Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-01-24
CHAPTER XIV.

After lunch, Margaret waited a short
time. She felt longing to be alone, and
with that longing came the remem-
brance of Louis directions about goine;
out, and her promise to obey them.
She put on her walking things and set
out, although the afternoon was gray
and unpromising, and the sky loweriE e
and full of sullen clouds, which might
be laden with anything from the ''gen-
tie dew from heaven to the sleet or
snow which meant "winter and wild
weather."
She knew all the country roads well.
by now, and absorbed in reflections
upon the news she had received this
morning, and revived by the fresh,
though cold air, she insensibly wan
dered on into the country, until she was
mile or two away from the Grange,
on high, distant upland road. She
was rejecting eagerly upon her two let
terS-upon snatches of both of them
which would keep recurring to her
mind, like some importunate air which.
would not depart. She felt an odd
mingling of sensations-pleasure and
pain: pain that it should be supposed
that the engagement was in any way a
disappointment to herself; pleasure that
Miss Percival was well and suitably and
agreeably provided for.
"For suppose she considers it a
suitab BILE provision" she thought, with a
strong tinge of contempt mingling in
her pleasure. Then the contempt, born
partly of irritation, partly of indigna-
ton, found its way out, took the upper
hand. sa1
They are we'll Matched she
thought "Worshiper and worshiped,
master and servant He was ordained
to call, and l to come, and all that
kind of insipidness. Oh, feel degrad-
ed to think that one of my sex should
be found looking up to that man as her
hero" Her cheeks famed, her eyes
flashed. .'Women. then, deserve the
things that are said Of them. 'Formed
for woman to love and look up
to- Why, | wonder9 And it was
but the other day that he wanted me
to love and look up to him. What a
model OF consistency and stability! l
suppose this is. to punish me. Laura
thinks 1 am punished, too. Pshaw!
Every one who knows anything. about
us will laugh at the idea that Marion
has been raised over my head, and will
pity Cor rejoice i'm my disappointment.
1t is calling for mundane soul like
mine; but | will answer it in the only
way in which it can be answered. Unjust
take my place, and she must be married
from my house, as if she were my dear
est friend. -
Margaret found ray of satisfaction
in this resolution. 1t pleased her to
tSink of acting with Portable mag
niiicence-of repaying 1.-THE petty debit
thrice over, OF heaping Goals of fire
upon the heads of those who sought to
put her to confusion. For she knew
that Miss Percival, though so studiously
grateful, triumphed, and triumphed
with great Joy. She knew that
Maurice Biddulph allowed Miss Perez
val to triumph, allowed her to imagine
that she had won him from Margaret,
secure that the latter would never, I'M
der any provocation, reveal the fact
that she had refused him and laughed
at him to boot.
1t was here that Margaret's chivalry
came out. 1t was her ability to act in
this manner which Tom Perez vaguely
meant when he said that Margaret
could not sneak" She was furious
at the false position in which she found
herself. But to write to Laura and say:
''Be silent, for the man you think have
lost / refused to take" to send suave
epistlc to Miss Percival, limiting :hat
her lord had not been so disinterested
always as he seems now-to do these
things never entered her head. She
wanted. her revenge. She was fight
ing animal, and was not given to offer
ing the right cheek when the left had
been smirten.s Simply, she reTenged
herself in different manner from that
which would recommend itself to many
women.
Two cold splashes on her cheek at
last aroused her from her eager reverie.
She looked up. 1t was twilight. The
sea, which, when last she had conscious
lsr <-la,,1,nd