Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-16

ment. The How OF bet rpiiIs weo
continuous and contagious. Nelthef
t,onaI. but one could hardly avoid being
merry in her company. and she was indis-
Greet in 40 naive and Jolly q way that no
harm could come Of il. She had come
a abroad in order to afford Gail the beneht
NJ her support and companionghip her
husband, one Of the rising and shining
lights of the Philadelphia bar. bad ar
ranged 10 come with her. but Mt the last
momont he had besn detained by an I'M
portant case, and go she left him behind.
IL is needless to say that this quasi grass
did not diminish her a.trac-
tivencss, and If the parting lacerated her
heart she hid the wound we'll.
She knew the world, as the phrase IS. 1t
il n comical phrase when ono comes 10
it by large standards. But she
bad been initiated certainly into minute
little sphere of knowledge-or rather or
she was thereby enabled
10 assume tho air and tone OF complete
wisdom. She was fond OF saying tnst sue
had had her career, and she occasionally as
coursed ssrely TO Gail about the perils and
Weiss tudes OF mortal existence. Wnen
Won have been married two or three years,
nv dear. YOU will understand" Wei, 10
have been married is, after oil. something;
and. strange to say. 1t ls something incoin-
TO those who have not expert
anced II. Corinnc was far inferior to Gail
In natural intelligence and in capacity OF
feeling: but she was quick, capable, anu
confd.nt. and knew how to keep her den,
cienci.- in the background. Can accepted
her OF her own valuation
Now. in a natural state OF things, DICK
should hayo been drawn to Gan rather
than to Corinne. But the existing state OF
thing. in our civilizations not natural-aI
anvrate. il generates numerous perversities.
A modest and ingenious young man Inc
D;ch feels A certain reverence and awe III
the presence of young girl he fears her
maidenbood and would adore her, bui
dread. fest his homage ohend her. nc VIII
not trust himself 10 speak to ner irahhIy
and unceremoniously for fear she
sno,ld think him crude and unmanneriy;;
In nor presence he finds himself constrainedi
and awkward he can neither show hiinseiI
for what he really Is nor draw out wnat Is
hest in her. She. on her side, cannot make
advances. We're she to volunteer any
Kindness il might be misconstrued. Inc
conseauence lie that they fall into niu-
tually cold and undemonstratiye attitude,
and end. perhaps, by actually feeling an
Indifference which, at first. they had only
simulated. This omnlpresent DOGGY ot
marriage and Intentions often Keeps
uDfrt IuDSt W ~ uiO ~ A-'N
10 como together.
Dick. accordingly, after recovering from
the first shock Of Miss Penrith's lowell,
ness. BEGAN to behave like tlmld ass ana
soon came to tho conclusion that sne wa
unsympathetic and inaccessible Due
with Coripne his fortune was very dlner-
emit. She supplied precisely the audacity
and sdroir- fare that he lacked. one hau
no hesitation in making advances 70 hInl,
for was not he only a boy ana was no,
she rnarrled-an old married w0Ilah-ahu
fo,n;i;ar with the world? Dick was
a handsome fellow. he was manly;
and he was innocent. She perceived
that she could have very nice time WIN
him. He needed to be made familiar with
women and their ways and sheWaS lust mo
woman she told herself to give him the
needed training. 1t would be fun. besides.
TO keep him away from Gail. GalI was
little too beautiful. Corlnne wouid snow
Gail that mere beauty was no match Ior
beauty and experience combined. She,
Corinne. a married woman, from whom
Dick could have nothing to hope, would
take him away from an eX-
tremely manageable and good-looking
youpg lady from whom he might hope
everytbinp. And she set about her enter
prise with hearty good WILL,
Evidently. then. Corinne had no sinister
intentions. She was a perfectly honest
little woman. Her purpose OF miscniet
went only skln-dcep. She would beguile
Dicks fancy--make BIN her slave to fetch
and carrv-but she meant him no harm IN
the world and herself still less. On the
contrary. her designs were phllanthroplc.
The affair would be over in week or two
and all concerned would be the better for
il. The next time Dick met pretty girl,
married or unmarried, he would know how
to behave to her. And as for Gail, she
would perhaps learn that it Is necessary TO
use ones faculties as well rs ones face In
order to succeed in the world.
Such was the situation as between DICK
and Corinne. 1t was possibly because the
Colonel recognized it that he turned TO
Gail. Yet Gail could hardly be regarded
as pis dIler. 1t was no hardship Tor any
man TO be devoted to her. And the Colo
mel when he was interested knew how to
make himself agreeable. His mind was OF
excellent natural quality, and be had given
il rich and ample cultivation: lie was
distinguished in the arts of both war and
peace. and his attentions might be consld-
cred a compliment by any woman. His
social Instinct was strong he admired wo-
men and knew by intuition how TO make
himself agreeable to them. lie was IN the
prime of life and he looked much younger
than he was. His only weak point was MS
diminutiye stature, and after new ac-
ouaintance had become accustomed to this
there was nothing else to fear.
Gail. from the first, treated him with ia
vor. She liked him and did not hesitate TO
show her liking. Why should she! lie
was q widower with son older than her
self. She was entirely at her ease with
him aud c6nvcrsed with him more con-
fidentially than she would have done with
any unmarried man. The Colonel, to be
sure, was not. strictly speaking, married /;
but then he had been. and that was practl--
cally the same thing SO at least
she fancied. But it must be confessed
that the Colonel might have taken
exceptions to this view. His mar.
ried life had lasted but two years, and II
wa. more than twenty since IT had ended.
He was q Young fellow then; he was now q
man Of mature mind and feeling. The
opening chapter of his life was over and
done with; the second epoch had begun,
He was not unfaithful to the memory OF
her who had gone, but he was another man
to-day, and he was free 10 enter into other
interests and surroundings. He did not
love his dead eirl-.wife the less because
he also felt himself able to love another
woman who had not been born when
she died. Nor could he understand
why he should not be able ut least as
capable of inspiring love IN beautiful
Girl now. as he was then. In fact, was ho
not moro capable of 1t? At the same time,
we arc not to conclude that the Colonel
baG made any definite plan OF campaign
Like tho others, he was only taking things
n. thew came. lie had set out IN search
of res, and enjoyment and he was getting
them. He breathcd the pure, inspiring
air OF tn rplands; he saw the cleaning
SUBMITS OF tho noble mountains. Youth
and beauty were by his side. 1t was d
delightful episode; it might never be any
thing more.
Here. then, we have the stage set for at
amusing little comedy. which a French
drsInatist would work out TO neat and
piauant denouement. Unfortunately the
actors IN this case were all Americans, and
Americans manage these things different
ly. They perversely avoid logical conclu
sions aud ara apt to get things mixed
Phey betray the lack of the dramatic N
stinct. Nevertheless. they do have their
troubles and their joys after fashion oil
their own.
The two ladies and the two gentlemen
having chosen partners the dance began
The glorious peak of the Rlgi. Kuhn looked
down upon them auspiciously. The blu
lakes laughed TO Heaven at the fun. Ih
crisp mountain air put bright thoughts II
their heads, and tireless vlyacity IN thei
limbs. As the days passed by and the,
still fingered together in the happy vale.
their intimacy increased. The environ
ment was q. provocative of rapid acquaint
ance as deck of an ocean steamer, anC
e.. 80 s..