The National tribune., 1894-02-01

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| umbrage at his invariably falling asleep during
| the metaph ysicab discussions which followed
| those petit diners iutimes, whose menus he un-
derstood ordering as we'll as paying for.
| On this particular evening Lent had freed
! society from laterheRgagemenls, and Mrs. Rod.
ney's guests were in DO haste TO depart.
| Among them was q young naval officer. As a
| rule naval officers good felows) are not found
| in the ranks Of advanced thinkers. but many
fine things had been said. and even finer things
were prophesied Of Lieut.. Browns talents by
the leading scientists of the day.
| He had recently returned from three-years'
cruise, during which he had accomplished such
marvels of astronomical observation az the
| writer who does not in the least understand
| the subject must refrain from even attem pting
| to desert ibe-marvels which, in addition to
| more enduring benefits, had won him invita-
tions To two or three of Mrs. Rodney's latest
| festivities He seemed less given to talking
than most of the company, but he narrowly
| observed his handsome hostess observations OF
various kinds, apparently, were his foTte) from
under his sleepy-looking lids, with persover-
ance which that lady felt to be either haltering
or alarming. Her Past" might sometimes
send forth a vagrant ghost TO chatter of " the
secrets of that prison-honse." Brown? "A
Brown had indeed very unwilling!y assisted
her at a critical moment, but that had been
feminine Brown And it was absurdly morbid
to connect such a common name with any one
event, however disagreeabie.
Mrs. Rodney smiled, and brought back her
attention to the conversation, which she dis
covered had wandered from hypnotism by
some will To- the wisp path, to kleptomania.
at is an improbable enough story" the silent
Lieutenant was saying at that moment; but
it was told to me as matter of fact, and, if you
| like, l will tell it to you?"
He addressed his hostess, as in duty bound
and she, slowly waving a black feather fan
with a movement that set her splendid rings
abiaze. laughingly pleaded guilty to straying
| thoughts.
What the Germans call my 'Ich' has
travelled thousand miles in the last few mo-
ments, aud naturally has missed hearing your
| talk. Kleptomania? Is your story apropOs to
! that puzziing ubject ?" she asked
at is the fashion to so name acts of that
kind when they happen in our class" he said,
SETTLING himself still more comfortably in his
chair. "To me it is very like highway rob-
berry. without even the warning stand and de-
| liveri' which the gentleman Of the road in old
| times thought necessary. But you shall judge
| for yourselves if you will"
There was chorus of assent, and he began:
Three years ago some friends of mine went
| for a months sea breezes to a swell seaside
| hotel in Maine. The party consisted of an
elderly couple. narrow New Englanders. the
| type which would 90 to the stake unhestat-
| ingly for what they beloved to be the truth,
| and who have no sympathy for less courageous
| natures. The third in their party was their
| daughter-in-law, an Italian girl of 10, new to
| them, new to their country, new to each aspect
| of the life about her, but ready as a sweet-tem-
| pered child to make friends with every body,
| and enjoy every Sling in this strange world,
| where her husband had been forced to leave
| her under his parents care during his enforced
absence. She had been married only few
| months and neither her pretty looks nor her
| pretty ways could Immediately reconcile her
| husbands people to the foreigner and papist in
their midst. However, they loved their son,
and they set thethsel9es to love her with the
| same rugged cosIseientousness with which
| their ancestors undertook to make the wilder
ness blossom like a rose methods to which
success comes slowly, if surely. In con-
| sideration for her transparent eagerne5s for
amusement, the eldef1y couple took the bride
| to gayer place than they usually chose for
their Summer outing The big hotel was
crowded there were sailing parties all day,
dancing every evening, and tie little heroine
! of this story enjoyed herself thoroughly for
! fortnight. She niAdesfriends readily. and grew
confidential rapidly, TO the rather severel ~ -ex-
| pressed surprise of her mother-in-1aw The
| quickest and closest of her intimacies was
/ formed with a woman OF twice her years. A
| lady who, according to report, was wealthy
| widow who was about to make q second bril-
| liant marriage. Beautiful, however, she GER
| tainly was, and charming, and she WAS in
cluded in all the gaieties of the place. To the
| inexperience of the young Italians guardians
| it seemed far safer that her strongest inclina-
] tion should be toward one of her own sex, and
| among the risque fiirtations which surrounded
| them they reoced in their charges devotion
| to this feminine friendship.
"At the end of a fortnight or three weeks
| the fair enchantress departed, somewhat alb
ruptly, and the girls spirits dropped SO visibly