Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-14

her terrible battle against self and unh0l
longings alone. Afterward l knew, ant
understood, and felt some pity in the mids
of all my condemnation. Then it was
mystery to me, an enigma / could no
solve. As the days wore on, and it grew
near the time of Jacks arrival, she grey
more restless and queer, and from one o
two things / gathered, with a strang
sense of indignation and pain, that sh
dreaded his coming.
"Why%
That was what / asked myself twent,
times day. Why should she dread tn
coming of the husband she had marie,
apparently for love? True, Jack ha,
eight hundred year but then he wa
such handsome, debonair fellow,
could not believe any woman would MARI,
him for his money. He was just one o
those men women go mad about-who hat
a mysterious, irresistible charm for tn
other sex.
She must love him. Therefore, VIII,
fear his coming? I tried not to thinl
about it. I busted myself in preparin,
his room and knitting dozen pairs o
new socks for him, leaving his wife pretty
well to her own devices. She hadn'
many friends. Now and then one or twt
called. Her most frequent visitors wer,
Major Denzil and his wife, though they
were SO much alike they might easily
have. been taken for brother and sister.
Somehow or other l did not like this
dashing Major. There was something falls.
to me in his cold, brilliant smile, his arti
fetal manner and coxcombish way, and
took to not appearing when they were
present, my absence not seeming to be
noticed by the young trio. Occasionally
Alice spent the day with the Denzils, and
generally came back with an unusual flush
on her pale cheek and an unwonted ANNA
ton in her manner; and knew the Major
rowed her about good deal in his skif.
for my garden stretched to the river side
and more than once. to my establishment
| saw him leisurely pulling her to the
landing place. / say establishment, because
on each and every one of these OCCASIONS /
had fancied she was lying down IN her
room, resting after some fatigue, and be-
gan to wish Jack would come, for l felt
quite unequal to the responsibility 1 had
accepted and was anxious to resign it. For
what could do? Though / disliked the
Denzils, l could not forbid her intercourse
with them, and my hints she only smiled
at with cool and superb impertinence.
CHAPTER II.
"What is the news?" she asked, lam
guidly, one sultry August morning, as she
sat towing with her cup, her eyes, though,
fixed on the letter the postman had Just
brought me, and which she knew was
from Jack, for she had glanced eagerly at
"When does he return ?"
every soon," replied joyfully.
"When" she reiterated, in monotonous
tones.
"He doesn't say which day he will ar
rive, SO that he may not disappoint US,
but it will be very soon," / replied,
glancing at her, and / was amazed to see
that she was fearfully pale, and that in
the large eyes was haunted, agonized
expression-one which l had seen there
before, only not so plainly.
whats the matter ?" asked, concern
eddy. "Don't you feel well ?"
'The old pain here" she replied, laying
her hand on her heart, while she tried to
lOiSC LCH pdlC lips W Sil1ic.
You must see Gurzon again." re-
marked.
"He does me no good"
"Jack will take you to specialist"
slack ?" she repeated, in dazed kind Of
way, as though not understanding.
eyes. If he comes tonight shall ad.
wise him to take you tomorrow or next
day."
'If he comes to-nightp' she repeated
again, as though aghast. "Do you think
he will come tonight, Aunt Jane ?"
"He may" replied, staring at her in
establishment, for she was shivering as il
ague-stricken. 81 shall be glad, Alice, il
he does come" / went on gravely, "for
am anxious about you in more ways than
one"
anxious about me !" she echoed, raising
her large, unutterably sad eyes to mine
"Why?"
"Your state Of health worries me- You're
not so well as when you came here. You're
so feverish and restless. And then-the
Denzils," l concluded with considerable
hesitation.
"What of them 2" she asked, all signs
of languor vanishing from her tone and
manner.
Il don't like them, child"
Indeed Why not?"
Her voice was cold, her eyes glittering
like stars as she fixed them on me.
e1-I-can-hardly TELL" l stammered
feeling much embarrassed under that
steady gaze.
81 should think not" she rejoined
icily, red streak mounting 10 each pale
cheek and burning there furiously
"Only," | went on, taking courage as
thought of Jack, "they seem to me world
ly and-and-fast, and not altogether de-
sirable companions for you"
"They are not more worldly than nine
tenths of the people one meets in society
every day." she said, hastily taking up the
cudgels in their defense at once.
Possibly not" l admitted reluctantly
Society and / party company long ago.
eyes; that is Just it. You know moth,
ing of the present state of the fashionable
world. Because people are merry and
light-hearted now and seek all the amuse
ment they can get, instead of looking
sanctimonious and singing psalms as in
your young days, you say they are bad"
My deari" l exclaimed, somewhat
shocked, Il did not say that they were
bad"
"You insinuated it. You said they
were fast, and undesirable companions fol
me" she retorted. fixing her shining, mis-
erable-looking eyes again on my face.
81 certainly don't approve of Mrs Den
zil," said, summoning all my courage and
speaking very firmly, las constant com
panion for you. She is mass of affecta
ton, and artificial to the last degree, both
inwardly and outwardly. / am certain
she is insincere, and her hair and com
plexion are got up to such an extent tina
she has all the appearance of fourth
rate actress
"And the Major" she asked, in low
hoarse tone, "what do you think of him ?
"a man should put no faith or trus
in" replied with decision, having a curl
Gus feeling that there was great deal q
stake and that | ought to speak strongly
"A man of strong passions and unbridle,
deSiras. ono who vrnt,id Lar nntbtpe cfop,