Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-03-27
A POOR REVENGE.

NJ am going to have two guests at
Elmdale the day after tomorrow, " re-
marked Mrs. Radcliffe carelessly one
morning to tho old husband who adores
her and who is fully thirty years her
senior.
eyes, my dear Opheiia." is the anna
BILE answer, while Mr.. Radcliffe stirs the
coffee his wife has just made for him.
Il am so glad to hear you say so. 1
was on the verge. my dear, of proposing
some such social distraction. And pray
whom have you hit upon"
You have met the lady, I ain sure.
She is Miss Eloise Bristow, and the gem
tleman is Mr.. John Folsom"
Mr.. Radcliffe considers this response
for a moment, and then up go his gray
touched eyebrows in unmistakable as
Constituent.
my dear, You must be making some
mistake. 1 have heard you say some
very hard things about both these peo-
pie. 1 remember your being very an
CRY indeed at Eloise Bristow just be-
fore your marriage for-for"-
Cant you ~recollcct why?" interrupts
Mrs. Radcliffe in smiling Interrogation.
This was my reason for being angry:
Eloise chose to spread abroad certain re-
ports about me when I was poor little
Ophelia Shelton, which, whether they
were true or false, concealed behind
them the desire of preventing our mar
riage. You were sensible enough not to
believe the gossip, and 50 she was de
feated."
But have you forgiven her, Ophelia.
/ thought not"
Mrs. Radcliffe's face is very calm and
gentle in its expression.
"Pshawl my dear Radcliffe, what i,
the use Of cherishing grudges?'
True, Ophelia. And this Mr.. Fol
som9 You used to dislike him, l well
remember. What was it, by the by,
that he diu to offend:"
"Oh, it was two years before | met
You, and during the year that l lived in
Portsmouth with Aunt Fannie. All. hus-
band mine, what Il memory you have!"
"Tm getting old, Ophelia."
"Nonsense! You are as young rs l."
Thanks for the delicious compliment.
I watt q kiss to you across the breakfast
table. Now, tell me what it was that
your Portsmouth friend didg'
HE set a very dear friend of mine, a
Mrs. Farren, against me by telling her
that l was trying to make her husband
fall in love with me. He never knew
that had found the truth out before !
left Portsmouth, but 1 had"
"And you are going to have these two
people, both of whom / know you hate,
up at ElmdaleI" murmured Mr.. Rad
cliffe, lifting both hands in mock inten-
sity of amazement. Il never could un-
derstand some Of your whilns, Ophelia;
they are quite beyond mel By the by,
do these forthcoming guests know each
othery'
"No; 1 doubt if they have ever heard
each others John Folsom has
always lived in Portsmouth, you know,
and Eloise in London. Mr.. Folsom is in
town now for a month or so, l nave late
ly heard from Mary Waldrom, an old
Portsmouth friend. He is here for bust
ness reasons-trying, Mary writes, tc
ave a little from the wreck of his fort
une."
"Ahl he has, then, met with severe
losses3 1 knew he was rich-Or, rather,
remember your telling me So"
"tHe has lost next to everything, they
say, by the failure of Rushit & STAN,
mer."
And, my dear-ahem! how about thii
Miss Eloise Bristow? Is she-ahem!-
wen OFF,
"Not at all. A church mouse is il
handsome circumstances compared will
her"
Five or six days after the above con
~versation Mrs. Radclifre's guests arrive,
in Elmdale.
The guests find every hospitality await
ing them at the charming country sea
II Elmdale.
"You havea most exquisite place here,
Mr.. Folsom tells his hostess, while the,
are left alone together fora few moment
on the night Of his arrival.
eyes? Do you really think SOP is tn
sweet answer. II am 80 glad everythinl
pleases you And how about your fel
low guest, Miss Bristow? Is not sh
lovely?'
II never speclally ADMIRED DrunetUesi
is John Folsom's reply, with a cover
glance at the Aaxen tresses Of Mrs. Rad
clife.
The lady laughs.
"Ah, it doesn't much matter. fan
cy, whether one be blOndeor brunette, j
one has immense wealth"
Immense wealth. And is Miss Bris
tow
wealthy? Oh, enormously-one o
the greatest heiresses 1 know Of"
"Indeedr' John Folsom responds, be
ginning suddenly 70 stroke his dark
silky mustache with considerable en-
ergy.
MOI long afterwa-d Al-A Radcliffe
alone with Miss Bristow.
MY dear Eloise," she begins, ''yoI