The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25

BY Bret Harte.
COPYRIGHT. ,''I, bv Bre, Rarte.
PART I~.-CHApTER I.

NNha = ~ ~ - ~ ANNRhNN ANAShs AhAhNNNA " y
the outgoing Audience OF the Cosmopolitan The
ntre At Gan Francisco. he ELECTED the usual
smiling mods and recognition due 10 HIS good
looks and good fortune. But rs lie hurricdly
slipped through the still lingering winters rain
Into the smart coupe that was awaiting him
and gave the order. home" the word struck
him with a peculiarly lronlcel significance.
SD home was a handsome one. and lacked
nothing in appointment and comfort. but he
had gone to the theatre to evado its hollow lone
Illness. Nor was " because his wife was not
there, for he had a miserable consciousness that
the temporary absence had nothing to do with
his homelessncss.
The distraction OF tho theatre over, that dull,
vague, but aching sense Of loneliness daily grow
ing upon him, returned with greater vigor.
lie leaned back In the coupe, and reflected.
He had been married scarcely a year. yet
even in the Illusions OF the honeymoon, the wo-
man. older than himself and the widow Of his
old patron. had half unconsclously reasserted
herself. and slipped back into the domination Of
her old position.
1t was at first pleasant enough this half ma
ternal protcctorate, which Is apt to mingle with
Che affections OF even younger women - and
Clarence. in his easy half feminine intuition Of
che sex, yielded, rs the strong are apt to yield,
Through the very consciousness Of his own
superiority. But this IL n quality the weaker
ts not apt tn recognize. aud the woman who has
once tasted equal power with her husband not
only does not easily relegate It, but even makes
its continuance n test of the affections.
The usual triumphant feminine conclusion:
rThen you nj longer love me-" had IN Clarence's
brief experience goue even further and reached
its iu,crutablc then | no longer love
you"-LlthOugh shown only in n monlentary
hardening OF The eye and voice. And rddcd to
this was his sudden hut confused remembrance
that h" had seon that eye and heard that voice
In marital alteration during Judge Peyton's
life. and that he himself. her boy partisan. had
sympnthiZcd with her.
Yet. strange to say, this had given him more
palu ,han hor occasional other reversions to the
past-to her old suspicious OF him when he was
pyouthful protGge OF her husbands. and a pre-
sumed sutton OF her adopted daughter Susy.
High natures are more apt to forgive wrong
Done TO themselves than any abstract injustice.
And her caprlcious tyranny over her depend
ents and servants, or an unreasoning enmity to
q neishbor or friend. outraged his finer sense
more than her own misconception of himself.
Nor did he dream that this was n thing most
women seldom understand, OF understanding,
ever forgive.
The coupe ratified over tho stones or swirled
through the muddy pools of the main thorough
fares. Newspaper and tclegraphic offices were
sill brilliantly lit, and crowds were gathered
around the bulletin boards. He knew that news
had arrived iron Washington that evening of
the first active outbreak of secession. and that
the city was GREATNESS with excitement.
Had he not Just come from the theatre. where
certain insignificant illusions in the play had
been suddenly caught mp and cheered or Kissed
by hitherto unknown partisans, to the dumb as
Constituent of n majority of the audience COM
fortably settled to money getting and their own
affairs! Had he not applauded. albeit half
scornfully, the pretty actrcss-his old playmate
Susy-who had audaciously and all incongru-
ously waved the American flag in their faces?
Yes! he had known Il; had lived for the last
few weeks In m atmosphere electrically sur
charged with it-and yet 1t had chiefly affected
him in his personal HON slessness. For his wife
was a SOutherner, q born stakeholder, and n Sc
,ccsslonist, whose noted preJudices tn the North
had even outrun her late husbands politics.
At first the piquancy and reckiessness Of her
speech amused him as part of her characteristic
flavor, or rs n lingering youtlfulness which the
maturer intellect always pardons.
lie had never taken her politics seriously
why should hop With her head on his shout
der he had listened to her extravagant diatribes
against tho North; no had forgiven her out
agsous indictment of his caste and his'associ-
ates for the sake OF the imperious but handsome
lips that uttered It.
But when he was compelled to listen to her
words echoed and repeated by her friends and
family; when he found that with the clannish-
Ness of her race she had drawn closer to them in
this controversy-that she depended upon them
for her intelligence and information rather than
upon him-he had awakened 10 the reality of
his situation. lie had borne the illusions OF her
brother, whose old scorn for his dependent
marriage. and was now scarcely concealed.
Yet, while he had never altered his own DO
litical faith and social creed in this antagonistIc
atmosphere. he hud often wondered. with his
old conscientiousness and characteristic self
tons were not merely "a a revuisIoi" from inI his DO
mestic tyranny and alien surroundings.
soups stopped with a jerk before his own house.
The door was quickly opened by u servant, who
the man, and" he hesitated and looked
We'll" said Clarence. impatIently.
n. sara, slr, as no" you were not to send
"tndeed. aud who is it p demanded Clarence.
MIR. Hooker. lie said Jim Hooker"
fhe momentary annoyance IN Clarence's face
changed 70 a look OF reflective curiosity.
lie haid he knew you were AZ the theatre, and
Che man, obviously Watching his masters face.
He dont know you've c,n,me in, sir~-and-and l
snce with a faint mile, ".let the carriage walt"
Yet MS he turned toward the library he was by
no means certain that an Interview with thr old
associate q his b9yhood under Judge Pcyton's
no trace OF his doubts nor of his past gloom
show in his face as he entered the room.
elegant i iGrni.ur TT and fRY nsnTsuys Sacommnist aaS
with his usual r~esentful enyiousness. Clarence
had got n soft thing" That IL was more or
less the result: OF his artfulness." and that he
WAS unduiy "putfed up" by 4, was in Hooker's
As his host smiiingly 4Sdysnced with out.
stretched hand, MIR. Rockers efforts 10 assume
q proper abstraction OF manner and cOntemptu-
Gus Indifference TO Claronce's surroundings,
yhieh shopid wound his vanity, ended in IFS
lollins back at full length in the chair with Ills
eyes on the ceiling. ,but, remembering suddenly
that he was really the bearer OF u message 10
Clarence. il struck him that his supIne %pnstion
was, from a theatrical view point. infelicitous.
In his experience of the stage he had never de-
WRrdly to his feet.
/" 1t was so good OF you to wait" said Clarence
eourteOusly.
saw you in the theatre" said Hooker
brusquely. Third row In parquet. Susy
said Il was you and had suthin' To say 10 YOU.
Su. MN YOU ought 70 know" he continued, with
. slight return OF his old mystery of manner,
which Clarence 50 well remembered. "IOu
aaW her -ahs fetched tho bnnsa Wyith tb.t a.