Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-09-07

he thought weaker than himself. He
was the sort of man who is brutal to
his dogs and horses, and overbearing to
his servants, who, in short, tyrannizes
whenever he can do so without fear of
retaliation. His nature asserted itself
In his dealings with the woman he
loved, and he took the keenest possible
pleasure in trading on her forbearance,
taxing her endurance to the utmost and
showing off her plant will and ODE
dent temper to the world at large. 1t
was all part of the system that could
not fail.
Ninety-nine women out of hundred
would have torn the system to shreds
and scattered it to the four winds of
heaven. Eva Darlington was the hun
dredth woman. She submitted to
everything with the most remarkable
patience, and no word or complaint or
reproach ever passed her lips
But after time she grew quieter,
and her bright spirits seemed to flag.
Her merry, girlish laughter was not
nearly so ready as it had been six
months ago, and the corners of her
pretty mouth began to droop with
wistful expression that was pathetic
enough to touch the hardest of mascu-
line hearts.
Charities friends all noticed the
change and commented upon it among
themselves, and applied to him a
varied selection of opprobrious cpl
thets. Lord Dolly Eastwood displayed
a surprising amount of fuency on the
subject. "Beastly cad. No idea how
to treat woman. Ought to be horse
whipped, don't you know. Shall have
to cut him, by Jove! Wouldn't take a
flyer from him now if he offered it.
Can't stand this sort of thing, you
know. Beyond joke"
Thus his lordship, and good deal
more that would not look we'll on pa
per.
Charley went on giving his petty ar
rogance full play, until, as was only
to be reasonably expected, things came
to crisis. The wonder was they had
not done so long before.
On the occasion of Lady Brown
Jones ball he went the length of for
bidding his fiancee to dance round
dances with anyone but himself, and,
though she received his commemorative
out murmur, her soul rose in pas
sionate revolt against his tyranny.
This last test that he had devised
seemed to her the worst of all. AS a
matter of fact, she had submitted pa
tiently to far harder ones; but we all
know the feminine capacity for swal-
lowing camel and straining at a gnat,
and Eva was no less inconsequent than
the rest of her sex. The gnat stuck in
her throat and obstinately refused to
be dislodged. There always must be
a last straw, and this was it.
When the ball was half over Lord
Dolly put in an appearance, and at
that moment Eva happened to be sit
ting quite alone. Charlie had left her
for minute or two to speak to a
friend, and she was looking wistfully
at the maze of couples that revolved
before her. Lord Dolly made straight
for her.
Not dancing, Miss Darlington!
Luck for me, by Jove! Ripping waltz,
this. Have a turn?'
He stuck out his elbow invitingly,
but Eva turned away, biting her lip.
mo, thank you" she answered, in a
low tone, 81 can't dance with you, Lord
Dolly"
"Can't?" echoed his lordship.
Flows that? What's up? Not ill,
are your Not cross with me-eh?"
Eva shook her head.
mo, am not i'll or cross, but-but /
have promised Charlie only to waltz
with him. He doesn't like to see me
Waiting with other men,"
Lord Dolly choked down a forcible
but inelegant remark, cleared his
threat violently, and ran his fingers
through his hair. The two latter pro.
ceedings were signs of severe mental
disturbance.
There was slight pause.
"And he dances SO awfully badly
Eva went on, with queer little catch
in her breath. "He can't waltz bit
not little wee bit. He--he holds you
all wrong"
Her voice quivercd and broke on the
last word, and she looked up at the
man by her side with great fearful
eyes, like forget-me-nots drowned in
dew.
That look finished it. Lord Dolly
was only a man.
"Beastly shame" he said, hurriedly
Come with me. Nice and quiet out
on the veranda, fellow can tall
there, don't you know? Come along!'
And Eva went.
Charlie Nelthorpe was bristling with
, outraged pride and wounded self
esteem when he went to pay his Gus
tomary visit to Eva on the day follow
ing Lady Brown-Jones' ball. The fact
that Eva could forget herself apd the
/ respect that was due to him so far a,
} to sit on the veranda with Lord Dolly
for half an hour had been a severe
blow to him, and he had not yet recov
l cred from the shock. He had refraineC
from commenting upon her conduct a
he time, but now he meant to take i
out of her, and reduce her to the stat,
: of abject penitence that he considered
} BETTING the occasion.
She was reading VIXEN he went into
l., the room, but she laid her book asid,
: at once.
"oh! Charlie, is that your"
; Charlie frowned,
How often have l told you, m,
: dear Eva, that a self-evident fact re
quires no asserting?" he asked, in hi.
5 most dogmatic tone.