Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-22
ENGAGED In HASTE,
BY MISS VI. +. BRADDoN.
CHAPTER III.

cit was at Torquay that met my wife
continued Sir Allan Il went there after
a month with the Exmoor hounds, for
few days visit to an old friend OF my
fathers, vicar of one of the outlying par
f4hes, man who remembered Hurrell
Froude and the days Of the oxford Tracts.
He had known Glare from her childhood,
had prepared her for confirmation, and
had married her to the man who blighted
her life. heard the sad story from him
ussore I saw her face. Perhaps sympathy
and compassion prepared my heart for
loving her. In any case, | fell in love
with her at first sight; and did not leave
Toruuay till had won her. i am bold
enough 10 believe that her heart was
mine almost from the beginning; but
-shs was constrained by unseltish fears for
my welfare and il WAS with difficulty ]
obtained her consent TO be my wife with
as little delay as possible. She feared the
scandal that might arise in my neighbor-
hood il once that terrible story of her first
husband got wind: she reminded me Of the
uncertainty surrounding her sons fate,
and the possibility that he was still living,
and might be a burden and disgrace to me
in the future. ! told her that these things
were trifles-feathers when weighed in the
scale against the gold of true love. In a
word, / overruled all her objections,
laughed her fears TO scorn; and in six
weeks after 'Iur first meeting the dear old
vicar married us, and we started in the
dull gray November weather for our
honeymoon tour across the Cornish moOrs,
and along the wild sea coast from TintAgel
20 the Lizard Oh, those happy days in the
little inn at the Lands End, beside the
roaring Atlantic! alone, remote from the
world and its ways. l shall never forget
the sweetness, the perfect confidence and
love OF that time. II has grown and
strengthened since then-it will go on in
creasing till die"
And there has been no cloud on your
happiness at Darnels"
-None, or only the slightest summer
clouds. hardly worth talking about My
marriage was naturally blow to Dora,
who had been mistress at Darnel Manor
ever since my step-mother's death She
talked at first of going away-hving
abroad-buying house in Salisbury for
the sake of the cathedral service, sEe said.
But she stayed on. interfered a good deal
with my wife in the management of the
house and servants, and was obviously un-
happy"
you ought 10 have got rid of her, AL
lan.n said the colonel, frankly. "TheSe
menaRes q troi never answer. 1t would
have been Happier for you and your half
sister il she had set up an independent es-
tablishment, were 1t even within q mile
OF your gates"
Il was seriously leditating making her
the offer Of handsore e addition to her IN
come, In order TO enable her to live inde-
pendently, without any diminutiOn of the
cCmfort she has enjoyed here"
$50 like you, my dear Allan, to be seri-
meditating a step which ought TO
have been taken months before you began
TO meditateT said the colonel, laughing
well, l did not want TO be unbrotherly
You see; and Dora had kept my house SO
sdmrapIy. however, while / was think
ing Of cutting the knot Of the difficulty my
way, my dear Clare cut it her way, which
was much more generous. ShS came down
TO breakfast one morning with her little
morocco key-casket in her hand, and gave
Il over to Dora in my presence. L am a
very bad housekeeper.' she said, and l
have no love for government, while you
are a superb manager, and have rather a
lkingSisr the reigns of power; 50 why
sho1ld We live uncomfortably when We
might live happily, each after her own
tastet From this day forth / renounce all
administrative rights and privileges to
Darnel Manor"
SHow did Miss Darnel take that"
@Hardly so pleasantly as she ought 10
have done. She sneered at poor Clare S
renunciation of domestic management as
II II had been an assertion Of intellectual
superiority. Il dare say, looking after SER
wants and ordering dinners does seem "A
very degrading occupation 20 person OF
your superior mind, she said, but have
-aiw9ys remembered. that my brother 8
,omfort>depends upon these vulgar de-
ails.' She Ii:.je me very angry"
Il should have taken her by the scruh OF
he neck and pitched her out of doors,
nterjected Col Stukely.
q did not go quite so far as that, but l
ave Dora a bit Of my mind there and
hen: and think her cold ham and chicken
hat morning was rather hot breakfast.
he Is always sweetest after a good lick
mg; so after breakfast she took the keys
a. meekly as lamb, and promised that
she would prove worthy OF Lady Darnel S
confidence You are much too generous
and too indulGent 70 the servants, she
said That has been your only fault as a
housekeeper'
"A change had come DER the spirit OF her
dream" laughed the colorel. Ten o'clock,
by Jove. Hadn't We better go to the
hSsssr