The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-29


| roindsxtsr was dscsivsA HsAaA 40 lda -
the collected woman before him was thinhfna
only Of solitude and darkness. Of her own
room. and madly longing TO be there. He said
Yes. I dare say" in quite another voice. and
glanced ct the picture. But. ~ she remained
standing he continued moro earnestly: II
didn't come hore to tell you what yon might
| read In the newspapers tomorrow morning
and what everybody might tell you. Before
that time I want you to do something to save
fragment Of your property from the ruin-do
you understandp I want you to mako rally
and bring on something IN good order"
For him3" said Mrs. Tucker with brighten
| "well-yes--of course-if you iike-but a. II
for yourself. Do you know tho Rancho Do los
Cuervos 2"
lido"
ITS almost tho only bit Of real property your
husband hasn't sold. mortgased. or pledged.
| Why It was exemption whethor only forgotten
| Il can'tsay."
"I'll tell you why" said Mrs. Tucker. with .
slight return OF color. It was the FIRST land
| we ever bought. and Spencer always said It
should 10 mine. and no would build . now
house ON It,"
Capt. Polndsxter smiled and nodded at
tho picture. oh. he did shy that. did he ?
Well. that's evidence. But you zoe he never
gave you tho deed. and BY sunrise tomorrow
his creditors will attach ft-unloss-"
| "Unless-f" repeated Mrs. Tucker. with
kindling eycs.
"Uniess." continued Capt. Poindexter. they
happen to find you In possession"
"Tll TO-" said Mrs. Tucker.
"Of course you will" returned Polndexter
pleasantly. Only Is It's a big contract to tnke.
suppose we see how you can oil It. It's forty
miles to Los Cuervos and you cant trust your
self to Steamboat or stage coach. The steam
boat left m hour ago."
| II had only known this then" calculated
Mrs. Tucker.
II knew 1t. but you hal company them"
said Poindexter with ironical gallantry. and
Iwouldn't disturb you." Without saying how
no knew 1t. he continued: In the stage
coach you might be recognized. You must 10
| In . private conveyance and alone-even can
not 60 with you. for must go on before and
meet you there. Can you drive forty miles ?"
Mrs. Tucker lifted up her abstracted pretty
lids. Il once drove ffty-at home" Sho re-
turned. simply.
Good and dare say you did It then for
| fun. Do It now for something real and por-
sonal-as We lawyers say. You will have relays
and plan Of tho rond. It's rough weather for
q pasear. but all the better for that. You'll
have less company on tho road"
How soon con go ?" she asked.
Tho soonerthe better. I've arranged every
thing for you already" no continued with a
laugh. Come now-that's Q compliment to
you. isn't TIP" He smiled moment In her
steadfast. earnest face. and then said more
Gravely: You'll do Now listen"
He then carefully detailed his plan. There
| was 80 little Of excitement or mystery In thoir
manner that the servant who had returned to
light the gas. nevor knew that tho ruin and
bankruptcy Of the house was being told before
| her. or that its mistress WIS planning her
secret flight.
Good afternoon; will see you tomorrow.
them" said Poindexter. raising his eyes to hers
as the servant opened the door for him.
Good afternoon" repeated Mrs. Tucker.
quietly answering his look. You need not
light the gas in my room Mary" she continued
in the same tono of voice as the door closed
upon him; Il shall lie down for a few mo-
ments. and then may run over to the Robin
sons for the evening"
| She regained her room composedly. The
longing desire to bury her head In her pillow
and think ont" her position had gone. She
did not apostrophize her fate. she did not weep |;
| few real women do in the access OF calamity,
or when there is anything else to be done. She
felt that she knew 1t all: she believed that she
had sounded the profoundest depths Of tho dis
aster. and seemed already so old in her expert
ence that she almost iancied she had boon
prepared for It. Perhaps she did not
fully appreciate It; to life like hers
1t was only an incident. the mere turn
| Ing OF o page OF the illimitabe book OF
youth; the breaking up OF what she now felt
| had become monotony. In fact. she was not
quite sure she had ever been satisfied with
their present success. Had 1t brought her all
she expected? She wanted to say this to her
husband not only to comfort him. poor fellow.
but that they might como to q better under
standing Of life In the future She was not
perhaps different from other loving women.
who. believing In this unattainable goal OF
matrimony. have sought 1t in the various cpl
sodes OF fortune or reverses. In the bearing OF
children or the loss Of friends. In her childless
experience there was no other life that had
taken root In her circumstances and might
suffer transportation: only she and her hus-
band could lose or profit by the change. The
perfect" understanding would como under
other conditions than these.
She would have gone superstitiously to the
window to gaze In the direction OF the vanished
ship but another instinct restrained her. She
would put aside all yearning for him until she
had done something to help him. and earned
the confidence he seemed to have withhold.
| f0rnapS IL was prluo-porhaps sue mover really
believed his exodus was distant or complete
With full knowledge that tomorrow the
various ornaments and pretty triHes around
her would be In the hands Of the law. she
gathered only a few necessaries for her flight
and some familiar personal trinkets. I am
constrained to say that this self-abnecation
was more fsstidious than moral. She had nc
moro idea OF the ethics of bankruptcy
than any other charming woman; she
simply did not like to take with her ans
contagious memory OF the chapter Of the
life Just closing. She glanced around the
homo she was leaving without lingering re-
greet; there was no sentiment OF tradition OF
custom that might be destroyed; her roots lay
too near the surface to suffer from dislocation
the happiness OF her childless union had dc.
pended upon no domestic centre. nor was it,
fame sacred to any local hearthstonc. It wal