Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-08-20
iHEialIsLlrloI OF PlslVlrs
b GILBERT PARKER.
[Copyrisiit, lsos. by tho J. b. Lippincott Col
fcoNTINuED,l


calling d.jwn mt them, escort his i'm
perial hikhness to the chariot which
awaits hih, and then, ho! for London
town. Cbme along, my daughter, he
said to Ljli. "Come up here and take
the last Ehiff Of Greyhope that you
| will hayelfor six months. Dear, dear,
what lui|atics we all are. to be sure!
Why, we Ire as happy as little birds in
| their nests out in the decent country,
| and yet VIE scamper of to smoky old
| city by the Thames to rush along with
the world instead Of sitting high and
| far away from it and watching it go by.
| God blessl my soul, I'm old enough TO
know better. Well, let me help you in,
my dear, ! he added to his wife, "and
| in you gol Marion, and in You 90, your
imperial llighness he passed the child
| awkwardS in to Marion--"and in you
| 20, my daughter, he added as he hand
ed Lali ib, pressing her hand with q
| brusque f.ltherliness as he did so. He
then got IN after them.
Richard came to the side OF the car
riage and lbade them oil goodby one by
one. Lal) gave him her hand, but did
not speak h word. He called cheerful
adieu. the horses were whipped up, and
| in momint Richard was left alone on
| the steps ~ the mouse. He stood for a
time looking, then he turned to 90 into
the housei but changed his mind, sat
down. lit q cigar and did not move
from his sfat until he was summoned
to his londly luncheon.
Nobody thought much Of leaving
Richard h lhind at Greyhope. 1t seemed
the natural thing to do. But still he
had not b, en left alone-entirely alone
for threI years or more.
The dayf and weeks went on. IL Rich
ard had b. kn accounted eccentric before,
there was Var greater cause for the term
now. LifeIdragged. Too much had been
| taken out ~ his life all at once. for in
the first place the family had been
drawn togfther more during the trouble
which Lall's advent had brought. Then
the child ,jnd its mother. his pupil, were
gone also de wandered about i'll kind
of vague unrest The hardest thing In
this world!to get used 10 is the absence
of a famill lar footstep and the cheerful
greeting oil q familiar eye. And the
man with ho chick or child fees even
the absenoi Of his dog from the hearth
rug when le returns from journey or
his days work II gives him sense OF
strangenesl and loss But when il is
the voice n n woman and the hand Of q
child that ,s missed you can back no
speculation upon that mans mood or
mind or conduct. There is no influence
like the influence OF habit, and that Is
how, whep the minds Of people are at
one, physical distance and differences,
no matter ,how great, are invisible or
at least NOD obvious.
Richard Armour was sensible man,
but when one morning he suddenly
packed pPrtmanteau and went up to
town to CaEendish square the act might
be consideIed from two sides Of the
equation. II he came back 10 enter
again into The social life which for so
many years he had abjured, 1t was not
very sensible, because the world never
welcomes it, deserters II might il men
and womeI| grew younger instead OF
older. II be- came to see his family, or
because he hungored for his godchild,
or because but we are hurrying the
situation. II were wiser not to state
the probleI4 yet The afternoon that he
arrived at Cavendish square all his
family verb out except his brothers
wife. LalI was in the drawing room
receiving d visitor who had asked for
Mrs Armoir and Mrs. Francis Armour.
The visitor twas received by Mrs. Fran
els Armour The visitor knew that Mrs.
Armour wax not at home. She had by
chance seem her and Marion IN Bond
street and Was not seen by them. She
straightwaI got into her carriage and
drove up Cd Cavendish square, hoping
to find Mrd Francis Armour at home.
There had een house parties at Grey.
hope since l.ali had come there to live,
but this visitor, though once an init
mate friend Of the family. had never
been guesT
The visitbr was Lady Haldwell, once
Miss Julia sherwood, who had made
possible whit was called Francis Ar.
mour's tragedy. Since Lali had come to
town Lady Haldwell had seen her, but
had never met her. She was not ut
heart wicket, but there are few women
who can restst m opportunity Of anato'
MIXING and reckoning mp the merits
and demerik of q woman who has mar.
ried an old lover. When that woman 10
in the position of/Mrs. Francis Armour
the situation has. an unusual piquancy
and interest," Hence Lady Haldwel's
tourney of inquisition to Cavendish
square.
As Richajd passed the drawing room
door to asce%d the stairs he recognized
the voices.
Once SOFT of heathen as Mrs. FRAN
els Armour had been, she still could
grasp the lituation with considerable
clearness. 1here is nothing keener than
one womans } instinct regarding another
woman whefe man is concerned. Mrs.
Francis Armour received Lady Hald-
well with quiet stateliness which, II
it did not as stonish her, gave her SUM-
cieut warning that matters were not IN
this little Fomedy to be all her own
way.
Thrown ubon the mere resources OF
wit and Ian; ;kuage, Mrs. Francis Armour
must have been ut o disadvantages, for
Lady Hald,kell had good gift OF
speech, a p1etty talent for epithet and
no unnecessary tenderness she Dofe
Lali no malice. She was too decorous
and high foil that In her mind the wife
Of the man she had discarded was q
mere comm bnplace catastrophe, to be
viewed without horror, maybe with
pity. She Had heard the alien spoken
well of by some people. Others had
seemed indignant that the Armours
should try I'd push "a red woman" into
English socifty. Truth is the Armours
did not try ,lt all to push her. For over
three wears Ithey had lot society talk.
They had lot entertained largely III
Cavendish s,iuare since Lali came, and
| those invited to Greyhope had chancs
to refuse the invitations If they choose.
Most people tlid not choose to decline
them. But Lady Haldwell was not OF
| that numberl She had never been invit-
ed. But no'S IN town, when entertain
ment must lbe more general, she and
| the Armourslwere prepared for social
interchange.
Behind Lady HaldwelPs visit curios-