Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-08-06
NUMBER 32.

"Yes. " she said In reply 10 Lady
Balwood, her sistcr-in.law might bo
in town later in the year, perhaps be-
fore the season was over. She could not
tell. She was tired after her long voy-
age, and she preferred the quiet Of Greg
hope She was fond of rfiing and cour
try life, but still she would come 10
town for time. and 80 on.
"Ah, dear me- how charming! And
doesn't she resent her husbands alb
sence during the honeymoon, OF dh
the honeymoon occur before she came
over to England;" And Lady Balwood
tried TO say it all playfulfy, and GER.
tainly said it somewhat loudly. She
had daughters.
But Marion was perfectly prepared
Her face did not change expression.
"Yes, they had bad their honeymoon
on the prairies. Frank was 50 fascinat.
ed with the life and the people He had
not come home at once because he was
making she did not know how great
fortune over there in investments, and
so Mrs. Armour came on before him.
and, of course, so soon ~ he could get
away from his business he would follow
his wife. "
And though M'iion sluiled her h''art
was very hot, and she could have slain
Lady Balwood in her tracks. Lady Bal.
wood then nodded little patroniziugly
and habblcd that "she hoped 50 much
TO sea Mrs. Francis Armour. She LIust
be 50 very interesting, the papers said
so msch abOlt her. -
Now, while this conversation was go
ing ON some ole stood not far b. md
Marion who seemed much interested
III her and what she said But Marion
did not see this person. She We, startled
presently, however, 10 hear a strong
voice say softly over her shoulder,
What charming woman Lady Bal.
wood Is! And 50 ingenious
She was grateful. tremulouS, proud
Why had he, Captain Vidal, Kept out
of the way all these weeks Just when
she needed him most, Just when he
slgii have played the part Of a Ian:
Then she was feeling twinges az the
heart too. She had seen Lady Agnes
Martliug that afternoon and had no.
ticed how the news had worn Oh her.
She feit how much better it had been had
Frank come quietly home and married
her, instead Of doing the wild, scan
dalGus thing that was making so many
heartburniBgs A few minutes ago she
had longed for chance 10 say some
thing delicatcly acid TO Lady Haldwell,
once Julia Sherwood, who was there.
Now there was chance 10 give her
bitter spirit tongue. She was glad, she
dared not think how glad, 10 hear that
voice again. but she was angry, too, and
he should suffer for II, the more 80 be-
cause she recognized in the tone and
afterward in his face that he was still
absorbingly interested in her There
wa a little burst Of thanksgiving IN
her heart, aud then she prepared very
notable combination service in her
mind
This meeting had been deftly ar
ranged by Mrs. Townley, with the help
of Edward Lambert, who now held her
fingers with kind of vanity of posses
sion whenever he babe her goodby or
met her. Captain Vidal had, in iact
been out Of tie country, had only been
back week and bad only heard II
Frank Armour mesalliance from Lam.
bert at sn lat home" IS hours before.
Mrs. Towalcy guessed what was reshy
q, the bottom Of Marion's occasional
bitterness, AID piecing together many
little things dropped casually by her
friend had come 60 the conclusion that
the happiness of two people was at stake.