Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-22

wnen you KNOW that his father was
with your brother in that awful charge
ut Shiloh, and that he saved my hus-
bands life at the risk of his own.
Those very brothers-the slothful men
you scorn-died, saber in hand, fighting
side by side with Hector and Archer
and Randolph and Boiling for us and
for Virginia"
alongY' sneered Miss Cornelia, almost
foaming with passion.
81 have known it good while," &C
knowledged Mary briefly; mot ever
since have known him, for Mr.. An
thony does not thrust his affairs on any
one. He waited for a fitting opportu-
nifty, and then he told me, as a gentle
man should. He isn't ashamed of his
origin, and he has no cause to be; his
father was a poor man and an ignorant
man, but at the same time he was a good
and respectable man."
"And I sappose it is your intention to
introduce the son of this good and re-
spectacle father into my fathers fam
ily!" rapted Miss Cornelia. but tell
you, Mary Beverley, if you do you will
live to repent it. The man is low born
and common and odious, and the very
idea of putting him in Hector's place is
enough to make the bones of all the
Beverleys for generations turn in their
graves. You may stultify yourself with
what excuses you please for this man,
but think he has acted most dishonor-
ably, and I shall take care to let my
opinion be known. I wash my hands of
you and of the whole affair. will not
remain in this house, either, to see my
family disgraced by such an alliance. 1
will not countenance you single mo-
ment. / shall leave for Richmond to-
morrow"
Mary bowed her head in acquiescence
in her punishment and endeavored 10y
ally to hide the look of relief that stole
from her heart to her face. She was
accustomed to these stormy with
drawals of her aunt's countenance, and
was perfectly aware that within week
she would be in constant receipt of long
and amicable epistles from her, and also
that as soon as Miss Cornelia should
weary of her kindred or should fancy
that they were neglectful, she would
return as though nothing had occurred
to mar the harmony of their intercourse.
Her threats having lost all significance,
had become to Mary but as the crack
ling of thorns under pot.
Miss Cornelia's determination to
abandon her to her own sinful ways was
special relief to Mary at this particu-
lar juncture, for the necessity of up
holding the standard of justice and do
ing battle constantly in behalf of the
man who loved her and toward whom
she felt resentment for loving her, was
beginning to tell upon her-to make her
feel hedged in and committed.
She had no desire to become his cham
pion, to espouse his cause or to place
herself even mentally by his side. She
wished earnestly to hold herself, her
life and her environment separate and
apart from him; and yet her nature, her
adherence of all narrowness and in
justice and meanness, was constantly
forcing her into position which dis
tressed and annoyed her, and which
was, moreover, open to misunderstood
ing and misrepresentation.
Mary had made no vows of eternal
widowhood. She had loved her hus-
band with all her heart, faithfully and
fully. When he was taken from her
she mourned loyalty. She cherished his
memory with tender, loving care, but
time had brought the inevitable change,
the inevitable passing onward. Hector
was no longer her first thought, her
first consideration; the past had given
place to the present and Hector's sons
reigned in his stead. Wifehood had
merged into motherhood, and the ON
impotence of now transcribed in i'm
portance the retrospective claims of
| then.
In this question of marriage with
Anthony the thing that offended Mrs.
Beverley most deeply was not the sug-
| gestion that she was capable of giving
her husband such successor, but that
she was capable of giving her sons such
stepfather.