The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-28
SOME SINNERS.
"Your letters, miss. +"
"Thanks, Payn.

Thanks, Payn."
Beatrice was in bed. She often was
in bed, even when the third and fourth
deliveries came With the letters the
maid brought cup of tea. She drew
the rose pink curtains to give her mis-
tress an opportunity to enjoy her letters
and the. tea; also sshe was curious
about the effect of that envelope with
the postmark Portland F." She was not
supposed to know, but she knew. She
had had great experience as lady's
maid and relished mysteries.
And, sure enough, she had her reward
this time also. The moment Beatrice
caught sight of the Portland" letter
she flushed SO that her complexion had
no need of those pink curtains to en-
nance 1t. and with petulant movement
of the hand she overturned the dainty
little silver stand with the tea. Payn
uttered sympathetic cry.
"Take 1t away" said Beatrice. 81
don't want any, after all.
Payn was quite loath to go. There was
another letter with the postmark
"Maidenhead, and Payn was curious
about that also. But she was not allowed
further indulgence in drama at her
mistress expense.
Leave me, I said. I wish to be
alone" Beatrice calculated. with, for
her, an unusual show Of temper.
Certainly, MISS" murmured the
girl in the most humble and deferential
of tones.
Then Beatrice fell back in bed, with
the Portland" letter crushing tighter
and tighter in her small right hand.
Shame flooded her, as the tea the car
pet. and many memories incident to the
sense of shame
And consequent upon this feeling
Beatrioe's heart grew angry with fate,
and she asked herself why she, of all
women, should have been subjected to
such fearful humiliation.
For an hour she lay thus. Then,
though still with preoccupied thoughts,
she rang the bell and babe Payn help her
to dress.
IF you please. miss. said the we'll
conducted maid as she entered, 81 was
just coming to say that the viscount is
here
ooh, yes" murmured Beatrice.
s'You can go and tell him to amuse
himself with breakfast. or cigarettes, or
anything, and then come back. We must
hurry"
They did hurry, though not unreason-
ably. The viscount was not young
man who liked to be kept waiting, espe-
cially by the lady of his brief but warm
affections. Yet all the while, for the
life Of her, Beatrice could not help
thinking of other things
She had burned the Portland letter
without opening it, and as if in retribu-
tion the writer now came but more
forcibly before her.
While Payn did her work with that
smooth celebrity that made her SO great
treasure Beatrice lived in the past.
And these were some Of the pictures that
passed like dissolving views before her
lively mind:
The home vicarage with her white
haired, worried parent and his imbecile
money troubles. Why had he, clergy
man, mixed SO unwisely with the
worlds affairs? 1--WE are ruined, my
DEAR" he walled, with his old head
bowed in his hands on the breakfast ia
BILE. '"There is only one way out of it. Z"
Sand what is that, papa?" asks a
girl Of 40. springtime edition of the
beautiful woman upon whose face Bea-
trioe looked so impassively in her mirror,
while Payn brushes her hair.
eff" moaned the old mar, ''you
would but marry Paul Williams. y
A wedding. She (Beatrice) and lit
tie middle aged man, upon whose clean
shaven face there rests an expression of
irritating pride and reverencel The
usual nonsense afterward. Then they
are together in carriage, though her
dress leaves little room for him. He is
whispering in her ear. This is what he
says:
'fMy darling. there is nothing on
earth will not do to make you happy.
Nothingp
A great house in town, liveried serv-
ants, gliding and lights, flowers, the
admiring homage Of the world and of
the many smart young men in particu-
lar. A little harassed. baldheaded man
somewhere in the background.
"Who's that little apep" she hears a
young diplomat whisper to youth like
himself, with a nod at the little man.
'tDon't you know? Why. it's Mon
sieur lie Mari, to be surel'
Then laugh-such a Taught Anon,
the first Of the young gentlemen, having
an opportunity. kisses her hand and be-
comes impassioned.
A curious conversation: "My dear
Beatrice says the little bald gentle
man-how bothered he looks. yet how
kindl-"if you are sure it will make
you happy, it shall be done. But must
not disguise from you that am playing
dangerous game. For myself I care
not; it may lead me into trouble Of the
worst kind, but you, please God, will
even then be spared the miseries of
want That have contrived"
oYos >, epvc tho woman b,-,7 to J1xv i'm,