The Van Buren press., 1894-09-29

.,iy Ut meeting Amy. But nothing Of
she sort, lie was manifestly discon.
certed and annoyed at her coming,
ehook hands stiffiy, asked how she
dld IN the coldest manner and ex.
pressed such surprise at her coming at
al as covered the poor child with
oiushes and confusion. l was in a
furious passion at receiving such evi.
aenee OF his ENHANCEMENT with Bea-
tfix' How could any man in his sober
senses prefer woman old enough I'd
Dc his mother to this lovely creature?
What could Beatrix see to like in this
almost heartless jackanapes Of Rexq
why, If she must totment me with her
irritation, could she not have chosen
man OF at least her own years?
II wish you hadn't sent for me. Tn.
Gle Nye,' began Amy in disconsolate
tone REX is angry with me for COM
ing. Why is he displeased at my COM
ing?"
He is flirting with somebody else,
Amy; that's what's the matter. He's
carrying on an abominable filtration
with-with well, woman that don't
care snap of her finger for him. She's
somebody's else's wife, too, for aught
he knows" burst out.
"Oh, no, uncle; not married woman
Rex wouldn't be cross at me for a mar
ried woman cried poor Amy.
lie don't know she is married. She
passes for widow.
"Then you ought to tell him. All,
why haven't you told him, Uncle Nye?"
How Beatrix would have laughed to
have heard her. l could have bitten
off my tongue for saying it. Beatrixa
wife indeed!
hushed Amy up quite sternly and
sent her away to her chamber to dress
for dinner. | took her down myself.
Rex never come near. He was with
Beatrix Warburton.
admired Amy's spirit. She took
matters SO coolly, and ate her dinner
with what seemed really fine appe-
tite. ] was too angry to eat, and with
my usual stupidity let everybody see
that was annoyed and what annoyed
me.
That evening the g)ittefing circlet
which Beatrix had worn on her mar.
riage finger, and which she had SO
often and ostentatiously flashed in my
eyes, had disappeared, and in its place
was large diamond
Beatrix showed it to me herself Her
face was hard and cold, her eyes de-
| fant.
"You can not marry Rex" said in
a low voice.
eNot?s she said without lowering
her eyes, and setting her teeth; "you
will see."
He is engaged to that girl you saw
with me at dinner
"He is not-now," glancing at her
solitaire.
would have me think" said, coldly.
"Reckless of what-you? What arc
you to me?'
"You will marry Rex9"
She nodded, smiling and blushing.
"You dare not
"You know dare"
"You shall not"
VINO VIII HlHueT mef
II. will tell i'm the whole shame
full story"
Her cheek VIII itened, whether with
fenr or anger could not tell
He will not believe you," she said,
quietly.
And, sure enough, he would not. He
regarded me even pityingly and shook
his head over the story, as though he
doubted my sanity
ut is altogether too improbable,
Uncle Nye,' he said, sagely; Just look
at the acts of the case yourself. Here
is a beautiful and accomplished
woman, toward whom you have evinced
from the first most singular hostility.
Having tried every other means to
prejudice my mind against her match
lessness, you come finally and tell me
that somewhere about two years ago
you met Mrs. Warburton and were
married to her yourself Don't utter
rupt me. You say, furthermore, that
you have the best of proof that she did
not care straw for you, that she ma
neuvered for you solely because of
your money; that your marriage hav-
ing been strictly private, the clergy
man who officiated having lost his life
the next day by singular fatality, the
certificate not having been recorded,
and other circumstances being favora-
BILE, you having accused and quarreled
with your wife, to punish her deserted
her, refusing to acknowledge any mar
ital relation as existing between you
and her You represent yourself as
having met her now during these few
weeks for the first time since this
apocryphal marriage, you denoumc
her at this late hour, and you ask me
to believe that you are in your senses.
I beg your pardon, uncle, but you
must think me q remarkably bright
Young man to swallow such con-
foundedly ridiculous yarn as that"
That was all the reason | could
argue into Rex Dusseldorf. He even
stared at the marriage certificate
when produced it, with 'pooh!'-and
'.pshaw." Anybody could get up such
a thing as that, he said.
must say that l was confounded!
What to do next?
There was but one thing that could
be done. That was to gulp down my
pride the best way l could; seek
Beatrix and confess what an ill
tempered, laundering, besotted old
fool had been and ask her to forgive
me and weas my marriage ring again.
l did.it.
She was incredulous at first, and
cool as an iceberg. But she melted at
last.
"You don't deserve to be forgiven,
George" she said, gravely, but I'll