The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-09-13
nionry for him. but oh! II only i.'had not
been buttonsy'

sembled before dinner In the long tapes
try hung drawing room OF Erldon house
Lady Knottinghame was MOVING
amongst her guests with urbane ant
stately dignity, trying hard Ia concea
by the warmth OF her own manner tn,
bored GOODNESS Of her eldest sons. tn
actual lord Of the domain, After sub
hitting with Ill grace to one or two nee
essary introductions to people who wer'
there as his own own guests, Lord Knott
inghame had subsidized sulkily int
q dark corner far away from
every one, only wishing from tn
bottom Of his weak heart and mind tina
he had the nerve to get up and run away
Turning his back on them all sans cere
Aapie.
I'D Francis Erldon, as he stood be
hated great aunt of Doldrum'l
soothed that worthy old fd
IT, II draughts, and fears for thu
conseqoO of uncovering her ole
shoulders SO recklessly at her time Of
life, formed q striking contrast to hi
scowling and farouche elder brother
His handsome thoroughbred face wore
the kindly smile which he always seemed
to have for high or low, and the true
courtesy Of his bright winning manner
invariably gained for him much flatter-
ing favor from both women and men, fol
Francis Erldon was one of those many
In this world who are ''nobody's enemy
but their own"
And yet an old friend of his was sit.
ting even now amongst that assembled
throng, who was rapidly changing into q
calmly vindictive enemy; such an enemy
as only woman can become who sees
her power over q man dying out, when
her love for that same man has been
merely passing caprice, born of vanity
mot the leal and loyal faith which for
gives all. and with lips trembling with
pain can still lovingly say: 1.-THE king
can do no wrongw
When Francis Erldon was but lad of
90, fresh from college, Laura Gray had
given him his first lesson in woman's
perfdy-had engaged herself to him for
the space of one week, during which she
had coquetted with and fooled him to the
top of the bent, and when the "black
Monday" came, she had quietly init
mated that he was no longer wanted,
and must give place to a better, 1. e., a
richer man, whose unexpected offer of
marriage lay carefully ensconced in her
pocket at that very moment.
The boy was too young and too honest
to conceal his dire pain, and when they
met again ten years later, after Laura had
become both wife and widow in the in
term, the eagerness with which her
whilom victim accepted the very first
overtures which the fascinating Mrs.
Fairfax rendered to him, caused that as
tute lady to smile inwardly with dulcet
murmur: "What fools men are!'
And so the old game was played out in
the old fashion-the man honestly and
nobly in earnest, longing for the day
when he should take this woman to be his
wife until death should them part; the
woman retaining his allegiance as sop
to her own vanity, but never for one in
slant losing either her heart or her head
in a transaction which in her private es
timation was always bound to be re-
garded from prosaic and business like
point Of view; and to give up her rich
jointure (as she was bound to do If she
married AGAIN. for sake ofta younger SOD
encountered with debt, seemed to her
philosophical soul nothing short Of per-
feet lunacy.
So for a year two things drifted
on, and the fair widow still pleaded
for "time;" but one fine day Fran
els Erldon lost all patience and
forced the plain truth from her at last,
that if she ever did consent to forfeit her
rich Inheritance, it would be for sake of
an elder son and not younger. He
wasted no words on such a woman as
Laura Fairfax, but turned on his heel
and left her then and there-and never
again did her beautiful face and caress-
ing tones regain their hold on him.
But because he still treated her with
polite courtesy whatsoever they met,
her inordinate vanity prompted the in
variable thought so soothing to itself,
poor fellow, he has not got over it"
And the blow to that same vanity had
been severe when Lady Knottinghame,
with scarcely yelled spite, told her of the
expected arrival Of the great heiress that
very night, and all the hopes and fears
which she entertained with regard to
the success that she prayed might be the
portion of her most dearly beloved
younger son, in securing unto himself
the richly endowed hand Of the million
aires daughter.
Seated rather near the entrance door
to the drawing room with background
of palms and ferns setting off her pale
rose pink dress to good advantage, pretty
Mrs. Fairfax was actively engaged in
discussing the projected matrimonial
alliance in the plainest and most uncom-
plimentary terms, with a confidential
friend on whose sympathy she could
rely.
80 vulgar as she must be, tool" sighed
the fair widow with ostentatious sorrow
for her quondam lover. Think how it
must gall the pride of a man like Francis
Erldon to be reduced to selling himself
for gold to the button makers daugh-
teri"
"Insufferablel And after the expert
ence which has been his of what sweet
woman can bel" and Cassandra Toady
turned one eye towards her companion
to see how this bare faced fattery went
down, and the other up to the heavens
to denote her indignation at mans ia
tuity.
Take care, my dear Cassandra, your
is mastering your eyesight," OBJ
served Mrs Fairfax spitefully II
couldn't tell for an instant whether you
were admiring the chandelier or myself!
But wonder whether this heiress will |
appear covered with diamonds presently
she's sure to do something outrage
ous."
And they say she possesses the finest
diamonds in the worldP' mrrrnured the |