Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-01
A MISFIT CONSCIENCE.
Octave Thanet IN Hsrpsr's Bssar.

or0ary IN winter, Tor there u nothing
higher than . mill chimney to relieve it,
monotonous horizon, not % much - . tree,
even, the trees being all newly planted and
hardly grazing the low roof peaks Of the
houses, while the noble old forests around are
so distant that they make only blurred wall.
But when the May sun paints al the bare
ground and every humble garden NO place
where grass grown and flowers wave can be
dresry. Mrs. Michael Agee's garden was
afame with Jacqueminot roses and daintily
blushing with Gathering Mermets. Her bed OF
sweet pease danced . score Of lovely tints
before Col. Allerton's eyes, to which he paid
not much more attention than the cows nib
bling on the other side Of the fence or the old
gray horse stretching a handsome head over
the rails and barring his long teeth for clutch
at the floating tendrils of honeysuckle on the
porch. The cows we're amazingly fat for the
season and country; so was the horse betrayed
by his teeth to be much older than his figure and
briskness would assert
Col. Allerton plucked handful Of clover for
him. You won't look so fat and happy long,
old Spike! Not if he gets hold Of you." While
he spoke he vented portion Of the irritation
that he felt-for reasons best known to him.
self-in a vehement jerk of the door bell. "A
fools errand; Of course it's FOOLS errand y he
grunted.
The vibrations of the bell set white curtain
at the window trembling, then a thin hand left
the curtain, and in a second a small woman
opened the door.
There was nothing to bespeak a second glance
from stranger in her person, except a certain
dainty neatness in dress and a delicacy Of fea-
ture not uncommon In Arkansas faces. yet did
one look twice on Mildred Agee he might be
attracted by her wistful blue eyes and by the
fhof NM n farn xNo
long and chin too long for beauty.
She was-Col. Allerton perceived 1t with
mingled compassion and fury-trembling ex-
ceedingly; even her voice shook over her civil
declaration that she was right glad to see him.
mo, you're not, Mildred" remarked the
planter, bluntly; II know you understand too
well what have come to say to you"
won't you rest your hat on the bed?' she
said, meekly. She held the door wide. motion
ing to large and snowy bed, the principal
object in the room.
The planter declined; he held his hat stiffly
rocking chair with the red plush cushion, and
to lean his head against the best tidy.
Mrs. Agee sat opposite him, beside the table
whereon beamed the opalescent white shade Of
the nickle plated lamp. At her elbow was q
greon Biography Of the Bible, and a blue
and-gold bound selection of poems on Mother,
Home and Heaven The walls Of the room
(Which were very neatly papered) were further
adorned by those reproductions of water colors
that the art periodicals send forth on mission
airy duty through the world.
Col. Allerton gazed on them gloomily.
"Well, Milly." he said, heaving a porten-
tious sigh and nodding the black curls that
showed here and there a thread of silver-"well,
Milly, reckon the shortest way is the best way
out. You know what am here for; hear you
are thinking of getting married again."
Mrs. Agee writhed in her chair. while a
burning flush crept up to the roots Of her
hair. She swallowed and murmured: II have
been studying about it."
The colonel made no effort to smothera sigh,
rather it rolled out Of his portly frame with an
well, tell you frankly, am terribly sorry,
Mildred, said he.
You do not know him, colonel"
81 am not 30 sure of that, Milly. tell you
he has a bad name, madame; he is under a hard
character. A judge that is suspected-I won't
say how Justly y
mo, Col Allerton. I couldn't forgive even
You for saying thatr'
We'll, you know as well as that the talk
and scandal were so loud he failed to get re-
nomination. and when he resented the slight
and carried himself and his dirty linen of to
on the sly, you know how much difficulty he
had getting his bonds fled, and how, finally,
they fred him."
Il know he has enemies"
The colonel looked at her. Here she was,
afraid OF him in every nerve of her-he was n ot
only the greatest man Of the country side, but
also her most powerful and kind friend, her
kindest friend, excepting possibly his wife-yet
he realized that she would persist in defyfng
him. What irrational, inscrutable creatures
women are. He wished that he had let
Hortense 60 (Hortense was Mrs. Alerton); but
besides her bad cold there was something that.
as last recourse, he had decided to tell Milly
which would more properly be told in his own
person. He cleared his throat and charged
down on the subject in much the mood in which
he used to lead his cavalry during the war.
"Well, Milly, I've known you since YOU were
baby most. And was glad when, after your
hard times, Mikes mind turned to you.
thought he was making wise choice and told
him SO; in fact was the one suggested you.
Now what in thunder have l said to make her
squirm and get red!' thought the honest man.
Mildly he went on: II don't suppose Mike
would have thought Of marrying again if Hor-
tense and l hadn't sort of put it into
his head. Fact is, I don't think his first
ever made him very happy; she had a
sight of sickness and ran to the morphine
bottle for every pain she had, until things went
sky west and crooked, you know. But Mike
was glad enough he did marry you after
ward. He appreciated the way you took hold
of things and all your pains with poor Gather.
There is something else, Milly Che cleared his
throat AGAIN., sit may make difference that
NC soTEN your
me, but l believe that ought to tell you, for
hope it may make you see things about Kline in
another light. When Mike came to die
you remember that day about week before
lie died, when he sent for Newell, he lay
there in that bed and l sat in the chair
you re in now (there was very slight move
ment on Mrs Agee's part) land he wanted me
to draw up his will for him. Now-Im going
to be frank with you'll thought it would be
better to provide for Gather wish a guardian
regard to your marrying again-the miserable
suspicion of us men, Milly. nothing else; we
are always assuming every pretty woman will
marry again"
The compliment miscarried, apparently, for
Mrs. Agee only looked more bewidered and
frightened. '.Why-why didn't you do that
wayI wish you had" she stammered.
''Why?" the colonel repeated-"why? Because
me that he had found out what man could
Il can't talk says he; I'm a rough fellow, not
fit to live with lady like her, but BY -
you know Mike would swear-'a king couldn't
love her better says he; and I'm going to
show her how l trust her. l can trust Gather
with her. My money amt nothing COM
pared to my boy. 1 leave him 70 her,
too; for there's nobody in the world will
do for him like her. You put it strong as YOU
can. colonel, he said-'everything to my be-
loved wife, she to be guardian. executrix and
everything else the law allows, to have and to
spend and to marry il she wants to-God bless
her and d him. cries poor Mike. Oh, he
thought the world and all OF you, Milly"
Iha SAT 10 CO. havx l.. l..