The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-22


was miles away from everywhere: bu
its resources, SO far as amusement went
made il immaterial in what part of IN
world II stood. The family consisfe,
/ of Mr.. Lightou-ealled by every one
even his guests. the squire: his wife.
! lifting companion To him. who shared
I his pursuits and heartily seconded IN,
I welcome he gave 10 every one. and tWt
I daughters. ab0ut my own are TheS,
may be termed the nucleus. the stand
I ing congregation of the establishment
I In addition. there were sons who turn
4 ed up Unexpectedly and at intervals
and two or three cousins were mvari
ably sojourning there. Add 10 these
again the floating population in the
shape Of visitors who came and went
. and you VIII realize that II was a merry
( house.
Breakfast was Just over: We had been
longer about IL than usual. the weather
. being too damp and drizzIy To tempt
us out-of-doorS. Letters were being
read with the laStcup OF tea. TheS squire
selected one from his pile and tossed il
over To his Wife. remarkiur that she
would hc glad To hear the good news il
contained Then il went from hand To
hand until ! had the pleasure Of read
ing
My DEAR SQUIRE. L have Just written
the de.lGatful wara FUiS at the bottom OF
paSe, which 'S the last uf my lmmortalt9
production. l VIII dO no more work for
weeks, bat Will take the train tomorrow
and come 10 Ba5La House. i'm time / hope.
for dinner / do not apologize Tor this short
notice. knowing There Is even more joy with
IN your gates over tile UuuvteJ tuan the
Yours a'w2vS
VINCENT H0pF."
Vincent Hope, 1t must he mveuemv.
The aliuSiOn 10 his literary pursuits nut
that beyond a doubt M time had
come, | could not have S2}ected a fair
er field on which to mete 0ut the ven
geance I had stored mp. As read that
letter. positively hlushed with pleas
ure. SO yividly that | feared people
might jump at entirely wrong conclu-
SlCnS. ! thought of nothing an day huf
the way in which my enemy was deliver
ell into my hands. The delight of hay
ing at last the chance OF paving out the
critic Tor the criticism produced a frame
OF mind which seemed To urge me To 90
into quiet corners and laugh at mv own
thoughts. had plenty of time 10 ma
tUre my plans and drdWSOothing pictures
of the effects of my reNenEe.I resolved 10
rISh no chance meeting with the foe.
and feeling that good beginning would
1
went to my room To arm for the FRAY.
Remember. am couteSsiug. not lest
ing / sent for my maid. and bade her
take down my hair and brush il. If. as
her dett fingers braided my locks to my
satisfaction, | had thought the cir,
would have Comprehendcd me. | might
have quoted certain lines of Mrs. BroWu-
ing'S which kept singing through my
head;
Comb it smooth ami crown it fair:
would look iu purF'e pal, from the iatUiCs
down the wall
And throw scorn on one that's there"
Any way, she crowned it fair enough,
and 10y my express desire. clad me in
my most becoming gear. Then a few
minutes before the bell rang. | sent her
away, and stood alone before the chevaI
glass surveying myself with a dcontented
smile. For my plan of revenge had at
least the merit of simplicity; ii was To
win that man 5 admiTltiuu-U possible
has lore. Upon the day when he offered
me the latter. and | Coldlv and Scorn-
fully rejected il, | should feel that had
squared all accounts between us III a
manner highly satisfactory to myself.
How do women win mems love- /
did not quite know: but | faucied if
conducted properly. the operation was
not of difficult nature. | hoped and
believed | should succeed. Although
my resolution reads badly. and sounds
even worse. | cOmforted myself by
thinking that rs | meant TO refuse what
l laid myself out TO win, no one would
dare to ceuSure me or to accuse me Of
very unbecoming conduct. And now
what are my weapons with which to
conquer?
looked at myself in the glass. It
may read like vanity. but | feel that old
Mr.. Ramsay prediction is fairly yeri-
fed. Although | blush as | appraise
myself, | know | am no longer the slim
schoolgirl that / am something
not, perhaps. far of beautiful woman.
| am tall. My figure is certainly good.
My complexion viii bear any test; and
something tells ne | could. if wished.
make my eyes dangerous. So much for
nature. As for art, | have chosen the
prettiest of many pretty gowns, and my
gowns now have EnaCk Of sitting Well
upon lne, So | am not ashamed 10 walk
gracefully across the room, and court
esying to myself in the glass. say ap-
prOvlngly to my double: Yes. lIeri-
tage Rivers, you have grown into avery
decent sort of a wOman-a very decent
sort" Having refreshed my memory
by the repetition of that peculiarly gall
ing phrase, | gather up my skirts and
sally forth to victory.
Fortune favored me. As the greatest
stranger and last arrival, 1t would have
been in Vincent Hopes province take
our hostess into the dining-rOOm. had
we not been favored that day by the
presence Of Il county magnate whose
claim to precedence could not be lightly
overlooked 1t seemed but natural and
part of the plot that the squire should
present Mr.. Vincent Hope to Miss
e l.4 1t,f af
lives these two should be seated side by
side slipping their soup in unison-but
this time, if wounded vanity was to be
the result of the contiguity- Miss Rivers
would not be the victim.
So began:
You have come straight from town,
fancied the squire
said" We all call him squire. you
know"
~Oh, yes lie is an old friend Of mine.
But he called me Vincent Hope | sus-
pect."
This gave me what ! wanted. an eX-
cuse for looking him full in the face
an act which, besides being a fitting
tribute to his fame. enabled me To OBJ
serve how time had treated him. So
lifted my lashes and looked straight at
him. If time had not been quite idle
with him. il had treated him kindly.
He was handsome as ever. The hair
near his temples being just flecked with
gray did not detract from his good looks
1 thought his features looked more
marked. and the whole expression of his
face more confident and powerful even
than of old. lie had won success. and
no doubt, fully realized and enjoyed the
fact.
Vincent Hope" ! echoed. @Not the
Vincent HopeE7
| guessed mstinctively that hattery
was not bad gun with which 10 Oper
fire. BY this time his name was so vel
known that it would have been affecta-
| tion 10 appear 10 misunderstood me
lie bowed and smiled.
How delightful" / exclaimed. my
/ look. / am ashamed to say. confirming
my words. Now. tell me how | should
talk TO you. Ought ] 10 give YOU my
opinion about all the characters in youI
| books: or ought | to sit silent and awed
| treasuring up every word OF Wit ant
/ wisdom YOU may let fali5"
Neither. | must beg. | have just
/ thrown off the harness. and come doWI
/ to enjoy the squire clover. / am try
| ing TO forget there is such a thing as
work in the world
/ Very well. / shall take you at youl
/ word. after as in duty bound. saying
/ have read all you have written. 50 ia
as | know
His wish to avoid the topics Of his
own achievements may have been {
genuine one. nevertheless he seemed
/ pleased with my remark. and looking a
me with a smile. said:
Exchange is but fair. | scarcely
heard what the squire called you"
| "Rivers-IIeritage Rivers"
Heritage Rivers he echoed muslng
( ". 1T is an uncommon name: but
fancy | have heard it before
-Oh. please don't say So Mr.. Hope.
did think ] had one original thing tC