The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-14

certain simple dignity or expression that mar
monized with the owners perfect freedom from
afectation, and her healthy sensible frankness
of department.
"She is far from disappointing me" concluded
Varian, after a little severe but well-hid scru-
tiny. Il feel sure that / shall like her. But
what peril she stands in. Aims. Thorndyke
beside her is like rare tea rose beside pastoral
dandeion. And how lovely she looks tot night
in that black lace dress touched with blue forget
me-nots'
Varian had quickly explained to himself the
true reason for Mrs. Thorndykes astonishing
confidence in the morning. She had been
shining star of fashion abroad; she had tri-
| umphed, led, won her male devotees by the
hundreds, been humored, petted, even spoiled by
the gay and not few of the great we'll But
she had never been SO spoiled as to lose WON
ans saving grace of generosity and fair minded
ness. She had never carried her conquests past
the bounds OF justice, as she had always kept
| them well within lines of prudence. 1t might
have been said of her, in our bluff American vul-
| gate, that she was square throughout. That
was the chief cause of her ton, her social emf
nence being so clearly wed with wide popular
ity The victor of many men, she had remained
the friend of many women
And now, Varian concluded she had made her
confession to him in her own drawing room that
morning, from an impulse that was purely one
of conscience. For the first time in her life she
had been tempted to do an unfair, a deceitfu,
grossly selfish thing She had crossed the ocean
to find Paul Charlton, and she had found him
engaged to another girl. Then she had told her
self: II am invincible; can do what | choose
with mems hearts: l can make him cast this
Gertrude lnnsley aloof and marry me. And
why should not do it! saw him and cared for
him long before she did either. Thousands OF
women would do it without a twinge of com
junction if they loved as I love and were placed
just as l am placed"
Varian had long known that Paul Charlton
pleased her as other man pleased her. In at
least twenty of their intimate, bon camarade
foil ho had do hicf laiY To ha
had paid the artist a continual tribute, which it
amazed his friend that he did not perceive to
be of stronger import and deeper origin than
the mere condescending patronage of lofty
chatelane to an admired genius. But Varian
had never suspected Tor perhaps it would be
safer to state that he had never done more than
suspect) the real ford and fervent truth She
had caused it to burst on him few hours ago;
and by the light of long previous acquaintance
he detected why she had taken this course
There's CLEAN of true womanly discretion
even in her rashness, he had still later reflected
She believes me UNNECESSARILY safe. She
trusts in the sincere friendship l bear for her,
against that which L bear for Paul And she
trusts also, in my solid underlying conviction
that her marriage with him would be a tremen-
dOus worldly advancement. l don't like her not
considering that should be very sharply
scious of how Paul must stake his honor on such
a step-I don't like it bit. She Showed less
discretion there than one would have suspected
of her She's refused good many European
a
great match for Paul But she ought to have
remembered that am not the man to lightly
value the moral side of the whole romantic stu
alton"
This evening at dinner, as Varian narrowly
observed his hostess, he concluded that she had
| never been more buoyantly and bithesomely
attractive She chose to turn the conversation
upon social New York matters and to give hen
view and estimate regarding them
Il have been so amused by everything here
I bao 1cba I9,1tT how haa
saddened as we'll find that it is so expatri-
ating to come back You have never been in
Europe have your she suddenly asked of Miss
Innsley.
mo" was the reply, given with a candid,
surprised smile. 'If you recollect, Mrs. Thorn
dyke"-
'Of course. my dear I recollect that 1 have
asked you that question at least five separate
times 1t is so odd, somehow to find person
of your intelligence and culture who has never
BEEN" - @sss-T--~~-
'Do you think it odd realy!" asked Miss
Innsley.
Charleton broke in with his rather swift and di-
rect mode of Speech addressing her solely:
You've just spoken paradox, think, he
said. '.Please explain"
''That it's expatriating to come back?" laughed
Mrs. Thorndyke SIS that paradox9 So it is,
/ suppose. Well, l meant especially in my own
case you know. l left America so young. /
| have been priding myself on my American birth
for so long | used to get tired pointing at this
country across the ocean as a grand republic.
But return and discover that it's % perfect hot
bed of caste and snobbery"
New York may be-" said Varian, quietly.
But the Western prairies not?" exclaimed
Mrs. Thorndyke. rs that what you meant
Oh, don't doubt you are right But happen
to have learned something about New York and
not to have yet visited any of the cantons in the
Rocky Mountains Now, there is not the
slightest doubt that we Vanderveers were
perfectly obscure people here for three genera
tions. Grandpapa scholar, always writ
ing deep treatises on something, and poor papa
had passion for science. There is no doubt
that we are an old Dutch famly-quite- as Dutch
and quite as old as the Amsterdams, the Man
| hattans, any of those who had been playing
grand seigneurs for so long, But nobody thought
us so-or rather nobody thought anything at all
about u.s. We were wholly ignored. We lived
in a damp old house in Eighth street, that was
| literally crammed with books | scarcely recol-
| lect my mother; as little girl had not friend
but papa and my nurse who was old, and damp,
and grim like the house. 1t is absurd to
| say that the VanderveerS were anybody in a
| patrican sense; they were simply nobody at all
| Il am convinced of it. And yet, now that have
returned here after my Paris experiences 1 asn
reminded constantly of my having been Van
| derveer by fashionable, mondaine ladies who like
| to confer upon me, it were, a handsome native
! claim. And how [ slyly laugh at all their non
sense! How we'll l know that this exhuming of
| the poor landowners is all mere ruse And
this is the greatest city of the greatest republic
| ever founded. BAH it is not a republic at all.
| this America! 1 hear necessarily such words as
social position "a good old name the first So
ciety,' the sort of people whom you know and
a hundred other like snobbish phrases. AT first
| it keenly astonished me. could not at all make
it out. / had never heard half as much of this
kind of thing in London though they speak the
same tongue there as here. But by degrees
realized that, instead of a metropolis, where
dwelt the noble 1iberalty 1 had so trusted in,
New York filled with the worst Flu
ropean pettiness And everything so imita-
tive so-what is the ?-brummagem! l
think tits this lack of originality which chiefly
depresses me. 1t would be refreshing to see the
young men going to ball and opera in blankets
| and feathers and beads: there would be some
thing at least national about it, though peculiar
| 1t would at least be preferable, think to the
slavish copy of foreign models. Tenez-I am
- Il -