The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-08-03
CHAPTER VII.


the queen Of love, was also the mother Of
mischief Beautiful, enticing. she wrought
ruin whithersoever she went. To very this
day her victims are suspended by their
feet head downwards, between heaven
and earth and the mountainous re-echo
with their cries Of pain.
Whether there be truth or not In this an
cient legend, certain Il Ii that beauty Is a
dangerous weapon when welded by q
woman who feels that all the world Is
against her. Rhoda Hamerton, widow OF
the late Augustus Barr, attorney and coun-
sellor at law. had long had grudge
against society. Tho cause Of this bitter
mess had had It's birth In the very first
months OF her sojourn In the conservative
old New England city In which her mother
and herself had taken up their abode some
ten years before the opening Of this, narra-
tive.
Whence they came, why they came no
Disc knew. Mrs. Hamerton was q stately,
handsome old lady who made no acquain-
taWees, and who seemed to be fairly well
provided With the treasures Of this wicked
world. Her daughter was at that time a
delicate, slender girl. whose face gave
promise OF acquiring that striking beNHty
we knew that II finally attained.
2art;hasing an historic house near the
cei.tle Of The town. Mrs. Hamerton settled
down 70 quiet life and placed her daugh-
ter at school. Then 1t was that Rhoda
Hnmerton. by nature affectionate contid-
Ing cheerful, first tasted the poison that
changed her whole being and warped her
virgin soul.
Thee Is an ancient Saxon verb which has
Es'..e through Imlny changes during the
ia3se ofageSt having been written va.iously
sEsdp. -silib, s,eb and snu6 The meaning
OF the word has fluctuated almost as much
as Its spelling, but both Its photography
and siSni.lcaace are now established on a
permanent basis. This generation has de-
creed that snubbiag" Is tie metao,: by
1wl.ch the different strata Of sosiety are
Field in their appropriate places. 10 snab
1ht right people, at the right time In the
Glg place and Ia "a right way 4 al that
u Necessary IN Il - days tomaintain that
sotial position In which either birth or
cnaane has place you.
Now, from the first day az her appear
aaea NJ her new school Rhoda Hamerton
was snubbed." Even the teachers
ne ;;+ssted her, anxious, as they were, 10 re-
aatit snr good VIII of the Young women In
Lheir charge who belonged 70 the .'old
families Of the town That she was
naat;tanae, docile, clever, countad for moth
aaG. IN tact, her superiority as a scholar
only Increased the unfriendliness that sur
Eolhaed mel, Tor jealousy was soon added
TO the feelings OF resentment that int,u-
eneed her classmates. Who was this
stranger who never Numbered. who could
speak French with a perfect accent who
paved classic music with the hand OF a
MASTER, who moved with the grace and dig
nity OF queen and whose patrician fea-
lures grew ever more charming as the |
inohtnS went by? Hamerton? Not a bad |
name, indeed, but one unknown to the |
township. And then again, it might be as
stunned, At all events IL was not safe To he
ZOO intimate with people who gave no ac-
count OF themselves and who did not even
yell whence they came.
nose were very unhappy years to Rhoda.
anu they changed her from bright. hore-
lul, sWeet-tempered girl into an ambitious.
JeaIous emblttered young woman, dis
II u use ISL OF others, self-relant restless
ohe hau measured herself with her con-
temporaries and had proved her sillpttrfnr-
lty, Still she had no place in the social
lfe around her. no recognition from the
naughty descendants of those righteous
immigrants who reioiced that hell was hot
anG gloIied id the death-agonies I'd q
eharred end smoking witch.
Alice Hiuan had been one OF Rhodats
'chaofmatos. Though few wears
younger sihan the stranger, she had been
ne only Gtri IN the school who had made
he slightest advance toward the now
omse, About week after Rhoda's adj
1iltance 4 dice had approached her desk ut
6cess. ans /. taking the new pupil.s hand,
ad said:
4 hear you are not happy here, 1On
ook sad. \ !
The teal $ came into Rhoda's eyes. Ae<
,a.t eject flushed; then, Us IL askav j
i her e.,.) ION, she withdrew her laaS y, /
~ sp.e;lt o. !ly 4
Ih;.aa .on; I'm very we'll cor .a,t !"
An a;ti<, ,ars; ,.leaee ensled. $50 3.
was broke II, tie r''t'ass came W o., [.,,,t AND
Alice Inn an returned 10 b. -, IA
never ag lin, though the W -, and yYooy ~
their lives, were strang9' fIto,.,.,,.orr All
these two women exche - ,so,.ts Rat,ar
perhaps. had it been -. 49, = tha tris.nd'
ship then offered ar 4 r..isctad had been Al
lowed te flourish, 80 :
49, h1i NJ duation Rhoda had led a
NE g nEsau'' N, devoting her time to her
D0oAs. " music and her mother. Mrs.
naueo i, whose lungs were not strong,
mao " n unable to withstand the treach-
erleS of a New England climate and had
81, .dually become a confirmed invalid.
: 1t was at this time that Augustus Barr,
rising young lawyer, in good stand
ing both professionally and socially, had
fallen in love with Rhoda, He had seen
ner at church one morning, and from that
hour his sole ambition had been to make
her acquaintance and win her regard
Being wealthy, handsome and persevering
he had been successful in all this and had
finally made her his wife. Thus had
Rhoda's unpopularity in the community
been increased, for Augustus Barr, scion
of an old colonial family, had been one o.
the tew really eligible young men in towr
not over-stocked with marrtageable bach
Alors. So
We need not dwell long upon Rhoda's
married life. Her husband, Lnadly infatu
ated with her, had determined TO place hel
In that social position to which her beauty
her accomplishments and her now name en-
Titled her Hardly. however bad he takel