The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-08-02

the first place the family had been
drawn together more during the trouble
which Lali's advent had brought. Then
the child and its mother, his pupil, We're
gone also. He wandered about in kind
of vague unrest. The hardest thing in
this world to get used to is the absence
of familiar footstep and the cheerful
greeting of a familiar eye. And the
man with no chick or child feels even
the absence of his dog from the hearth
rug when he returns from a journey or
his days work. 1t gives him sense of
strangeness- and loss. But when it is
the voice of woman and the hand OF
child that is 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, when the minds of people are at
one, physical distance and differences,
no matter how great, are invisible or
at least not obvious.
Richard Armour was sensible man,
but when one morning he suddenly
packed portmanteau and went up to
town to Cavendish square the act might
be considered from two sides OF the
equation. If he came back to enter
again into the social life which for so
many years he had abjured, it was not
very sensible because the world never
welcomes its deserters. 1t might II men
and women grew younger instead of
older If he came to see his family, or
because he hungered for his godchild,
or because-but we are hurrylng the
situation. 1t were wiser not to state
the problem yet. The afternoon that he
arrived at Cavendish square all his
family were out except his brothers.
wife. Lali was in the drawing room
receiving visitor who had asked for
Mrs. Armour and Mrs Francis Armour
The visitor was received by Mrs. Fran
els Armour. The visitor knew that Mrs.
Armour was not at home. She had by
chance seen her and Marion in Bond
street and was not seen by them. She
straightway got into her carriage and
drove up to Cavendish square, hoping
to find Mrs. Francis Armour at home.
There had been house parties at Grey
hope since Lali had come there to live,
but this visitor, though once an init
mate friend of the family, had never
been guest.
The visitor was Lady Haldwell, once
Miss Julia Sherwood, who had made
possible what 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 at
heart wicked, but there are few women
who can resist an opportunity of anato
MIXING and reckoning up the merits
and demerits Of o woman who has mar
ried an old lover When that woman is
in the position of Mrs. Francis Armour
the situation has an unusual piquancy
and interest. Hence Lady Haldwell's
journey of inquisiti N to Cavendish
square.
AS Richard passt the drawing room
door to ascend the stars he recognized
the voices.
Once sort of heather as Mrs. Fran
els Armour had been, she still could
grasp the situation with considerable
clearness. There is nothing keener than
one woman's instinct regarding another
woman where q man is concerned. Mrs.
Francis Armour received Lady Hald-
well with quiet stateliness which, if
it did not astonish her, gave her suffi-
Gent warning that matters were not in
this little comedy to be all her own
way.
Thrown upon the mere resources of
wit and language, Mrs. Francis Armour
must have been at q disadvantage, for
Lady Haldwell had a good gift of
speech, pretty talent for epithet and
no unnecessary tenderness. She bore
Lali no malice. She was too decorous
and high for that. In her mind the wife
of the man she had discarded was
mere commonplace 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 to push "a red woman" into
English society. Truth is the Armours
did not try at all to push her. For over
three years they had let society talk.
They had not entertained largely in
Cavendish square since Lali came, and
those invited to Greyhope had chance
to refuse the invitations if they choose.
Most people did not choose to decline
them. But Lady Haldwell was not Of
that number. She had never been 1nvit-
ed. But now in town, when entertain
ment must be more general, she and
the Arlnours were prepared for social
Behind Lady Haldwell's visit curios-
lily chiefly ran. She was in way sorry
for Frank Armour, for she had been
fond of him after fashion, always
fonder of him than of Lord Haldwell.
She had married with her fingers hold
ing the scales of advantage, and Lord
Haldwell dressed well, was immensely
rich, and the title had charm.
When Mrs. Francis Armour met her
with her strange, impressive dignity,
she was the slightest bit confused, but
not outwardly. She had not expected it.
At first Lali did not know who her Wis
tor was She had not caught the name
from the servant.
L.,