The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-14


At that Lali caught her hand and
held it, repeating after her the words:
Poor girl! Poor grill"
She did not quite understand them,
but she remembered that once just be-
fore she parted from her husband at the
great lakes he had said those very
words. If the fates had apparently given
things into Frank Armour q hands when
he sacrificed this girl to his revenge,
they were evidently inclined to play a
game which would eventually defeat
his purpose, wicked as il had been in
effect il not in absolute motive What
the end of this attempt to engraft the
Indian girl upon the strictest conven-
tion of English social life would have
been had her introduction not been at
Greyhope, where faint likenesses to her
past surrounded her. it is hard to con-
lecture. But from present appearances
it would seem that Richard Armour
was not wholly false prophet, for the
savage had shown herself that morning
TO possess in their crudeness some strik-
ing qualities Of character. Given char
acter, many things are possible, even to
those who are not of the elect.
This was the beginning Of better
things. Lali seemed to the Armours not
quite so impossible now Had she been
of the very common order of Indian,
''pure and simple" the task had re-
solved itself into making a common
savage into very common European.
But whatever Lali was it was abun-
dainty evident that she must be reckoned
with at all points, and that she was
more likely to become a very startling
figure in the Armour household than
mere encumbrance TO be blushed for.
whose eternal absence were preferable
to her company.
Years after that first morning Marion
caught herself shuddering at the
thought that came to her when she saw
Lali lowering on the bridge Whatever
Marion's faults were, she had fine dis
like Of anything that seemed unfair.
She had not ridden to hounds for moth
ing. She had at heart the sportman's
instinct. 1t was upon this basis indeed
that Richard appealed TO her in the first
trying days Of Lali's life among them.
To oppose your will to Marion on the
basis of superior knowledge was only to
turn her into a rebel, and very effect
i've rebel she made, for she had pretty
gift at the retort courteous, and she
could take as much and as well as she
gave She rebelled at first at assisting
In Lali's education, though by fits and
starts she would teach her English
words and help her to form long SEN
fences and was OH the whole quite pa
tient But Lali' IS real instructors were
Mrs. Armour and Richard; her best,
Richard.
The first few days she made but little
progress, for everything was strange to
her, and things made her giddy-the
servants, the formal routine, the hand
some furnishings, Marion's music, the
great house, the many precise personal
duties set for her to be got through at
stated times and Mrs. Armour's rather
grand manner. But there was the relief
to this, else the girl had pined terribly
for her native woods and prairies. This
was the park, the deer, the lake, the
hares and birds. While she sat saying
over after Mrs Armour words and
phrases in English or was being shown
how she must put on and wear the
sashes which dressmaker from Regent
street had been brought to make, her
eyes would wander dreamily to the
trees, and the lake, and the grass They
soon discovered that she would pay no
attention and was straightway difficult
to teach if she was not placed where she
could look out on tho park. They had
no choice, for though her resistance was
never active it was nevertheless effect
i've
Presently she got on very swiftly
with Richard, for he, with instinct
worthy of woman, turned their les
sons upon her own country and Frank
This cost him something, but il had its
reward. There was no more listlessness.
Previously Franks name had scarcely
been spoken to her. Mrs. Armour would
have hours Of hesitation and impotent
regret before she brought herself to
speak of her son TO his Indian wife.
Marion tried to do it few times and
u' Btutltl ulsi lt Nith
n forced voice and manner, because he
saw that his wife was very tender upon
the point But Richard, who never
knew self consciousness, spoke freely of
Frsnk when he spoke at all, and it was
seeing Lali's eyes brighten and her look
earnestly fixed on him when he chanced
to mention Franks name that determin-
ed him ON his new method of instruc-
tion. Ii had its dangers, but he had cal
culated them all. The girl must be edu-
Gated at all costs. The sooner that oc-
Cured the sooner would she see her own
position and try to adapt herself to her
responsibilities and face the real state
of her husbands attitude toward her.
He succeeded admirably. Striving
TO tell him about her past life and
ready to talk endlessly about her hus-
band, Of his prowess in the hunt, of his
strength and beauty, she also strove to
find English words for the purpose, and |
Richard supplied them with uncommon