Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-05-14

she should be made happy at the ex-
pense of him she loved. Her love was Of
the kind that sacrifices; not of that
which knows but itsc -
A half-suppressed So startled her out
of her sad dreams Pressing her hand
upon her throbbing heart, she turned
around and saw with amazement what a
change had come over her aunt during
these few minutes Of silence.
That proud lady who had always
known how TO surround herself with a
dignity worthy of a queen; who had
never shown, even TO her immediate
family-her sons and niece-that she
knew the softer emotions of the heart;
that same lady now was the very picture
Of weak, brOken-hear.ed, helpless wOm-
an. Leaning back in her faUteuil, hold
ing her handkerchief before her face,
she strove IN vain to repress the tears
that flowed down her cheeks and moist
ened the dainty texture OF lace and linen
Her Indignation, that had been exhibited
so yehemently but few moments before,
had given way TO q feeling composed
of modification at the insult offered TO
her pride by the gossiping visitor who
had brought the news with ill-concealed
malice, Of the jealousy a mother feels
when she sees herself lose the first place
in her sons heart, and Of the more Sc
we're wound inflicted on her pride by the
threatened humiliation to the family.
When Hattie saw her aunt in such a
distressed state OF mind she knelt down
by her side and endeavOred to sOothe her
with all those fond endearments known
10 women. She gently drew her aunt's
hand away from her face and held il in
hers She softly strOlled her hair and
tried to quiet her as she would a child,
and the naughty woman, who at
other times exhibited an almost mascu-
line disposition Of mind, suffered her
gentle endeavOrs with the helpless p.ia-
bility Of a babe.
@DO not weep, auntie,5 Hattie said
when Mrs Warringham had succeeded
in partially recovering her compOsure.
do not weep. Ralph assuredly Will not
do such thing If il is so averse 10 your
wishes.
Mrs Warringham made no answer.
but despOndingly shook her head. All
she knew but too well that her son had
inherited her own headstrOng stubborn
ness, and that nothing, not even the en-
! treaties OF mother, would restrain him
from pursuing an object whose attain
ment had become 4 settled purpose.
perhaps it is not true at all, " Hattie
suggested 1T would not be the first
time that Mrs Cabling has lent herself
to the propagation of idle rumors.
Here was a ray of hope. Mrs War
ringham's tears ceased to flow, and her
confused thoughts began to become moro
collected. Perhaps it was not true 1t
could Lot be true. How improbable that
Ralph should forget himself so far;
Ralph, who had always shown decidedly
aristocratic views and tastes.
As hope revived, her Indignation rose
again; but now it was directed more
against the goSsips who filed the draw
ing-rooms of her set with idle and SLAM
derous tales than against her son. 1t
was not long until she had persuaded
/ herself that the rumor was untrue. But
she was resolved to sift il TO the bottom
and To ask Ralph himself
"Be kind enough, Hattie" she said to
| the girl, who was still kneeling by her
/ side, ~to ring for the servant"
Hattie rose TO obey. In the meantime
| Mrs. Warringham brushed the last
! traces of tears from her face, assumed
an upright position, and when the young
lady returned was again the naughty,
cold and digniied woman she was in
ordinary life
The foOtman nOiselessly appeared at
the door. He was a splendid specimen
of his kind-English from the top of his
| head TO the sOles Of his feet, well trained,
without a muscle moving in his rigid
| face, without a hair awry in his care
| fully trimmed whiskers.
DC UlCdScu ~ sEE nAAtLAtL H. " 1E-
bingham is At home, and tell him
would like TO sec him" she said. Not a
vibration of her voice indicated the
strong emotions under which she was
labOring.
The fOotman left the room as noise
lessly as he had entered. A few minutes
after Hattie BeckfOrd also retired. She
had an inexpressible desire TO be alone
10 think in the privacy of her chamber
Fs.TH
| on her, and TO allow her tears to flow
freely where no prOfane eye could OBJ
| serve her pain
Mrs. Warringham remained alone.
The mask of cold uncOncern she had
worn in the presence of the servant, and
for a moment unwillingly cast of be-
/ fore her niece could no longer be
sustained. Her tears had ceased TO flow
/ but grief and anger traced deep lines
uron her features and almost cOntorted
| them into the face OF a Medusa- He who
| could have seen her in these minutes of
| lOneSOmeneSs. as she reclined on the
| cushions OF her chair, her eyes fixed
upon space, her fingers nervOusly play
/ ing with her watch chain, would have
been appalled, at the change that had
| come over her
| Mrs. Warringham was nearly - years
/ old, but she still retained great cOmeli-
yOuthfulness OF feature Her dark
/ brown hair, GROWING her head with a
! profusion that needed 10 artificial as
I sistance. did not yet show the slightest
| admiXture Of gray There were no
| wrinkles to rufile the smOothness of her
/ skin, and her complexion. which had
never known the ravageS of artificial
! cosmetics, was as fresh as that of
any maiden Her figure had the
ELL 90
] necessary emtOnpoint With an in
! describable, graceful, and aristOcratic
dignity idealiZing, as it were, her
/ whole appearance, she might have stood
/ the model for any artist whose chisel was
| to create the statue of Juno. Such she
| appeared ordinarily, but at this moment
a strange shadow surrounded her eyes
! and deep lines Of care furrOwed her
/ brow. She appeared twenty years older
than usual
Could it be possible. after all, that
Ralph would seriously think of marry
| ing such a woman? Mrs. Warringham
was the daughter of one of those old
families that were-of note already dur
| ing the colonial period, and of whom
1 only q very few remain to-day. Their
| ancestral pride constitutes a strange
anomaly among the democratic sur
roundings Of the present day, but il
is perhaps SO much stronger fOI
that very reason. Mrs. Warringham,
her late husband, although he could not
boast of such illustrious descent as his
wife. yet was a gentleman Of excellent
connections and ample fortune. All heI
| life she had moved only in the most eX-
elusive circles of society, and it was sim
| ply impossible for her to conceive of sucl
! a person as an actress as her equal
| More or less consciously she had always
entertained a sentiment that people who
worked for living, and especially women
who did so, were class of Creatures with