The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-08-16
CHAPTER VIII.

people had left town, but festivities
were still on. To q stranger the season
might have seemed at its height. The
Armours were giving large party III
Cavendish square before going back
again to Greyhope, where, for the sake OF
Lali and her child, they intended to re-
main during the rest of the summer in
preference to going ON the continent or
to Scotland. The only unsatisfactory
feature Of Lali's season was the absence
of nor husband. Naturally there were
these who said strange things regarding
Frank ArnSour's stay in America, but it
was pretty generally known that he was
engaged in land speculations, and his
club friends, who perhaps took the
pleasantest view of the matter, said that
he was very wise indeed, if little cow
ardly, in staying abroad until his wife
was educated and ready to take her po-
sition in society. There was one thing
on which they all agreed-Mrs. Frank
| Armour either had a mind superior to
| the charms of their sex or was incapa-
BILE of that vanity which hath many
suitors and says, $50 far shalt thou go,
and''--
The fact is, Mrs. Frank Armour's
mind was superior. She had only one
object-to triumph over her husband
grandly, as woman righteously might.
She had vanity, of course, but it was
not ignoble. She kept one thing in
view; she lived for it. Her translation
had been successful. There were times
when she remembered her father, the
wild days on the prairies, the buffalo
hunt, tracking the deer, tribal battles
the long silent hours of the winter and
the warm summer nights when she slept
in the prairie grass or camped with her
people i'll the trough of o great land
wave. Sometimes the hunger for its
freedom, and its idleness, and its sport
came to her greatly, but she thought of
her child, and she put it from her. She
was ambitious for him; she was keen to
prove her worth as wife against her
husbands unworthiness. This perhaps
saved her. She might have lost had her
life been without this motive
The very morning of this notable re-
ception General Armour had received
note from Frank Armour's solicitor say
ing that his son was likely to arrive in
London from America that day or the
next. Frank had written to his people no
word of his coming. To his wife, as we
have said, he had not written for months,
and before he started back he would
not WRITE because he wished to make
what amends he could in person. He
expected to find her improved, of course,
but still he could only think of her as
an Indian, showing her common prairie
origin. His knowledge of her before
their marriage had been particularly
brief. She was little more in his eyes
than thousand other Indian women,
save that she was better looking, was
whittier than most and had finer features
He could not very clearly remember the
tones Of her voice, because after mar
riage and before he had sent her to Eng
land he had seen little or nothing of
her.
When General Armour received the
news of Franks return, he told his wife
and Marion, and they consulted together |
whether it were good to let Lali know |
at once. He might arrive that evening. |
If so, the position would be awkward, |
because it was impossible to tell how it |
might affect her. If they did tell her,
and Frank happened not to arrive, it |
might unnerve her so as to make her |
appearance in the evening doubtful. |
Richard, the wiseacre, the inexhausti- |
BILE Richard, was caring for his cottagers
and cutting the leaves of new books
his chief pleasure-at Greyhope. They
felt it was matter they ought to |
be able to decide for themselves, but |
still it was the last evening of Lali's
stay in town, and they did not care to
take any risk. Strange to say, they had |
come to take pride in their son s wife, for
even General and Mrs. Armour high
minded and Of serene social status as
they were, seemed not quite insensible
to the pleasure of being an axle Oh
which a system of social notoriety re-
volved.
AT the opportune moment Captain
Vidal was announced, and because he
and Marion were soon to carry but one
name between them he was called into
family consultation. 1t is somewhat
oluSu tlldb III tiilo CttSt Uub WO1neD
were quite wrong and the men were
quite right, for General Armour and
Captain Vidal were for silence until
Frank came, if he came that day, or for
telling her the following morning, when
the function was over. And the men
prevailed.
Marion was much excited all day. She
had given orders that Franks room
should be made ready, but for whom
she gave no Information. While Lali
was dressing for the evening, somewhat
excited and nervous, she entered her
room. They were now the best of
friends. The years had seen many shift
ing scenes in their companionship.
They had been as often at war as at
peace, but they had respected each
other, each after her own fashion, and
now they had real and mutual regard.
Lali's was slim, 1.-the figure, wear
ing its fashionable robes with an air of
possession, and the face above it, if not
entirely beautiful, had strange, warm
The girl had not been a
for nothing. A look of