The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-21

CUT BY THE COUNTY.
A NOVEL BY MISS M. E. BRADDON,
phantom Fortune Dead Mems Shoes Etc
PART I.-CHAPTER I.


they would rather be called Mrs. than Miss, who
want house of their own, forsooth; which is
only another word for burden of their own, q
grinding care that shortens the lives of half the
women in England. I am always angry when
girl, newly engaged to man with noting year,
| talks to me of the delight of her having a house
Of her own. No, am too contented with my
fate as Dora Darnel, ever to wish to change that
name for any other.'
II am so glad" the Colonel blurted out una
wares for he had been troubled seven years ago
| by a lurking suspicion that Miss Darnel meant
| to marry him. II am SO really glad you ap
| preciate Allans fine character, and that you are
happy under his roof. It assures me upon one
rather delicate point namely, that you and the
! new wife get on nicely together"
Dora Darners face hardened for moment,
and then grew placid again. She had sweet
smile a very sweet smile; but it was an idea of
| some physiognomists that the smile was too
| deliberately sweet to be genuine.
Lady Darnel and I get on admirably" she
said ''She found me the mistress of this house,
possessing my brothers entire confidence as
administrator of all household affairs, and, find
ing that everything went as if by machinery, she
was good enough"
mot to GUST the engineer. She showed her
self wise, as well as amiaDle, by taking that
| line" interrupted the Colonel returning his cup
for second supply.
"She certainly acted with discretion" re-
turned Dora, ''for do not think the poor thing
had ever seen the inside of well-appointed
house before she came to Darnel."
s. L., A. -
''Do you mean to say that your brother has
married a person who is-well-not quite a
ladyw
| II do not 60 so far as that, Colonel Stukely,
but my brother has married woman of very
charming manners, whose antecedents are a
profound mystery to me and all our little world
| in Wiltshire"
| The Colonel looked grave distressed even.
! His old friend had been reticent about all the
| details of his new alliance-had only told his
| comrade that ne had married one OF the noblest
women, and that he was utterly happy in his
| marriage That might mean anything or moth
| ing. Every man thinks the woman of his choice
the noblest of women; more especially if she is
| under cloud when he marries her. Every man
is utterly happy in his marriage for the first six
| Stukely.
"Do you mean that Lady Darnel is not-re-
| ceivedP he gasped, after pause
''She is received, butshe is not liked, answered
| Dora, leaning her pretty chin on her tapering
hand, and looking the image of dis;nterested con-
sideration. 'People are cold. You know what
county people are-how suspicious Of anyone
outside their own set; anyone not reared OH their
| own soil, whose life they have not known from
| the cradle. 'People have been told absolutely
nothing about Lady Darnel We do not know
who her own people are, or who her husbands
people were She appears to be an isolated per-
son. without relative or friend-Clare, widow
| of Captain Stuart; no regiment; no locality;
| nothing to identify that one particular Stuart
among the multitude that bear the name. That
| was all the advertisement of her marriage told
the county; that is all 1. Allan's sister, have
| ever been told about his wife. Can you wonder
| that the county people do not take to herl"
| II can wonder at their stupidity, if Lady
Darnel is half as charming as I imagine her to
be-" protested the Colonel warmly.
'She is very charming. Perhaps if she was
less attractive people would be less curious, less
inclined to suspect evil So handsome woman
ought to be able to reveal her antecedents, or
else"
at least ought to respect her" said the Colonel,
waxing angry.
"My dear Colonel, why fly into passions" ex-
claimed Dora innocently. "You have asked me
questions, as an old friend of my brother, and
I have answered them frankly. Another time
shall know how to be diplomatic"
''There is one fact gather from your answers,
and that is that you are at one mind with the
county in not liking Lady Darnel."
. "Was there ever such a man for jumping at
conclusionsl" said Dora "If this is the way you
Indian officers treat your sepoys, no wonder they
sometimes mutiny. Pray have said that don't
| like Lady Darnelp
"Wel perhaps not in so many words Suppose
we change the subject. and you tell me about my
| little Oracle, my god-daughter and playthng2 Il
hope 1 am to see her this evening"
81 expect her every minute. There is tennis
tournament at the vcarage, and she is one of
their best players-could not possibly be dis
pensed with-or she would have been at home to
welcome her god father. You will find her very
much improved, think"
mot improved out of her own self, I hope.
| My dear little Robin Goodfellow in petticoats-
the widest, merriest lass and the pluckiest
| little horsewoman in Wiltshire. Don't tell me
that you have made regulation young lady out
of her"
| Colonel, however you may disapprove of the
transformation. She ran wild at Darnel for a
| year after Allan's marriage Lady Darnel was
ridiculously indulgent, quite the cleverest policy
in a stepmother. She let the girl do just what
she liked, and Grace would have become the
| scandal of the neiehborhood for her free and
easy manners and want of cultivation if l had
not interfered"
"Oh," said the Colonel, you interfered, did
your
ut was my duty, as Graces nearest female
relative At my suggestion my brother took her
| to Madame Sartori's finishing school at Passy.
! 1t is hardly to be called a school Madame Sar-
| tori is most accomplished person, who takes a
few pupils-a chosen few. Only girls of good
family are received; and they are trained under
| Madame's own eye. was educated by her my
| SELF and can vouch for her care and vigilance.
"Poor Oracle! I can fancy her under under
| Madame Sartoris vigant eye. A wild wood
agne Madame Sartori-elderly snuffy suspic
| ious. Poor Oracle! And how long she
subjected to the Sartorian processln
'She spent two years in Paris, with occasional
holidays at home. The result is eminently