The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03


that he ever told her SO.
yet be married anotherF
"Yes; men do sometimes. when an ener
getic woman catches them ON the rebound
He looked at her AMI uttered a little cacS
ling laugh, that came awkardly, as thoug
ashamed Of itself
Il suppose he is free to marry his frs
love now, if he viii. j." Mrs. Tom said cold
"And he'll do it-as sure as l live he'll e
nr Mr. Tom struck his hands tovethe-
be spoke ~Now that things are at a crisn
with her"
you would like i'll do believe you
would like it though you know that our
children are his heirs"
sob, hang it. Rebeccal Our children will
be as rich as Jews, and why should we
grudge him a fragrant Of contentment in
his old age1"
Becoming suddenly conscious Of the pass
age Of time, Mr.. Tom made his exit hastily
and his wife was left alone to ponder.
The rector was a widower and childleSs,
his parish was good one, and as he had
always lived economically, he must have a
goodly store OF Accommodations now. Mrs.
Tom liked money, and Mrs. Tom had man
aged tdsmake many indirect streams trickle
into her own pockets ere this through man.
agement. Mrs. Tom would not have been
guilty of a criminal action for the world
neither would she permit herself any course
that might seem like scheming; but in her
time Mrs. Tom had known the value Of
many artfully simple little lodges, and the
CHEF of these was to remove temptation
when she knew it might be formidable.
Mrs. Thomas Horribly had as many annual
thousands as her husbands brother had hun
dreds, but what did that matterl Business
was uncertain, said prudence; who could tel
what a godsend the rector's savings might
prove one day to her poor childrenl If she
could help it, she would not permit this sec
ond marriage.
Mrs. Tom discussed the matter with her
self, pondered on the possibility Of circum-
stances playing into her hands, and finally
decided that it was safest to rely ON herself
She sat quite still for half an hour, and then
she rose with rustic expressive Of decision,
and took her way up the wide, softly
carpeted stairs.
Fine rooms opened on either hand, fine
pictures smiled down on her from the walls:
but Mrs. Tom went on to her room at the
end Of the corridor, and opened the door
A pale woman, who stood buttoning her
gloves by the window, looked up timidly as
Mrs. Tom sailed in.
"Are you going out, Miss Spencer
~Yes; the children have asked for an early
walk since the weather has grown so hot,
and so have taken them to the park for the
last week after breakfast"
"You should have consulted me about il, I"
Mrs. Tom said coldly.
Il did not think it mattered, !" the governess
answered shrinking little. "They are to
have a walk, and when they get it at the
best time"
"The best time is questionable; in any
case, you should have consulted me-"
Miss Spence did not answer. Address
ing this large, prosperous. self-aSsertive
woman was an ordeal from which she
shrank.
"Indeed, I have often thought lately that
you assume too much" Mrs. Tom went on.
"You are too independent in your ways, too
confident of your own infallibility." Miss
Spence looked up at her with the soft, plead
ing eyes that were the sole beauty in her
care to meet them as she continued: "And
so have decided that it would be better for
US both TO make change"
"Very well, Mrs. Horribly"
The little governess accepted the fat
calmly, for the absence Of hope teaches en-
durance; and then she went out with her
pupils and paced the park, where the glory
of the sunlight was falling like benedic-
ton, and wondered why she had ever had
the burden of life cast on her.
Meantime Mrs Tom, Indifferent 10 the
fact that she had pushed heaven further into
the background Of desolate life, was writ
ing a gushing letter To her dear brother at
Fairview.
1t was hot afternoon in early July; there
was not a cloud in the lofty dome of the
sky, and the few trees dotted along the dusty
highway flung dense shadows here and there,
while in the distance the heat seemed to set
the landscape dancing to a measure Of its
own. Mr.. Horribly sighed several times as
he went down the Fairview street. and
more than once he frognel, as people do to
whom, either in suggsstion or in reality,
something unpalatable has been offered
Perhaps the heat oppressed him, perhaps the
dust annoyed him. For surely there could
be nothing in the CHEEKY letter folded in his
breast-pocket that could vex any one
is Miss Priscilla at homer He had
stopped by the little oak door over which
the roses and honeysuckle clustered so
lovingly.
eyes. SIR" Jane had appeared in answer
to his knock, AMI he noticed that she had
lost the brisk, complacent bearing of former
days
"Then tell her am here, please
Mr.. Horribly entered and seated himself
on one of ths pretty, chintz-covered chairs
in Miss Pris ,illa's cool fresh little drawiug-
ing-room- How pretty everything was
from the handful of roses and ferns in the
glass dish TO the light curtains swaying in
the breezeI But how could any ad junct of
Miss Priscilla's ownership be other than
pretty And TO fancy her toiling for a pit
lance in his brother Toms household
Again the disguised look spread itself over
his countenance. and this time it could not
be due either TO the dust or the sun.
"Have you heard of anythingp he said,
anxiously. as Miss Priscilla entered.
NO; but you have" She wore a snowy
cap and gown of some soft stuff, and she
was smiling at him, although there were
troubled lines about brow and eyes