The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-07-26

She was grateful, tremulous, proud.
Why had he, Captain Vidal. kept out
Of the way oil these weeks just when
she needed him most, just when he
should have played the part OF man?
Then she was feeling twinges at the
heart too. She had seen Lady Agnes
Martling that afternoon and had no.
ticed how the news had worn on her.
She felt how much better it had been had
Frank come quietly home and married
her, instead of doing the wild, scam
dalous thing that was making so many
heartburnings. A few minutes ago she
had longed for chance to say some
thing delicately acid to Lady Haldwell,
once Julia Sherwood, who was there.
Now there was chance to give her
bitter spirit tongue. She was glad, she
dared not think how glad, to hear that
voice again, but she was angry, too, and
he should suffer for it, the more so be-
cause she recognized in the tone and
afterward in his face that he was still
Accordingly interested i'll her. There
was little burst Of thanksgiving in
her heart, and then she prepared very
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 OF
met her. Captain Vidal had, in fact,
been out of the country, had only been
back week and had only heard Of
Frank Armour S mesalliance from Lam
bert at an sat home" As hours before.
Mrs. Townley guessed what was really
at the bottom of Marion's occasional
bitterness, and piecing together many
little things dropped casually by her
friend had come to the conclusion that
the happiness OF two people was at stake.
When Marion shook hands with Cap
tain Vidal, she had herself exceedingly
well under control. She looked at him
in slight surprise and casually remark
ed that they had not CHANGED to meet
lately in the run Of small and earlies
She appeared to be unconscious that he
had been out of the country, and also
that she had been till very recently in
deed at Greyhope. He fastened to as
sure her that he had been away and to
lay siege to this unexpected barrier
He knew all about Frank affair, and
though it troubled him he did not see
why it should make any difference in
his regard for Frank sister. Fastidious
as he was in all things, he was fas-
tidinusly deferential. Not an exquisite,
re had all that vanity as TO appear
ance so usual with the military
man. Himself of the most perfect tenn
per and sweetness of manner and con-
duct, the unusual disturbed him. Not
possessed of vivid imagination, he
could scarcely conjure up this Indian
bride at Greyhope.
But face to face with Marion Armour
he saw what troubled her, and he de-
termined that he would not meet her
irony with irony, her assumed indiffer-
ence with Indifference. He had learned
one of the most important lessons of life
never to quarrel with a woman.
Whoever has SO far erred has been fool
ish indeed 1t is the worst of policy, to
say nothing Of its being the worst of
art, and life should never be without
art. 1t is absurd to be perfectly natural.
Anything, anybody, can be that Well,
Captain Hume Vidal was something of
an artist, more, however, in principle
than by temperament. He refused to
recognize the rather malicious adroit-
ness with which Marion turned his re-
marks again upon himself, twisted out
of all semblance. He was very patient.
He inquired quietly, and as if honestly
interested, about Frank and said-be-
cause he thought it safest as well as
most reasonable-that naturally they
must have been surprised at his marry
ing native, but he himself had seen
some such marriages turn out very well
in Japan, India, the South Sea islands
and Canada. He assumed that Marion's
sister-in-law was beautiful and then
disarmed Marion by saying that he
thought of going down to Greyhope i'm
mediately to call on General Armour
and Mrs. Armour and wondered if she
was going back before the end of the
season.
Quick as Marion was, this was said
so quietly that she did not quite see the
QTllI VI III. one uttu luttluSu Stdy luS III
London to the end of the season, not be-
cause she enjoyed it, but because she
was determined to face Franks mar
Rage at every quarter and have it over,
once for all, so far as herself was con-
cerned. But now, taken slightly aback,
she said, almost without thinking, that
she would probably go back soon-she
was not quite sure--but certainly her
father and mother would be glad to see
Captain Vidal at any time.
Then, without any apparent relevan-
cy, he asked her if Mrs. Frank Armour
still wore her Indian costume. In any
one else the question had seemed imper-
tinent In him it had touch of conf
dence, of the privilege Of close friend
ship. Then he said, with meditative
look and very calm retrospective voice,
that he was once very much in love
with native girl in India and might
have become permanently devoted to
her were it not for the accident of his
being ordered back to England summa-
rilv.