The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-03-23
WOMAN's HISTORY.

When I see her pass in her carriage
in the park, wrapped in her furs, opu-
lent, naughty. cold, invulnerable. beau
tiful, the woman's history comes back
to me ever and again, point for point,
step for. step.
Her brow has the same marble
.smoothness; her shoulders, when Il
sits in the blaze of her opera box,
diamonds that would grace a queen
shimmering on their whiteness, are as
Incompatible as ever they were.
Time and again her calm, ~inscrutable
eyes meet, with a fleeing glance, her
husbands. They quietly, undemon-
onstratively despise each other, these
two. But, again, who would III II!
Thus it astonishes no one that both
60 their several ways. AS FOR HAM
mond, he does not wear as well as the
beautiful Adrienne. Once. before his
face took on that shadow Of bloated-
ness, his neck that bovine character,
lie was handsome enough
But that was ten years ago. The
outward circumstances were different
then. On a moist, foggy afternoon in
January a young man, with a Keen, set,
determined cnuntenance and eyes brood
ing, calculating, summing up. combin-
ing as he went along the. crowded
streets, was aecosted by another man
Of about the. same age, who was hast
ening, though somewhat more leisurely,
in the opposite direction.
"Hullo, Hammond"
Hammond half-wheeled round and
stopped.
IF you've nothing else on hand,
come and make that call with me to-
night said Searle.
Hammond was conscious OF no special
eagerness. But Searle was a rather
good friend Of his-the best he had.
That was, perhaps, not saying much,
for Hammond's friends were few. lie
had come from a rural district to the
great city, resolute upon making MS
way. How he lived he best himself
knew for a few years.
There were times when the struggle
was fought at such close quarters that
his board bills often remained unpaid.
But at the darkest the logged deter
mination in him never faltered. He
used now and then to walk up the
fashionable streets at night and loiter
a moment, lost in the crowd Of street
Arabs of small and large growth, at the
house Of a we'll known prince OF
finance, over whose front steps an
awning extended to the curb.
The noiselessly opening and shutting
door at the head OF the steps gave
glimpses of an interior of light and
warmth. To the curb there drove up
a long, slowly moving mass OF liveried
carriages, disgorging their contents on
the carpeted way. Hammond would
stand there an instant or two, observ-
ant Of the scene
Some day." a voice within him
would say, II shall open my doors III
this fashion or drive up to this very
door as these people do now"
Searle was but insuficiently cognl-
zant Of these characteristics OF MS
friend. He liked him, did him a good
turn when he could, and unboSomed
himself to him as the more prosperous
man will occasionally do to the conf
dant whose fortunes are not so excel
lent as his own
The excellence Of Searle's fortunes
was a matter Of relative estimates
Searle himself felt that he was as
lucky as any man need wish to be.
Hammond, had he been asked to give
his opinion, would have remarked tina
to be the manager of a bank on 6
salary of ten thousand dollars a yeal
was a beggarly sort of thing, unless ;
man expected to get up higher.
Here lay the difference between tn
two men. Searle supposed he nigh
get up higher some day, but he did no
think much about it. Hammond
4l.o,-l% - rofhi,n nIcn
The call the friends made togethe,
that evening was on a young girl ant
er mother. The mother came second
S,arle had been infatuated for som
time. Now they were engaged. Tn
Young lady could scarcely be said t
be in society; and she was only II
moderate circumstances. But Scarf
was so happy that he eagerly wishe'
every one of his friends to see Mis-
Eastlake and appreciate his good fort
une.
Did Hammond think her sufficient,
handsome? Searle, with masculin
faulty, asked himself the question seN
eral times in the course of the evening
Hammond's face was, under all Gil
cumstances, non-committal. But on tn
other hand, not to acknowledge tn
beauty of Adrienne Eastlake was IN
possible.
) Hammond, pleading another appoin
ment, left early. Searle fingered b.
= hind half an hour later.
, What do you think of Hammond!
he asked, looking down at the girl a
, she sat before him in a low chair, he
/, head thrown back.
, Il have only seen him once" sh
said, evasively. Her manner to til
man she was going to marry was COO
calm, elusive. But, unconsciousl.
blinded by his own engrossing passion
Searle invested it with a reflected fe
vol.
."Oh, Hammond is bound to striR
luck some day. Let me tell you abo'
him"
, And Searle ~discoursed for some mi
!, guidly.
: "Egad." he cried, with a sudde
laugh. IF he had only a start, with
: little .c~apital-say ten thousand dollar
+ Something like the chance n or tN
fellows l know would have II the
were aware of a certain inside fact
could communicate to them
: Searle was rather a weak man, ar
a somewhat indiscreet. one. Wht
Adrienne, with a new show of interes
asked what was the inside fact, he W;
S not proof against the fattery Of h
S freshly bestowed attention.
Y Simply the fact that on bank
n Then he stopped short.
o Look here" he laughed, uneasily,
+ ought not to be telling you this!
onIv shows what confidence / have