, 1891-08-26

plump white neck and arms, of which
abe made rather liberal display when
dressed for dinner.
She was not a person of much refine
ment, but she had a ready tongue, an
pnfailing flow of spirits and a big. high
voice, with which she would call upon
"R-r-r-obert, Robert, tot que Jaime" and
also hold forth in various other rather
s~ntiquated selections from the hack
neyed old Italian operas. She had also
an Unsuitable appetite for admiration,
and was never contented without some
man dangling after her. AS Mr.. Golfer
was quite her opposite in appearance,
being black eyed and dark haired, she
had at ono selected him as her cavalier,
regardless of the fact that there was a
Mrs. Golfer, who might reasonably OBJ
ject to having her husband monopolized
In this way. As u matter of fact Mis-
tress Milly had felt quite easy on the
subject, simply because everything had
seemed so entirely OF the surface, and it
was only the finding Of Mrs. Lessons
mischievous little scrawl which had
made her believe that Robert could de
ceive her.
And now what should she do? To be
sure it was not, 30 far, a very serious
matter, but it vas enough to make heI
loving, jealous heart very sore and re-
s%entful; and not being by any means OF
the Griselda type of woman one of her
first thoughts was to retaliate. Hence
her resolution to bottle up her indigna-
tion and quietly outmaneuver the widow
by keeping an eye on Robert until din
ner time and so prevent the proposed
walk.
In due time the fishermen returned,
and lunch being over, the usual after
moor dispersion began. A sailing party
drew away some of the guests, and 9TH
ers retired for u lounge and a nap. Mrs.
Lesson stationed herself on the piazza
with n book, and seemed unusually tact.
turn and inclined for her own company.
But Milly was not going to trust to this
seeming indifference, so she got together
half n dozen pool players, and carried
Robert and also young Dugall off in her
train. Rather to her surprise, Rob
evinced no reluctance to being thus cap
tured and seemed to enjoy the game,
which was prolonged until almost din
ner time. But having become suspi-
cious, Milly imagined further duplicity
perhaps II postponement of the walk
until the twilight hour as being more
conducive to sentiment-so she remained
firm in her resolution to pay back in his
W coin her recreant husband, and was
30 charming to young Dugall that his
head was quite turned. Which effect
was still further increased when she APP
peared at dinner time in Il delicious
black LACE and satin gown. lighted up
by knots of orange ribbon and n corsage
bouquet of great glowing marigolds-
one of the special products of the island.
Dinner over, Mr.. Dugall proposed a
stroll over the long pier to welcome back
the sailing party, which had been over
to Stonington to lay in n supply of bon
bons and enjoy the delicious peach ices
pr~ocurable in that sleepy old town. And
after that what was more natural than
to wander around by the bathing beach,
where the waves were coming in with
greater force than usual before a rising
wind, which bid fair to be n small sized
gale before morning. Then back to the
hotel for n promenade on the p~iazzas,
and finally n cosy tete-a-tete in the most
secluded corner, where Mistress Milly's
scheme of retaliation progressed so rapid
ly that within an hour Mr.. Dugall was
eloquently portraying the delights of a
sail over to Watch Hill and dinner at
one of the hotels. And would Mrs.
Golfer let him escort her over tomorrow"
"Oh, but-these women, you know.
How they would talkr'
"Well surely, you don't mind them.
Well just start off quietly after break
fast, as if for an hours sail, and if they
do gossip We'll have a nice day anyhow,
and be home here by dinner time. And
you know it won't half equal Mrs. Lee
sons doings."
by the way, where is the widow this
evening, Mr.. DugallT"
why don't you know Sumner came
over an hour ago with his catamaran and
invited your husband to try its speed
around the island, and nothing would do
but Mrs. Lesson and her sister must 90
along. And they haven't got back yet.
Come, nowl won't this give the gossips
enough to talk about tomorrow, 80 they
won't be thinking of us2 You'll go, Mrs.
ColterT'
"Well l won't promise, but if | come
down in my boating suit you a see
Tom about engaging the Mermaid"
Then her spirits seemed to flag. Flirt-
ing wasn't much fun after all, and, oh,
where was Rob all this time? After a
quarter hour of wandering thoughts and
increasing indignation against the whole
sisterhood of widows she felt that she
must have solitude; so, with merely a
glance into the parlor, where Major
Larned, the proud father of the loveliest
baby in the hotel, was delighting an ad-
miring audience with the inspiring
strains of Nancy Lee" she ran up
stairs and locked herself into her room
for the inevitable good cry in which
feminine human nature finds Il safety
valve in most emotional crises. The
better to indulge in this luxury she got
into a wrapper and cuddled down on the
bed in the dark.
AS yet, her feeling of indignation and
resentment We're stronger than her anx-
iety, for Robert was n good sailor and
there was neither fog nor storm tonight
to make it dangerous on the water, and
30 she thought more of the comments
which would be made on his increasing
intimacy with the widow than of any
danger to the party. Il believe / will
go over to Watch Hill tomorrow. Tn
sure | won't pose as the neglected wife,
n there's no knowing what folly that
woman will try to lead him into, though
dom suppose he could help her going
tonightr'
Here her thoughts grew indistinct, and
the next thing she knew she was aroused
from what might have been n long and
sound nap to find herself still alone.
She struck a light. Past midnight and
all quiet below stairs; but outside the