Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-23

lily. !.
1t is some weeks later and Christmas day
Quite correct Christmas day, with snowt1ake'
Tying and evergreens so white as to belle thell
name, and iclcles dropping from the bridge tna
spans the river that flows through Lady Marla'
pretty domain.
Both she and Lady Flora had been to church
in the morning. and enjoyed good lunch after
ward, and are now doing with pretense al
reading before fire that might have roasted
an OK IN the good old days when roasted oxen
were. Lady Maria had, indeed, so far given
into the Establishments of Somnus that gentle
snore Wakens the air around her. and Lady
Flora reused by it, starts into more upright
position and a sudden knowledge that manly
footstep is rapidly approaching the small and
cosy room in which they are sitting
Good heavens, Maria, wake! wakeI someone
is coming. Oh! you told me he had gone to
Italy, and now"
"Well. so he has," says Lady Maria, rubbing
| her eyes,
HE hasn't. He is here. He is coming up
the stairs. OhP' springing to her feet and
looking distractedly round her, "where shall
1 Igo?"
HE is coming, sure enough" says Lady
/ Maria, now wide awake ''Bless me- what liars
men are. And he declared to me that
Meyer mind anything. Think of me-" cries
| Lady Flora, literally wringing her hands in
front of her hostess. II can't go out the door
| or pll meet him face to face Oh! why do they
| build rooms with only one mode of egress IN
| Lu6ID. I0er6 QaQ DeeQ anOIler door
=. Pm undone, Maria. But no." with a swift
and happy thought; that screen. Behind that
Shall be secure-sate. And don't keep him
| long-and-"
"But, my dear" gasps poor Lady Maria wild
ly, ''he will probably say all sorts of things and
| you will be listening, and; good gracious, it
isn't fair. 1t will be dreadful"
u shall put my fingers in my ears. Betray me
at your peril p cries Lady Flora in a dramatic
| whisper. The tail of her gown just disappears
| behind the tall Japanese screen as Sir Frederic
Blount is announced.
And now begins a purgatory for poor Lady
| Maria.
"Thought-er-that as had to drop down to
this part of the world I'd like to come to see
you" says Sir Frederic with manifest hypoc-
risy and series of furtive glances all round the
room as though in search of something.
Thought, too, that l-er-heard voices as 1
came up the stairs"
| Lady Maria, who is very justly exasperated by
| his appearance at this moment.
Had to put it off for a week or SO. Business
down here with my steward. Beasrly nuisance,
| but had to Gomez
Awkward silence. Lady Maria, with her
| eyes fixed on the Japanese screen, is giving
| herself up prey to despair. AS for her put
ting her fingers in her ears. she doesn't believe
a word of it.
Lady Flora with your asked Sir Frederic at
last jerking out the question awkwardy.
Yes"
"Gone out for walk?"
NO no. In retirement" saws the wretched
Lady Maria with groan that she adroitly turns
into sneeze.
"Ah, headacheT'
Really, Frederic, considering the terms you
and Lady Flora are on think it a little-Well-
little odd ofyou, to say the least of it. to cross
examine me about her like this; such anxiety
about her health on your part is hardly to be
expected"
"Anxiety2 On nv part7 can't imagine what
you mean by that" exclaims Sir Frederic in
dignantly. He rises, and going over to the
Indian hearthrug, leans against the MANTLE
piece and glowers from the lofty position down
upon Lady Maria. The edge of the Japanese
screen touches the hearthrug, and slight
leaning back of Sir Frederic would in all prob
ability reveal to him the person hiding behind
it Lady Maria becomes conscious of a sensa-
tion of faintness.
Don't stand there; SO bad for your conn.,
plexion," stammers she inconsequently
AS Sir Frederic is standing manlike with his
back to the fire, the suggestion about his COM
plexion falls fat
'.Tm chilly" says he absently. and then.
Anxious about her-the woman who will
fully deserted me; who ="
"Once for all, Frederic, 1 decline to discuss
your wife" saws Lady Maria frantically Talk
of taxation, servants, the education of tho
lower classes, any abominable subject you
like. but not of Flora"
II can't help it." says Sir Frederic with an
obstinate shake of his head. You began it,
You suggested should or did feel anxiety for
-Fl--Lady Flora, and insist upon showing
you why -"
Il quite understand, / assure you"
You don't, you can't or you wouldn't have
spoken as you did. A man more barDarously
treated than have been has seldom -"
Here, seeing the screen shake ominously
Lady Maria loses her head:
'Of course of course. We all know that"
cried she nthusiastically-fatally. The screen
now seems to be the receptacle of an earth
quake in an extremely advanced state. Oh!
those young women and their promises about
their fingers and their ears. "Im not well,
Frederic; I'm tired; I've toothache, neuralgia
sciatica, lumbago, tcdoloureux, everythingr'
almost screams Lady Maria. 81 wish you
would 60 away"
You look all right" says Sir Frederic.
gazing at her with skeptic eye. What you
really mean is, that you don't want to hear my
exculpation. don't blame you. She has been |
printing you with abuse of me, of course: but
insist on setting myself right with Won. You |
think Flora in the right, but she is not; it is
who am in the right" striking his clinched fist |
against his breast in quite an alarming fashion.
"The-yes, to be sure" that hangs on Lady |
Maria's agitated lips Is checked in the bud by |
another evolution of the incipient earthquake |
Good heavens! how long is this to last? And |
there be?
Look here,'' says Sir Frederic violently;
once for ALL you shall learn the truth She |
married me not knowing her own mind (which |
apparently is of q poor sort), and, tired Of me- |
sought occasion to regain her liberty. She |
never believed that story about it but it served
as a pretext for her plan. She deliberately |
broke off all relations with me simply to suit |
herself, and with full belief in her inmost |
soul that l was innocent of the ridiculous
charge she brought against me. She
The screen goes over with crash-a beauti- |
full but furious young woman appears, standing |
IN its place. 1t is perfect transformation |
scene. Lady Maria falls back in her chair half |
faintiDg; Sir Frederic, stepping back in wild as
tOnishment, put his foot on Lady Maria's |
tabby who doesn't faint at all but sets up such
meeowing as makes the welkin ring. All is
confusion.
The cat is the first to recover; then the ont
ragged goddess, whO advancing on her husband
regards him with glittering eye.
"How dare you say that?'' says she in low
but terror-striking tone. And now she turns to
the hapless Lady Maria. You listened to hiInl
you applauded him! you took his part! You
SAID that had treated him barbarously! Oh,
Marian
Lady Maria makes an effort to explain. but
speech is beyond her. She is chilled by Sir
Frederic's eye, who now advances straight
"And you knew she was there all the time
with scornful glance at Flora, who
returns it fourfold. "You let me say what was
IN my mind, without even trying to check me;
sBnt this was too much for Lady Maria; such
fragrant injustice restores her to her dignity.
She rises to the occasion on her feet.
"Once for all" says she sternly 81 am done
with you; yes, with both of you. You are un-
grateful, worthless, heartlessi Hitherto have
done what L could for you. For the future
from me. You can make use of this
house-of anything belonging to
me, but of me-never againP'
She sailed with much dignity from the room.
"ThereP' says Sir Frederic turning round to
his wife, ''you have done 1t, as usual"
Done wnat2 I've done nothing! It is
you who have done everything. And not
satisfied with having insulted me- YOU come
here and abuse me to Maria behind my back"
II spoke only the truth. And you-was it
fair to hide behind screen and listen to what
wasn't intended for you? There's an ugly name
for that, you know" hotly.
II don't care what ugly names you call me
-FOUR opinion of me has ceased to be of any i'm.