Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-12-03

his habits At present the mine was his only
mistress, claiming his entire time cxaSpcrat-
ing him with fickleness, but still requiring
that supreme devotion of which his nature
was capable. 1t is possible that Miss Carmen
saw this too, and so set about with feminine
tact if not to supplement-, at least to make
her rival less pcrtinacous and absorbing.
Apart from this object. she zcalously labored
in her profession. yet with small pccuniary
result fear Local art was at discount in
California. The scenery Of the country had
not yet become famous; rather it was re-
served for certain eastern artist, already
famous, to make it so; and people cared little
for the reproduction, under their very noses,
Of that which they saw continually with their
own eyes and valued not. 50 that little Mistress
Carmen was fam to divert her artist soul to
support her plump little material body; and
made divers excursions into the regions of
ceramic art painting ON velvet. Illuminating
mis,alo, decorating china, and the Ike. l
have in my possession some wax fowels-a
startling fuclsia and bewi,Iering dahlia-
sold for n mere pittancc by this little lady,
whose pictures lately took the prize at a
foreign exhibition shortly after she had been
half starved BY a California public, and
claimed 10y a California; press as 1t. fostcr,d
child of genius.
OF these struggles and triumphs Thatcher
had no knowledge; yet he was perhaps more
startled than he would own to himself when.
one December day, he received this dispatch;
"Come to Washington at oncc.-Carmen
De Haro"
Carmen De IIarow grieve to state that
such was the preoccupation of this man,
elected by. fate to bc the hero Of the solitary
amatory episode of this story, that for Il
moment he could not recall her When the
honest little figure that had so manfully stood
up against him, and had proved her sex 10y
afterwards running away from him. came
back at last to his memory, he wa, at first
mystitcd and then self rcproachful. He had
been he felt vaguely, untrue to himself, He
had been rcms to the self-confesseG daughter
of his enemy. Vet why should she telegraph
to him. and what was she doing in Washing
ton. To ali these speculations it is to he said
to his credit that he looked for no sentimental
or romantic answer Royal Thatcher was
naturally modest and sclf-dcprcciating i'll his
relation, to the other sex, as indeed most men
who are apt to he successful with womon
generally are, despite n vast degree of super
ANIMATED hosh to the contrary. To the hall
dozen women who are startled 10y sheer au-
dacity into submission there are scores who
are piqued 10y II set-re'pectful patience; and
where woman has to do half the woolnS,
she generally makes pretty sure thing OF It,
In his bewildcrncnt Thatcher had over
looked letter lying ON his table. 1t was
from his Washington lawyer. The conclud-
ing paragraph caught his eye-"PcrhalS 1t
would he well if you came here yourself
Roscolnmon is here; and they say there Is n
niece of Garcia's, lately appeared, who Is
likely to get up a strong social sympathy Tor
fine old Mexican. don't know that they expect
TO prove anything by her; hut I'm told she is
attractive and clever, and has enlisted the
s\mpathics of the delegation Thatcher LAID
the letter down little Indignantly. Strong
men are quite ms liable as weak women are
to sudden Inconsistencies ON any question they
may have in common. What right had tins
poor little bud he had chcrshed-he was quite
satisfied NOW that he had cherished her, ana
really had suffered from her absence what
right had she to suddenly blossom in the sun
shine of power to be, perhaps, plucked ANA
worn by one of his enemies. lie did not agree
with his lawyer that she was in any way con-
nectcd with his enemies; he trusted to her
masculine loyalty that far But here was
something vaguely dangerous to the feminine
mind-po,ition, nattery, power, lie was al
most rs firmly satisfied now That he had h'eh
wrongcd and neglected as he had been posi-
tive few moments before that he had been