The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-04
THE COLONIES WIFE.



sible construction upon her actions, but
then Mrs Grundy had suffered much at
her hands, and was preiudiced against
her. You see, she had the courage Of her
opinions, and was unconventional and in
b, dependent enough to steer her own course
n according to her own ideas. Moreover,
she was extremely good looking, and
had bad habit'of annexing all the men
who came within reach.
She was over 30. said Mrs, Grundy, who
never loses sight of a woman's age. and
old enough to know better. Furthermore,
she had husband, and surely that ought
to be enough for her. 1t was high time
that she settled down into sober British
matron, and left flirting and dan
cling and lawn tennis and all such
frivolous festivities to the younger gener-
alton
But she did not see things in that light,
and in spite Of Mrs. Grundy's growls, con-
tinued TO flirt,and dance and otherwise
enjoy herself with as much zest as if only
twenty instead of more than thirty years
had passed over her golden head. She
possessed an immense capacity for enjoy
ing life, and she could not be brought to
see why she should not exercise that ca
paoity. Men could not see it either, and
they helped her to exercise IL to the best
of their ability, while women looked on
and shrugged their shoulders. But she
did not care for women any more than
she cared for Mrs. Grundy, and so pur-
sued the even tenor of her way, regard
less of their black looks and disappearing
frowns
She committed good many unpardon-
able sins, or rather sins that were unpar-
donable in the eyes of the world. Such
sins, for instance, as wearing gowns that
were calculated TO fill the heart of the
feminine beholder with envy, hatred,
malice and all uncharitableness or at
tracing more than her share of admira-
tion and attention; or dancing gayly all
evening while rows of detected wall
flowers adorned the benches provided for
their chaperons. But the biggest, black
est, most unforgiyable sin of all was the
one whose history am going to relate.
Why did she want TO Interfere between
Gerald Maitland and Mrs. O'Connor2 the
world asked, Indignantly. 1t was such u
suitable match in every way. Why could
not she leave the lovers alone, and let
them marry and live happily ever after2
But she had no intention of letting them
marry, and she soon made that fact clear
to everybody.
Gerard Maitland was subaltern of the
regiment that her husband commanded
one of those good looking, generous,
thoughtless, happy-go-lucky men who al
ways make friends wherever they go.
Every one liked him, His senior officers
smiled indulgently at his little irregulari-
ties; his brother subordinates voted ihiTn
one of the best fellows going; and women
\ combined together TO spoil him. Not that
there were many women in the neighbor-
hood of the this somewhat Isolated
quarters on the Irish coast. Still, there
were few, and several of the officers of
the regiment were married men.
Gerald flirted with them in his boyish
inconsequent way, and spent half his pay
on flowers and bonbons, and all went well
until Mrs. O'Connor appeared upon the
scene as the guest of the senior captain S
wife. After her arrival things began to
change, and before long it became evil
dent to the meanest capacity that Gerard
was in earnest; or, as the other subs put
it, meant business this time.
Mrs. O'Connor was youthful widow,
with lovely Irish eyes and Just enough
brogue to make her manner deliciously
quaint, and she stormed and carried the
fortress Of Gerald's susceptible heart with
quite remarkable rapidly. Hitherto he
had only made love, now he loved, and
the state of affairs was patent to the
world at large 1t seemed a most desira-
BILE and suitable match. Both were young
and good-looking. and of equal social
standing, and if Mrs. O'Connor's face was
almost her only fortune it was such a
charming face that no one could find fault
with that, and Gerald had enough and to
spare of this worlds goods. Mrs. Grundy
smiled benignly, and took the young peo-
pie under her especial protection, and ''all
went merry as marriage bell"
Then suddenly the colonel's wife threw
herself into the breach. Why she did it
no one knew. it was rather a strange
proceeding, oven for her, and what made
ii more surprising was the fact that up
to that time she alone had held rather
aloof from Gerald. She alone had not
fiirted with him, or allowed him to f1irt
with her. She seemed to like him, and
was much given to watching him with
those great thoughtful eyes of hers, but
when he once made an attempt to include
her in his impartial love-making, she gave
him clearly to understand that his atten-
lions were unweltome. Gerald felt a
good deal puzzled and a little sore on the
subject, for he was not used to that kind
of thing; but he accepted the hint good
humoredly enough, and afterward always
treated her with scFupulous. Difference
and distant politeness.
Therefore, when she suddenly changed
her tactics, and began to bid for his
favor, so to speak, Mrs, Grundy and the
world looked on in amazement OF course,
they put it down to Unsuitable vanity and
love of conquest and amazement was
rapidly merged in indignation.
Gerald, bye the bye, was more amazed
than them all, but he was fattered, too
The colonels wife cared not two straws
what Mrs, Grupdy thought, or what the
world thought, or what Gerald Maitland
thought. She had point to gain, aud
she meant to gain 1t, and she was pre-
8 pared to wage war single-handed against
any odds whatsoever
When Mrs. O'Connor fully grasped the
situation she faced it calamity, and then
the fight began in right earnest. Both the
combatants did all they knew, which was
not a little, aud Mrs. OtConuor rose to
the occasion in such very superior style
that in the first instance it seemed as if
ultimate victory must lie with her But
the colonel's wife was one too many for
her. She was clever woman. and she
had not made an exhaustive study of the
male sex for nothing. Her experience
it was wide and varied one-stood her
in good stead on this occasion. After a
desperate struggle she routed the enemy
and carried off her trophy with flying
colors.
Then popular feeling ran very high in
deed, and popular indignation knew no
bounds. The world, led by Mrs. Grundy,
: found nothing too bad to say of the colo
nel's wife Stones of every dimension
were freely cast at her, and some hit