Rock Island Argus., 1896-03-02

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS cHAPrRRs.
Chapter marian Trent and Mrs.
Ventnor turn their backs upon upper
Bohemian society in New York. and
retire to . nearby town. It is q
lad Of Marian's and distasteful tc
her companion. Their house 10 twin
to an adjoining one. II-Dr Hugh
Larremcre lives next door. Return.
Ing late one evening, he STUN bles
into the wrong house and comes upon
. vision Of Observation-Disclosures q
snow white wrapper by . glowing
crate fire. He retreats. after an
apology. which is received with q
pleasant smile. At his own fireside
he encounters . nagging. pctulant
wife.
CHAPTER III.
Marian frequently passed Hugh on
the street after this, and always with q
slight, neighborly nod. Sometimes he
fancied that she looked at him with IN
awakening interest that could not fail
to please him. He began to watch tor
and hope for these chance meetings.
They were bright spots in long, unva-
rying days and gradually came to is
sumo in his eyes an importance almost
childish.
His other neighoors gossiped and won.
dcred about her, each with his own the
ory as TO her antecedents, former home
and social status. She was in turn the
audacious young English woman whose
shocking novel had made the critics
howl after tbs manner of critics; che
was some relative of the man who had
been murdered, and, like q heroine Of
sensational romance. had returned to
the house to search for a clew it would
be her victory to unearth and bring the
guilty one to Justice too long delayed; !;
che was IT,. niece or daughter of the
eccentric looking, artificially tinted
woman who lived with her, who wore
white lace petticoats even in rainy
weather; they were both in hiding from
somebody. To these and other specula-
tions Hugh listened. His wife chartered
endlessly Of her new ncighbors and
had taken to peering from behind the
window curtains.
Some people raved over the younger
ones beauty. Did Hugh think her SC
handsome? She didn't. There was style
to her, to be sure, and y something
"princessy" in her carriage and express
sion. She must be awfully rich, too, to
wear the gowns she did.
Hugh remarked that he thought her
gowns simple. Oh, yes, they were SIM
pie, but a man did not know the differ
enco between a gingham whose Gu. "a.
poem and silk or velvet tina. S;1:.'t
cost half as much. But as to downright
beauty-well. she was rather good look
ing-yes. certainly, but too pale, too
tall and too dark to be called really
beautiful-in fact, too much of every
thing that Jenny was not.
Its evident that they want to keep
to themselves. Have you noticed?" she
asked one morning at breakfast. II
think they are dreadfully stuck up. Per-
haps they think themselves better than
the rest of Us. The idea! Look at Mrs.
Elliston. She thought it would be only
commonly polite to call, and the serv-
ant said they were both ont. although
Mrs. Elliston said she was sure she
heard somebody tuning a violin. OF
course she left card, but they haven t
returned the visit"
Il can fancy worse fate than being
left alone" said Hugh dryly, a mean
ing in his smile. II begin to think them
very sensible
"Oh, Of course you would. Just shut
you mp in that study of yours. and you
are glad to NOPE. Give me man who
likes society" And Jenny gave her head
tosa I'm glad I'm not queer"
(which implies that am. MY dear,
pray consider my feelings. Fancy the
horror Of being called different from the
other people about here"
"Oh, you think I don't know what
you mean? You are sneering-yes, you
are. I'm not as stupid as you think"
She sat back and looked at him. He
was smiling slightly and provokingly,
while looking over the morning paper,
not even regarding her to see the effect
Of his words. Hero was an excellent
chance to assert her dignity and take
ahront She played with her spoon
while she tried to think of something
70 sharp he would be forced to drop his
air of indifference.
But she could not be in q bad humor
that morning. His peace Offering for
their Last disagreement, given manlike
foe the sake Of dispelling an inceszant
frown. although he had thought her un-
feeling and unreasonable, was a fan
that she had louged for ever since her
eyes noted its gossamerlike beauty in q
Broadway window. Only that very
morning. while still in her nightgown,
she had taken it out and coquettishly
viewed her eyes in the mirror above its
hey edge No Remembering the fan.
she decided Il would be bad policy to
get angry then.
For some reason that he could not or
did not try to explain Larremore had
never said anything to his wife Of his
unceremonious entree into the other
house q fortnight before and the sort
Of unspoken friendliness that had sprung
mp between him and this beautiful
young woman from nobody knew where.
He did not even know her name, and
he felt a disinclinati0 to be enlight-