ruined spendthrift,
when she married me. Yet she trusted me,
md the only condition she would allow her
friends TO make was that should settle in
he country-out of the reach of tempta-
ion, you see, Miss Christie"
He spoke with some feeling, and looked
at his wife at the end of this
frank confession; but she re-
NAMED as impassive as ever.
could not help feeling rather sorry for
dr. Rayner He was always kind and
attentive TO his wife; but, whether he was
n a bright mood, and tried TO make her
mile, or, silent, and needing to be reused
ut of his gravity, she was always the
anne, limp, neryeless, apathetic, speaking