Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-21

In privete7'
Certainly. If you haven't any respect
for the memory of an uncle who's behaved
so generously to you, you might at least
cultivate the appearance of some. Your be-
ing here like this is too awful For a year,
certainly, you shouldn't be seen out and
her you are, without a scrap of mourning,
on the very day after you've heard of your
Lncle's DEATH
Griffith gave forlorn start. by Jovel 1
forgot all about it!' Then he pursued. plain
lively, But you see, I've never even set
do hushw grinly commanded Mrs.
Rochester. People are listening to every
word you say. This is so exactly like you.
There now." he broke in. with great sad
ness. you're going to scold againi But 1
suppose !gs you're right this time"
'Tn-rn cut-excuse me- I'll 20 straight
away. I'll go and buy black studs and
'weeper for my hat, and all that sort of
thing S,a I'm SO glad you told me. Nobody
Nobody else cared-I mean. knew you
well enough to care" frowned Mrs. Ro-
chester. Now. for the sake of decency,
slip at once from the house."
''Of course ! will-of course" stammersd
poor Griffith. But I can drop in on you
this evening, can't I. at say or-r'
I'm dining out, and going afterward TO
the Poughkeepsies' ball." came her cold
''rhe Poughkeepsies' balI-yes; I was 60
ing there myself. But now I-yes, of course;
goodbye" And Griffith. with a suppressed
him. steered himself miserably out of The
rocms.
He quickly left the house likewise. of
course" he meditated, I've made the big
gest kind Of blunder. She's right; begin
to think she's nearly always right-except
about my pictures. They're not the daubs
she's more than limited they are. Now
that I can paint with glorious leisure. I'll
. a
to knock under and admit she was wrong.
What fun to stand by and watch her face
while she gives in. lowers her coiors. and
all thatr'
Somewhat later this same evening he APP
pcared at his club in decorous mourning
garb. 1t CHANGED that only a few OF his
intimate friends were present. though the
big rooms were somewhat crowded The
men whom he knew well shook hands with
him and said cordially congratulatory
things. That was all in the proper course
Of affairs, but soon he had evidence OF
striking change. Men who had forgotten
for weeks to bow to him came up and geni-
ally grfpped his hand One man. whom he
had cut because he believed him to be q
cad possessing somewhat powerful proof
of it,, approached with a face wrinkled into
the most obseQuious of smiles. A notorious
snob, of great wealth and intensely exclu-
sive ideas. bowed to him with radiant ana
bility. The pompous and enormously
wealthy Mr.. Quackentoss crossed the room
and shook him smiling,y by the hand Van
Ccvrtlandt Van Wagenen, who rarely spoke
to any one out of his own little coterie of
airy plutocrats actually Laid a hand on his
shoulder and called him my dear boy" and
SPOKE Of their two mothers having been
second cousins. And so IL went on, to the
iranite amusement Of Griffith.
He left the club that night In a rather
melancholy mood however. What a world.
into a cab at the club door. I'm learning
a lesson in human nature that might turn
an angel into a satyri Well, anyhow,
there's one human being believe in. and
tomorrow I'll so and tell her that I'm able
to ask her IL she'll marry me. and that
I'd never have asked her unless i could
have done II with the certainty that nobody
would call me a fortune-hunter. I wonder
I'm sure she'll stop scolding me. once and
for all, and-consent to be Mrs Jack Grit
fifth" Then. with Qualm Of doubt, he
pursued: Well. Il I'm not precisely sure.
But on the morrow he was confronted by
bitter disappointment Mrs. Rochester re-
ceived him with icy repose.
'.Oh, good Lordr' he lamented; haven't
you got over that yet?'
Got over what yet. IL you pleasef'
why. what 1 did yesterday. Look at
this get up" And Griff1th opened both
arms. glancing down at his person. I'm
q perfect crow of blackness. The ravens
wing isn't circumstance to me-"
'Oh. I had forgotten your dreadful gau-
cherie." said Mrs. Rochester. with the tips
of her lips. Il was thinking" and she
paused, with a sharp sigh.
"Well?' he queried.
''Oh." she suddenly cried. the idea OF
your having all that money! Il win ruin
you Jack! You're not fit for It'll"
Thanks; thanks awfully."
Now don't look as II I'd insulted you"
"Pn try my best to look otherwise" he
returned, with grim meekness-
has ri yh he mr. al
her agitation pricking through her GOODNESS.
What on earth will you ever do with all
that money except be horribly extravagant
with 1t? Frankly, i must tell you that l
believe it win lead you into ali sorts Of fol-
lies"
What kinds Of follies7" asked Grifnth.
studying the gloss on one Of his boots. and
at the same time playing automatically
with his watch chain.
''Oh. 1 don't mean-dissipations. You're
above those. / hope"
But follies. You mean foriesr'
Griffith raised his eyes. would you call
II a folly" he said, III I ask ed you to be
my wife? That was the frst one thought
of when the news of my altered luck had
fully dawned upon me.
Her face flushed and then paled She bit
her lip and slowly yet excitedly answered
him.
I'm an unpurchasabie folly. II you please.
''Oh, SaraP' He rose. feeling 30 hurt that
his heart weighed. for an instant, like q
lump Of lead In his breast Without know
ing 1t, he plunged both hands deep into his
trousers pockets. 1t was Just like him 70
reveal a romantic emotion In this soiidly
prosaic style.
Il didn't want to ask you before" he
went on, because 1 felt that people would
call me a fortune-hunting kind OF fellow
live been horribly fond Of you for over
two years. and 1 supposed you might have
seen It You're rich. you know. and / didn't
want"
She broke in with a light, curt laugh.
so, now that you can make people think
i take you for your money. you're perfectly
willing to ask me. But how about my feel
ings as regards what people will say?
haven't two Millions or anything like that
sum. 1t isn't pleasant for me to realize
that IL I married you everybody would &C
credit me with sordid motives"
Rarely made angry by any event, habitu-
to call them) from this woman, whom. in
his odd. placid way. he inestimably treas
ured. Griffith now felt bis color rise and
kindle.
"Oh. then. good morning." he said. more
sternly by far than she had ever heard him
speak. Good morning and-good-bye."
Goodbye" she echoed; and with the per-
verse cruelty that some women can show
when the dictates of caprice grow stronger
than those Of equity and fair mindedness,
she let her voice cuttingly say Just as he
crossed the threshold Of her room:
Purse proud already. A fine beginning
He not only heard the words, but thew
dealt him a ranking wound. Going home TO
his chambers. he kept hearing them in his
brain, and entering his studio he seemed 10
fnd them waiting him there. IKE q presence