The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-04

not college bred. too. BY unmistakable signs,
which We carry through life. they knew he was
from the country. and they attributed him to o
fresh-water college. They said. You're o
Dartmouth man. Northwlck. believe" or II
think you're from Williams" and when North
wick said no. they forgot II and thought that he
was q Bowdoin man; the impression
gradually fxed itself that he was from
one or other OF those colleges. It was
believed In like manner, partly on account OF
his name that he was from one OF those old
ministerial families that you ind up In tho
bills, whore the whole brood study Greek
while they are sugaring OF in the spring. aud
that his own mother had fitted him for col
lege. There was. In fact, something clerioslin
Northwick's bearing. and It WAS felt by some
that he had studied for tho ministry. but had
gone into business to help his family. The
literary phase OF the superstition concerning
him was humored by the library which formed
such striking feature Of his house In Boston.
as we'll as his house in Hatboro': at Hatboro' II
was really vast, and was so charming and 30
luxurious that II gave the idea Of cultivated
family; they preferred to live in It. and
rarely used the drawing room. which was
much smaller. and was o gold and white
sanctuary on the north side Of the house. only
opened when there was q large party Of guests
for dancing. Most people came and went
without seeing it. and It remained shut up. as
much conjecture as the memory OF North
wick's wife, She was supposed to have been
taken from him early. to save him and his
children from the notifying consequences Of
one Of those romantic love affairs In which q
conscientious man had sacrificed himself to a
girl no was certain to outgrow. None Of his
world knew that his fortunes had been
founded upon the dowry she brought him. and
upon the stay her beliof In him had
always been. She was q church men,
Der. a. such women usually are. but
Northwick was really her religion; and
as there Is nothing that does 30 much to
aanctify . deity as tho blind devotion Of its
worshippers. Northwick was rendered at times
worthy Of her faith by the intensity Of II. In
his sort he returned her lore: he was not the
kind Of man whose affections are apt to wan-
der. perhaps because they were few and easily
kept together; perhaps because he was really
principled sgsinst letting Thorn 60 sstray. He
was not merely true In o passive way. but he
was constant In the more positive fashion.
When they began to get on In the world. and
his business talent brought him into relations
with people much above them socially. he
yielded to her shrinking from the op-
portunides OF social advancement that
opened to them. and held aloof with
her. This kept him . country person
In his experiences much longer than he
need have remained. and tended to that sort OF
defensive secretiveness which grew moro and
more upon him. and qualified his conduct in
matters where there was no question OF his
knowledge Of tho polite world. It was not
until after his wife's death. and until his
daughters began to grow up In the circles
whore his money and his business associations
authorized them to move that he began to see
. little OF that world. Even then he left 1t
chiefly to his children for himself he continued
quite simply loyal to his wife's memory, and
apparently never imagined such thing as
marrying again.
He rose from the chair where he had sat
looking up into her pictured face and went to
open the safe near the window. But he stopped
in STOPPING over to work the combination. and
glanced out across his shoulder into the night.
The familiar beauty Of the scene tempted him
to the window for what, all at once. he felt
might be his last look. though the next instant
he was able to argue the feeling down and
mako his meditated act work into his schemes
Of carly retrieval and honorable return. He
must have been thinking there before the fire
long time, for now tho moon had risen and
shone upon the black bulk OF frs TO the south
ward and on the group Of outbuildings.
These were In Q sort the mechanism
that transacted the life OF his house.
ministering to all It's necessities and pleasures.
Under the Conservatives. with their long
stretches Of glass. catching the moons rays
like levels ofwater. was the steam furnace that
impaired their summer climate through
heavy mains carried below the basement to
every chamber ofthe mansion: ragged plume
OF vspor escaped from the tall chimney above
them and dishevelled itself in diaphanous
silver on the night breeze. Beyond the hot
houses lay the cold graperies. and on to the
left rose the stables: ina cosey nook Of this low
mass Northwick saw the lights Of the COACH
mans family rooms; beyond the stables were
the COW barn and the dairy. with the farmers
cottage: 1t WAS q sort Of joke with Northwlok's
business friends that you could buy butter of
him sometimes at less than half 1t cost
him. and the Joke fattered Northwiok's
sense Of baronial consequence with regard
TO his place. 1t was really farm
In extent and 1t was mostly q grazing farm:
his cattle wsre In the hord books. and he raised
horses whlsh he would sell now and then to o
friend. They were 30 distinctly varied from
the original stock as to form almost breed Of |
IN aIvan fhav ,hara aooroa In h{a