St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-05-15


it was natural to think the Laureate's
outpourings inferior to those of the
woman he himself was in love with.
''Be as great as you WILL but shine at
home, my dear; and let me worship
you"
That was pretty programme, and
the girl found no fault with it as it APP
Piled 20 her own prospects. But she
had rather-how much rather-that her
future husband should have thought
better Of Miss Churchill's profession. 1t
was clear that he suspected nothing,
imagined nothing, but it was pain to
have Il secret, though it were as harm
less as her own. For Miss Churchill,
though an actress, was as pure as
daisy. and nobody knew better than
Miss Farmer how little evil the stage
had taught her, though there are mill
ions who know infinitely better how
much evil it has the power to teach.
One unavoidable result came out OF
this conversation. Miss Farmer buried
Miss Churchill, and resolved that the
actress should know no resurrection.
But then Gas people unfairly or secretly
entombed with fears ard suspicious
hanging about them have a prescript-
tive right to do) Miss Churchill as
sumed ghost-like airs and revisited the
upper world and peopled the sections
life with unreal terrors. Iregarthen
had taught the girl to love him. She
had been an apt and willing pupil, and
had Learned to love him we'll She was
of a large and generous nature. atfec-
tonate rather than passionate, but in
clmed to cling to the object of her
affection with lifelong tenacity. There
are few women who would not have
kept her innocent secret rather than
run the risk of losing lover. And
Iregarthen was the one man in the
world to her, as woman's first love
always is-the one possible idol. The
mere thought of losing him was cruel
beyond expression; the mere fancy that
she might sink his love was scarcely
bearable. She 50 honored and rev.
erenced and love him that she was
forced to deceive him. That is not
good morality, but is admirable femi-
nine logic.
The courtship went on, and Gorbay
and the county beyond the limits of
Gorbay discussed it, and on the whole
were content with it. Tregarthen
might have looked higher in spite of
those old regimental escapades of his,
for the last scion of one OF the oldest
houses in that part of England, where
houses are SO amazingly old, might
think himself almost any mans equal.
He was not a millionaire, but he had
enough, and he was unusually person
able. Everybody was persuaded that
the match. from Miss Farmers point Of
view, was all that could be desired.
Within nine months OF their first
speech with each other the young pair
became man and wife, and set up
housekeeping in Gorbay. They had an
exquisitely appointed house, standing
in the midst of some eight acres of we'll
timbered ground and surrounded by
trim gardens. While they lived here
the old mansion on Tregarthen Island
was to be restored to something of its
former grandeur, and Mrs. Tregarthen
insisted upon having a hand in this.
She insisted on having so influential
hand in it that she paced the whole of
her own modest fortune in her hus-
suffice.
"You bring me the grandeur of an
old name" she said, land | claim to
have my share in its honors. If you
refuse me this | only half divide them
Tregarthen after many atfectionate.
disputes, took the money.
Whatever is mine is yours" he
nd. !, i,
1t is like the right hand giving to the
left"
Precisely" said his wife. well
pleased, and the architect was busy at
once. By the beginning of July the
builders were at work, and the young
couple had great JOY in crossing from
Gorbay Head to Tregarthen. and watch
ing the slow growth of the old place to
a new being. Tregarthen's funds were
snugly invested, and there were ample
means to keep the glorified house in
state. Meantime, in other
matters they were content to retrench,
and Mrs Tregarthen wrote industri-
ously at a romance on large scale,
penny in dresses, and to win an anony-
NOUS fame, of which he, who alone
should have the secret, should be as
proud as she was of him.
Visitors came thickly to Tregarthen
that summer, some who had archaeology
ical tastes, from affair." bent ON seeing
the house once before it assumed its |
new form. 1t was no matter for sur
prise, therefore, when couple of sturdy
boatmen pulled over q party of ladies
and gentlemen, with a fat and spec
tacled savant at their head, and the fat
and specialized one began to wander
about among the stones and the NOR
tar, delivering little lecture TO his