The Press., 1894-09-27

the same fashion perhaps-not ill the same fashion, The old man pressed his lips hard to keep down his emotion.
 "Oh, how could he, how could hep' said his mother We meant every thing for the best.
 "It is always dangerous business meddling with lovers affairs, rejoined Richard. "Lovers take themselves very seriously indeed, and-well, here the thing is. Now, who will go and fetch her from Liverpool? I should say that both my father and my mother ought to go.
 Thus Richard took it for granted that they would receive Franks Indian wife into their home He intended that, so far as he was concerned, there should be no doubt upon the question from the beginning.
 ''Never! She shall never come herew said Marion with flashing eyes. "A com mon squaw, with greasy hair and blan- kets and big mouth and black teeth, who eats with her fingers and grunts! If she does, if she is brought to Greyhope, l will never show my face in the world again. Frank married the animal. | Why does he ship her home to us? Why didn't he come with her? Why does he not take her to home of his own and not send her here to turn our house into a menagerie?'
 Marion drew her skirt back, as if the common squaw, with her blankets and grease, was at that moment near her. "Well, you see, continued Richard, ''that is just it. As I said, Frank ar- ranged this little complication with a trifing amount of malice. No doubt he didn't come with her because he wished to test the family loyalty and hospital ity, but a postscript to his letter says that his solicitor has instructions to meet his wife at Liverpool and bring her on here in case we fail to show her proper courtesy.'
 General Armour here spoke "He has carried the war of retaliation very far indeed, but men do mad things when their blood is up, as have seen often. That doesn't alter our clear duty ill the matter. If the woman were bad or shameful, it would be different thing. | If"-
 Marion interrupted, "She has ridden bareback across the continent like a jockey-like common jockey-and she wears 0 blanket, and she doesn't know a word of English, and she will sit on the floor"
 Well" said her father, "all these things are not sins, and she must be taught better"
 "Joseph, how can you?" said Mrs. Armour indignantly. "She cannot-she shall not come here. Think of Marion Think of our positionl" She hid her troubled tear stained face behind her handkerchief. At the same time she grasped her husbands hand. She knew that he was right. She honored him in her heart for the position he had taken, but she could not resist the natural i'm pulse of a woman where her taste and convention were shocked.
 The old man was very pale, but there was no mistaking his determination. He had been more indignant than any of them at first, but he had an unusual sense of justice when he got face to face with it, as Richard had here helped him to do. I've do not know that the woman has done any wrong" he said. "As for our name and position, they, thank God, are where 8 mad marriage cannot unseat them We have had much prosperity in the world, my wife. We have had neither death nor dishonor Vel
 ''If this isn't dishonor, father, what is?'' Marion flashed out.
 He answered calmly: My daughter, s-, ,G ~lo bly, be lifelong trail, but it is not necessarily dishonor.
 "You never can make a scandal less by trying to hide it." said Richard, backing up his father. "It is all pretty awkward, but dare say we shall get some amusement out of it in the end. 1"
 Richard" said his mother through her tears, ''you are flippant and un- kind"
 "Indeed, mother," was his reply, "I never was more serious i'll my life. When spoke of amusement, I meant comedy merely, not fun-the thing that looks like tragedy and has happy end ing That is what mean, mother, noth- ing more" "
 "You arc always so very deep, Rich ard, /" remarked Marion ironically, land care so very little how the rest of us feel about things. You have no family pride. If you had married 8 squaw, we shouldn't have been surprised. You could have camped ill the grounds with your wild woman and never have been missed-by the world" she hastened to add, for she saw q sudden pain in his face.
 He turned from them all little wear fly and limped over to the window. He stood there looking out into the Hines where he and Frank had played when boys. He put his finger up his unhand- some finger. and caught away some moisture from his eyes. He did not dare to let them see his face nor yet to speak. Marion had cut deeper than she knew, and he would carry the wound for many a day before it healed.
 But his sister felt instantly how cruel she had been as she saw him limp away and caught sight of the bowed shoulders and prematurely gray hair. Her heart smote her. She ran oyer and impul- sively put her hands on his shoulder. "Oh, Dick she said, forgive me, Dick! didn' mean it. Twas angry and foolish and hateful"
 He took one of her hands as it rested on his shoulder, she standing partly be- hind him, and raised it to his lips, but he did not turn to her; he could not ''It is all right; it is all right" he said. "It doesn't make any difference. Let us think of Frank and what we have got to do. Let us stand together, Ma iron. That is best"
 But her tears were dropping on his shoulder as her forehead rested on her hand. He knew now that whatever Franks wife was she would not have all absolute enemy here, for when Ma iron cried her heart was soft. She was clay ill the hands of the potter whom we call Mercy-more often a stranger to the hearts of women than men. At