Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-08-31


too gay that summer Mrs. Ritchie,
who was broken hearted at her VII
liains choice, came In sometimes and
was apt 10 wish herself in the tomb OF
her forefathers But William never
came. He corresponded voluminously
with Miss Cora Standish, who made him
Jealous Of now one officer and now an
other, and he felt that he received little
sympathy at home.
AT last the time arrived when he was
90 go 10 claim his bride. Between a hor-
ror of having her brought home, "to
ride over her head" as she expressed IL.
and a fear that they would induce "her
William" TO take up his residence among
them, Mrs. Ritchie was quite distracted
"She IL your COUSIN" che said TO the
girl one day, "or I'd say what think Of
that creature. She might have kept
herself with her own kind. Why should
she carry of my boyY"
Then Genie felt 80 much sympathy
for the bereaved mother that they min
gled their tears.
Mrs. Richie would not 20 10 Wills
wedding-not she, indeedl
She went SO far as 10 hope that when
he returned he would find her dead of
broken heart But she packed his trunk
for him and put in a new Bible rs her
wedding gift to Cora. Then Will de-
parted.
What with Wills popularity, his moth
ers despair and the doubt US TO whether
the young couple would come back to
live or settle down at the fort, this wed
ding made great doal OF talk, and when
time passed ON and neither telegram,
letters, nor anything else in the shape of
news arrived, there was some excite
ment. Had there been trouble with
the Indians" the newspapers would have
revealed the fact. This silence was very
strange.
Old Mrs. Richie was sure that Will
was "weaned from her already and
consigned herself TO despair. Genie read
over and over again poem which began
Married. married, aud not TO mel
IL IL u dream or can " bep
and pasted IL in her scrapbook, and was
reading it in the honeysuckle arbor
when an expressman paused ut old Mrs
Ritchie's gate and hauled from his
wagon one solitary trunk with "W. R."
upon it. Later Will himself walked up
the road alone, with his portmanteau in
his hand, and stood ut his mothers door.
Something had happened. Genie
would have been an angel if she had
Rrieved over the fact. AS IL was sh-
felt that her little bit Of revenge was
ready for her. and revenge was sweet
and with a merry laugh she skipped
over 10 the fence that divided the gar
dens and called ont:
"Why, how do you do, Will? Where
Is Cousin Coray'
Will turned and looked at her, and
came straight toward her.
when l reached the majors resi-
dence your cousin Cora had just eloped
with Colonel O'Shaunessy," he said.
"As the major and Mrs Colonel . Shau-
nessy's brother are out hunting the
colonel, thought l would return home,
though kindly invited to join the sport"
"Oh" cried Genie, with all the hor.
ror Of an innocent girl. "A married
man? Is she like that--as bad as that?"
1T is pretty bad" said William.
"But Tn glad found her out 80 soon.
Later would have made IL tragedy for
me-and all your fault, Genier
"Mine" cried the girl.
Yes" said Will. when You gave me
back my ring you threw me into her
hands Before that it was only flirta-
ton. ! never intended it 10 be- anything
else, for my part. But when you used
me so"---
~ used you sol" said Genie. "Why,
William, heard you talking TO Cora in
the arbor the night before gave you
back my ring"
mo man ever talks that way to the
woman he loves" said William.
Then they turned away from each
other, but though Mrs. Afford wept over
the awful conduct of her sisters daugh-
ter, Genie was happier than she had
been for many moons.
You and may wonder whether Will
liam Ritchie told the truth, or whether
he told half of it, but Genie believed
him.
Before long the gossips of the place
whispered that she intended "to take
pity on him." and this was Genie's view
of the matter
Her petulant conduct she said had
driven him into the meshes Cora spread
for all men, She was 10 blame. II was
her duty TO atone as far rs she could.
She felt sure of that, and William insist
ed upon It also. Therefore she one day
married him.
In their case marriage has not proved
mistake, for they make a very com
Portable couple, and no one was happier
on the wedding day than old Mrs.
Ritchie. Mary Kyle Dallas in Fireside
COMPANION.