Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-05-03
The MaTtlGt Seal.
BY JEANETTE n. WALwoRTH.
CrIAprEp XTT

had positively dashed himself up to the
point of having n row with John if
Ncd be-" and instead they had fallen
to discussing the dreariness of things
generally with mutual good-natured
sympathy.
''Rid You hear what mother said this
morning, .ldhn2''
''IeS. Five helpless boys and an old
woman lying, Which was putting it
harshiy. She is not dying"
"Did You hear what she added?"
NO. went out of the room just
then. 1t took all the man out of me, to
sec mother, always so strong and clear
headed, lying there with that pinched
white face, babbling nonsense"
''IIcr head is as clear as yours or
mine She said, rcmorscfully, i wish
had not Rugged that silly old griev-
anCe 10 my heart so long. My Dennis,
at least, might have been happy, in
stead of IL homeless wanderer the Lord
knows where. So many people need
not have suffered. 1t looks so small
and empty now--the feud.'"
"ilavc you told her that Dick and
Rafe had gone to fetch Dennis home
at least to look for him?"
told her was obliged to send them to
the city in my stead, but that was
looking for them back tomorrow. That
is all she knows"
but we've got away from the sub
jcct started out to exhaust, John. I
want you to hunt your wife up.
want you to pull yourself together and
get out of this worn-out old rut. We
Al T. E.,
lily"
wait, Lorrie! Not now!''
II did not mean just now"
A somber silence fell between them.
Then Lorrie said, in his gentle voice:
81 think l will go in to mother,
now"
He left John sitting there alone,
staring istlessly out over the sunlit
world. The dogs lay asleep in various
spots out there under the big trees.
The guns were all stacked in the corner
of the green-tinted hall. A solemn still.
ness pervaded White Cliffs, indoors
and out. The harsh creaking of the
big front gate on it's new wooden
hinges made John turn his gloomy
face in that direction. The next mo.
ment he was on his feet with NUT
tered exclamation of amazement.
Ida Fairbanks, accompanied by
Stepniak, her Danish hound, who
walked on one side of her with dignifed
self-possession, and by Ninette, whose
methods of progression suffered severe
ly by comparison with Stepniak's, was
coming towards him.
Amusement swallowed up every
other sensation in John Lorimers
breast, but he was conscious of an un-
comfortable physical repulsion as
Ninette, running swiftly in advance of
her companions, seized his hands and
put up her small red mouth with an
imperious demand:
kiss me, Uncle John. amt come
back here to live. My aunt Ida says my
papa is" But Ida drew her back
| ward.
"Ninette, you and Stepninlz are to sit
| Just here" She halted at the lowest
step and waited for Ninette to arrange
herself and her short draperies to her
| own entire satisfaction.
at could not leave her behind" she
said, apologizing to the shuddering dis
like in Johns eyes, because have
sent the woman Celeste away, and nc
II
to come. heard that Mrs. Lorime1
was i'll, and thought-ah! 1 hope she
will not say may not come in. Life is
so short, a~d so full of the anguish We
| neither make Ilor can unmake for our
selves, that everything else seems SC
pitifully small. 1t is monstrous!'
''I will tell my mother that you arc
here" said John, looking at her, as II
he only half comprehended the mean
ing of her presence or of what she said
4 He turned mechanically towards tn,
front door. Ida put out a OBTAINING
hand:
"Not just yet, please. have some
thing l want to say to you 1t may
amount to nothing, but still thinl
you ought to hear it. Ihave sent Celest,
away"
$50 heard you say" John answered
coldly. What was that child, sitting
on the low stone steps with he
dimpled white arms clasped abou
Stepniah's neck, while she "whispere,
secrets" into his long, silky ears, but
thorn in his flesh, reminder of hi
miserable matrimonial defeat? VIII,
should the dismissal of her bonnie be re
ported to him?
YES; had TO send her away" Id
stood before him, twisting her hat rit
bons about nervously, as confused an
: tremulous as q shared bird.
, John Lorimer looked at her wit
polite attention.
"Oh, it is nothing but cowardice tina
makes it so hard for me to repeat he
vile threats. And yet you ought t
know. Perhaps you can find a meanin
to them that I cannot"
r "You are agitated, Miss Fairbanks
n Pray be seated"
He brought chair, but she waved
aside and plunged into her story wit
, impetuous earnestness:
~ was agitated. / feel calmer nov
It Is not easy to repeat such miserab
things When Celeste found that ST
had lost her place she rallied out at n
!, with tempest of insulting word
Some things she said seemed to thro
some light on-on-"
Il Mrs Lorimer's fight?" John aslxe,
steadily.
Eyes. That is why am here. 81
came into my room after her box w;
gone. and. standing before me, with h,
| had had faoa yvOT.lxiuo with TaSeio