Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-03-20

naughty scandal, Mrs. MarstOn SAID to
the horsy man. ''The latest and best
you know"
"Mrs GrahamF'
"Oh, she's an old story"
"Give you my honor-new edition.
"Reallyl Go on
warned off the bookstalls. -
"Well, I'm not bookstall.
As he paused she thought: marie
can't have found Sir John. I wonder if
they have good nurse. They might
have let me see her just for one moment.
Children rarely take to stepmother,
but Daisy used to love every one. -
$50 Mrs. Graham has even overstep-
ped the bounds Of modernity," she said
aloud.
"Taken the barrier in one stride"
"Bravo, I am always grateful to a
woman who gives me something notori.
GUS to talk about. !"
And she thought: II wonder if she
suffers much. I wonder if she is con-
scious. They said, No better Gould
that mean she was worse? How all
these people would chatter and whisper
if they knew the situation tonight! Not
one of them would be sorry-yes, Hilda
would, poor, frightened, little woman,
because her baby died, although do
flirt with her husband. And my baby
o God, how happy was over Daisy
and now-it's my own fault for leaving
her, but how could know she was 60
ing to be ill.,"
The room, with its brilliant lights,
it's sound Of voices and its laughter, faded
from sight. In imagination she was car
ried far away to the little bedroom
next the nursery in the old house. She
bent over Daisy, who slept and dreamed
of mamma-the real mamma, not her
new one-and she said to the cold,
stern faces around her: "Have pity; let
me kiss her once. won't disturb her.
l won't wake her.. /" Perhaps they might
consent and let her creep away, having
seen her baby and kissed her, as in the
old happy days.
She heard the guardsman ask her q
question and replied at random:
eyes, I am going to act as a Greek
goddess. IT'S queer kind Of play, but
one can do anything nowadays, and
Lady Lane acted In 1t, so that makes the
whole thing SO eminently respectable.
She died Of dullness, poor old dowd.
Her husbands nice boy-he got me
into the show"
She stretched out her hand and pulled
an orchid to pieces, and the room faded
from sight again.
She stood near the little bed. Daisy
was awake and knew her. They weren't
angry; they were kind; they let hel
hold her close, let her stay to nurse her,
let her soothe her only as a mother,
even the most degraded, can. Charles
forgave for the baby's sake and let he.
stay just till she got we'll.
She pulled herself together and rose
to leave the room. In all her dreams she
never saw sad picture, save that il
was sad to see the child suffer. OF
course she was certain to get we'll.
As the footman handed her the coffee
when up stairs she asked oarelessly:
HAS Marie returned?''
Gan hour ago, num-" he said.
She started. with no letter for me?'
"No, mum. She said not. F"
"All right Mrs. Barker has changed
her mind and will take some milk
Hand it to her, please y
So she couldn't hear that night. The
notion made her reckless. Her fair
placid friend shouted some gossip in hel
ears as is the manner of deaf people
The gentlemen Joined them, and singer
sat down at the piano. The song over
amid loud applause footman opened
the door to admit a gentleman. He hat
asked to see Mr.. Marston alone, but thu
man had blundered, misunderstood hin
and announced him as one of the even
ing's guests.
Sir John Deane."
The painted, noisy wife Of his ole
friend rose to greet him, and she knew
why he was there as we'll as if he hat
spoken.
lie murmured some excuse and drew
her husband out Of the room.
Tho whole place swan before he
eyes. She was struck numb. Only sub
lime pity could have forced him to visi
her again. Daisy deadl She had read
in the trouble in bis face Daisy dead
deadl Her own little baby cold ant
dead, and she not there to hold her il
her arms, to kiss hor just once more, tt
weep over her, to-:
Her friend was speaking. She strug
gled back to consciousness, to hear he
say in her loud, blatant voice: "Fanc,
Sir John coming to visit you again
Dolly! What a triumph for you to
night has BEEN"
The whole roomful Of people heard
and they looked at Mrs. Marston. Sh'
smiled family; the color in her cheek
did not vary, nor were her eyes dim
but her lips, for some strange reason
had turned blue, and her voice whe1
she answered had CHASTITY sound:
"How funny you are, dearl What
triumph, did you say? What a triumph
tonight has beenp
They took leave Of her one by one ant
left her there face to face with her tri
umph alone. Sketch.