The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-05-29

Y n u \
He came up and took n,y hand aotth some
thing of q clutch.
posed that I ever let Penny see that did
it) when he stroked my hair or pressed my
fingers? That suggestion was absurd, of
course.
1t was strange that what had seemed
quite appropriate while my views had been
more conventionally elevated should ap-
pear out of keeping now that my theories
had become simplified. was to blame, of
course, for not setting myself to discover
the true explanation of this; but was con-
tent to find myself growing to be extremely
independent of my husband and to take a
very composed view of our relations. I de-
cided that as long as l performed my du-
ties no more could be expected of me. As
to what were my duties 1 did not take
much trouble to consider. AS none OPP
pressed me very considerably it may be
agreed, if you like, that had none.
If it was my duty to dress well. that
did with calm sense of the superiority of
my talents. If it was equally my duty to
entertain we'll, this and similar duties
fulfilled in like spirit. Penny certainly
seemed to be well pleased. He went to his
club, he dined out, he never worried me as
to what was going to do during the day
or bothered me at night for resume of
my adventures, and know that gave him
just as little cause for complaint on that
score. He would be affectionate, aud to
that was resigned, though / could not
help thinking that it would be better if the
feeling were mutual Still we were to-
gether good deal, though Mr.. Latitude
did say that we reminded him of two
doyes-in different forests-and Pm sure it
was never said of me as it used to be of
Mr. Latitude's sweet tempered sister, that
my service had to be of plate because
broke all my china over my husbands
head.
We used to have very jolly little even
ings toward the end of Lent and in the
early summer. A good many people used
to drop in quietly of an evening. Penny
got himself a silver grill, and somewhere
or other picked up an abominable little
book, "The Bartenders Guide" with
which he was highly pleased, and by the
aid of which he used to compound MKT
ures which, to give them their due, were
often nectareous. admit that the family
next door to us went away on account of
what they called our scandalous behavior.
AS they used to nearly kill me by playing
a parlor organ at nine O'Clock, in the morn
ing cannot say that felt the blow par
ticularly.
Our most frequent visitors were Mrs.
Jimmy Naples, Belmont Lascham, Jack
Newmarket and Captain Brague. Belmont
Lascham and Jack Newmarket were great
horsemen. They were forever talking on
matters equestrian; they belonged to in
Vulnerable hare and hound clubs, hunts,
meets, and so forth; their calendar de-
pended on such great feasts as the Balti-
more races; when they stood in my draw
ing room windows on Sunday morning
they criticised the horses and not the peo-
pie who passed, and when there was moth
ing else going on they ran about to coun-
try fairs, and not unfrequentiy rode races
themselves at such places, by way of keep
ing their hands in.
OF my old friends I saw very little.
Olive had become very religious after the
death of poor Willy Woodburn, who killed
himself while out shooting, and to whom
she had been engaged since they were chill
dren, and she now gave up her whole time
to sewing classes, Sunday schools and other
charitable employments. And as for Lofty,
she was too much occupied with her ap-
preaching marriage to think of anything
whom I saw anything was, curiously
enough, Bran Boullter. Bran appeared to
me to have changed good deal. He was
by no means so uniformly gay as he had
been. His humor was often wild and
little dangerous, and noticed that he was
sometimes depressed.
Report said, moreover, that he drank a
good deal; l myself had often seen him
with flushed face and tumbled hair talking
in an excited manner. Once or twice
heard it whispered that some girl had
treated him very badly; but had no sus-
picion as to who it could be. We were very
good friends but on account Of his changed
temperament did not take as much pleas
ure in his society as formerly had done,
and / rather preferred the jovial manner
and careless laugh of Captain Brague
Then, too, Bran made shift once or twice
to get me to sympathiZe with his affiic-
tions. One afternoon, remember, we had
made up party to go out to our country
house and spend Sunday, agreeing, as
Bran had put it, that we would fly from
the dark and noisome byways of the city
to the green fields and the sunny cham
paign.
1t had been arranged that Bran should
drive me out in the dog cart, everybody else
going in the drag. Bran had been so very
delightful before the excursion, making
outrageous verses about seeking for mod
est violets and quafiing the frotiing vint-
age of the bovine, that promised myself a
very jolly time with him, but as soon as we
started l noticed that his humor had
changed. He scarcely spoke at all as we
drove up to the park, and began to think
/ should have to amuse myself with the
scenery. Quite contented with this idea,
was leaninga little way from him and look
Ing up the wooded slopes of the Schuylkill,
now family green, when he suddenly
turned toward me and asked me rather abb
ruptly If was not bored.
"Not at all" said /. "To tell you the
truth, l was looking at the river, and had
almost forgotten your existence"
He turned away and tlicked his whip at
the leader, who was dancing little; then
he looked at me very earnestly.
Mrs. Charter" said he, 81 am in a bad
way. What ought a fellow to do when he's
In bad wayf"
must say felt rather aggrieved at first
Why should people have affiictionsS Why
could not everybody take things easily, as
didf ] was willing to be sorry for poor
Bran, but what could do for hims Such
were my rather selfish reflections; but in a
minute or two began to feel some Of my