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


And ro,ced he loved her
unless she loved him he must fly and see her
no more the girls answer was all. he could
have hoped for. To Beatrice, the fairy
prince of her childish dreams had come.
She wished to write to her father al once.
Strange to say, this did not suit her lover.
With great modesty he represented that
until he had made his name famous in art
Sir Maingay might naturally object to the
alliance. He was not, however,, selfish enongn
to suggest a term of probation whilst the
making famous process was going on. On
the contrary, he assured Beatrice that la
could not 1--we another month unless she wers
his wife. He redoubled these assurances
when Beatrice told him Indirectly that VIXEN
OF age she came into large income No, let
them be married at once Her fathers con-
sent could be won so much better after tina
ceremony. His (Maurice's) darling must be
guided by him. Beatrice hesitatcd, Hervey
pressed, and at last, like other darlings of
eighteen, she consented to be guided by the
man she owed
He guided her to her first act of deceit.
She informed Mrs. Erskine that she was
going to BOurnemouth for a fortnight to see
an old school friend. She comforted herself
by thinking it was but an equivocation She
was going to Bournemouth, and friend of
hers lived, or did live there-no doubt she
would see her. Every one knows that equivo-
cation is the inclined plane down which
people slide to the pit.
With respect to her father she comforted
herself by thinking that, as he married t.
please himself she had a right to do the
samoa kind Of reasoning by analogy not
uncommon to Young people. Besides he
~ y.lr.v nd # conn
learn to love him.
SO to Dournemouth she went, but before
going was quietly married to Maurice Hervey,
and the fortnight spent at Bournemouth was
their honeymoon. The rays Of the honey
moon go sometimes far towards dispensing
the glamour with which a bride surrounds
her bridegroom. Some curious things hap
pened to Beatrice
In the first place, her husband even now
objected tp Sir Maingay's being told of his
daughters happino s. and Beatrice, not wish
ing to cross him IN these early days con
sented as before for a limited period TO bC
guided 10y his superior knowledge of the
world.
In the second place the postman one morn
ing brought a large letter for Hervey. Beatrice
watched him rather curiousy as he opened it
and she saw it contained a document, thu
~ Witch lllOIu All WIN COull
read that il was a copy Of the last will anC
testament of William Talbert, Esq Hervey
explained tn t he merely took an interest IL
his darling affairs, and thinking he ough
to know Nething about them had writer
for the corr. This explanation suthced, AM
Beatrice l.ughingly suggested that she should
sit besid. him and read the will with him
This was lIreed to.
Herver, with a smile Of satisfaction, reat
how one-t bird of the residuary estate was be
queathed to Beatrice, or rather to Horac
and Herbert in trust for Beatrice. This wa
followed later on by another clause which il
the event of Beatrice's making, before sh
was OF he age of twenty-one, an unsuitabl
match or even what appeared to her trustee
an ~ -uitable match, Horace and Herber
were given what amounted to an unlimite
powc' Of dealing with her share, a powe
whicl fell little short Of appropriation. Oh
Tallert had determined that until his grand
dau dter arrived at years of discretion he
uncl IS should be able to defy fortune hunters
lis clause, which was so clearly worlds
tbs even she could understand it, mad
L atrice glance at her husband. His fac
was pale, his hands We're shaking, and all q
a sudden a string of fierce oathS drOppe
from his lips. sharp pain ran through tn
girls heart Without word she rose an
left him
He soon followed her, apologized and be
ieved he had pacifed her, but his conduc
had planted in her heart the doubt-thc mo,
painful doubt which young wife can feel
that her husband had married her for he
money, not for herself.
The next day Heryey went to town, on in
portant business, he said. Beatrice natural
resented the desertion, but not having bee
long enough married to know what n frau
that plea OF business often is, made no con
plant. Nevertheless, something told h,
that her husbands business was in some wa
connected with the will, SO the doubt b
came all but ce 'tainty,
Curiously enough, or naturally enough
Beatrice hal no longer the wish to apprr
her father Of hat had happened. Dim
she began to see the meaning Of the step 5!
had taken.
II was settled she should return to Mr.
Erslsines. and as a slight misunderstanding
is not sufficient TO terminate the relationsh
between husband and wife of n fortnight
standing. it was also arranged that HeryC
should take lodgings in the neighborhoo
to which lodgings his wife could come as
pupil to drawing master. The fellow he
bv now resumed his mask, and seemed to
irving to efface the recollection of the W
scene.