The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1896-11-27
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INTERNATIONAL paess Assoc,ArIoN

had young visitors, and there was, at
the dullest, the hope of release to con-
sole her. Now she was settled in life, -
could sit down with idle hands and
spend her days in contemplation Of her
| grandeur. She had married well. No
body looked askance at her when old
maids were the subjects of pity or ridi-
cule. The most censorious could not
couple her name with the dread word
dependence" She had no household
cares. Mr.. Withers and Miss Field re-
lieved her of all such.
And the mistress of the mansion was
left to her own devices? BY no means.
If her husband were fastidious he was
also tyrannical He dictated not only
what dress his wife should appear in
daily, but also what laces and orna-
ments she should sport; at what hours
she should take the air; whom she
must visit and whom invite; what
songs she should sing to him when he
| asked for music in the evening, and
when the day should close-the day so
wearisome in it's similitude to all that
had preceded and those which should
follow it.
my cousin is a man with aspirations
above the frivolities of fashionable
life, and excitement is injurious to his
health" Miss Field notified the bride
that day after her home-bringing. 81
fear Mrs. Withers will tire Of the even
tenor of our way"
81 like quiet" Constance replied.
But she did not mean stagnation.
She was married in April, and on the
first of July the trio removed to Mr.
Withers' country seat. Here Constance
was to find that the dead level of her
existence had yet lower plane of dull
ness. There was not a neighbor within
four miles, hardly a farm house in
sight
I'VE recruit here after the dissipa-
ton of the winter" Miss Field said,
enjoyingly. 'The solitude is enraptur-
ing. One can sleep all day long if she
likes"
This proved to be her favorite meth
cd of recuperating her exhausted ener-
gies. Mr.. Withers, too, liked a post
prandial siesta, prescribed by his ply
sician as eminently conducive to diges-
ton" Constance was not more lonely
when they slept than when they were
awake. The horrible sterility Of her life
was not to be ameliorated by their So
ciety. If commonplaceness be crime,
Mr. Withers and his cousin were Of
tenders Of an aggravated type. Harri-
cts affectations and Elnathan's plati-
tudes were to the tortured senses OF the
third person of the party less endura-
BILE than the cicada's shrill monotone
through the hot summer day, and the
katydid's endless refrain at night. Her
chains, which had hitherto paralyzed
her by their weight, began to gall and
fret into her spirit. She grew unequal
in temper. nervous and restless, under
the restrictions imposed by her spouse.
An insane impulse beset her to defy his
authority and set at naught his coun-
sells; to rush into some outrageous
freak that should shock him out of his
propriety and provoke the prudish toad
eater to natural speech and action.
This madness was never stronger
than on one August afternoon when she
escaped from the house, leaving the
cousins to the enjoyment OF their re-
cuperative maps in their respective
chambers, and took her way to the
mountain back of the villa. She had
never explored it, tempting as was the
shade of the hemlocks and pines that
grew up to the summit, and the walls
of gray rock revealed through the riffs
Of the foliage. A current of fragrance,
the odor of the resinous woods, flowed
down to greet her ere she reached the
outskirts Of the forest, and the lulling
murmur of the wind in the evergreen
boughs was like the sound of many
and wooing waters. The tender green
tassels of the larches tapped her head
as she bowed beneath their low branch
es, and the wide hemlocks were spread
in benediction above her. She was
alone with nature-free for one short
hOur 10 tHluk ueT OWN luOuSulS anu
act out her desires. She laughed as a
bushy cedar knocked off her hat at the
instant that she tore her dress upon
bramble-
"They are leagued with my legal
proprietor in the commendable business
of repressing the lawless vagaries of
those who cannot get their fill of nat
ural beauties through the windows Of
state chariot But I shall have my
frolic all the same''
Another and higher peak tempted
her when she had sat for awhile upon
boulder crowning the first, revelling
in the view of valley and hill, includ-
ing the basin in which nestled the
house, and the plain opening eastward
toward the sea and civilization. The
second height was precipitous, in some
places almost perpendicular. From
treadIng fearlessly and rapidly from
crag to crag. she came to pulling her.
self up gravelly banks by catching at
the stout underbrush, and steadying
herself among rolling stones by tufts
OF wiry grass. But she kept On, and