Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-01-03
RECLAIMED.

Alter AaIIIttgo arrives Il REACTION,
sometimes big, sometimes little
one, but it comes sooner Or later and
must be tided over by both parties if
they desire the rest of their lives to 90
with the current. In the case Of the Gu
sack Bremmils this reaction did not set
il till the third year after the wedding
Bremmil was hard to hold at the best
Of times, but he was o beautiful hus-
band until the baby died, and Mrs
Bremmil wore black, and grew thin,
and mourned as if the bottom of the
universe had fallen out. Perhaps Brem-
nil ought to have cO1nforted her He
tried to do so, [ think, but the more be
conlfcIted the more Mrs. Bremmil
grieyed, and consequently the more IN
comfortable Bremmil grew. The fact
was that they both needed a tonic. And
they got it. Mrs Bremmil can afford
to laugh now, but it was no laughing
matter to her at the time.
You see, Mrs. Hauksloee appeared Oh
the horizon, and where she existed was
fair chance Of trouble. At Simla her by
name was the Stormy Petrol. She had
won that title five times to my own GER
tain knowledge. She was q little,
brown, thin, almost skinny woman,
with big, rolling, violet blue eyes and
the sweetest manners i'll the world. You
had only to mention her name at after
noon teas for every woman i'll the room
to rise up and call her-well, not
blessed. She was clever, witty, brilliant
and sparkling beyond most Of her kind,
but possessed of many devils Of malice
and mischieyousness She could be nice,
though, even to her own sex. But that
is another story.
Bremmil went Off at score after the
baby's death and the general discomfort
that followed, and Mrs Hauksbee an
nexed him. She took 10 pleasure in hid
ing her captiyes. She annexed him pub
licly and eaw that the public saw it. He
rode with her, and walked with her,
and talked with her, and picnicked
with her, and breakfasted at Peliti' s
with her, till people put up their eye
brows and said, "ShockingE'
Mrs. Bremmil staid at home turn
ing over the dead baby's frocks, and
crying into the empty cradle. She did
not care to do anything else. But some
eight dear, affectionate lady friends ex-
planned the situation at length to her in
case she should miss the cream of it.
Mrs. Bremmil listened quietly and
thanked them for their good Offices
She was not socleyer as Mrs. Hauksbee,
but she was no fool. She kept her own
counsel and did not speak to Bremmil
Of what she had heard. This is worth
eirembering. Speaking to or crying
0vaI = husband never did any good yet.
Whom Bremnil was at home, which
was not often, he was more affection
ate than usual. and that showed his
hand. The affection was forced partly
to sootle his OWN conscience and partly
to soothe Mrs. BTemmil. 1t failed il
both regards.
Then ''the A.-D. C. i'll waiting was
commanded by their excellencies, Lord
and Lady Lytton, to invite Mr.. and
MIS- Cusack- Blsmmil to Peterhoff Oh
July 2G, at o 80 p. IN. =" Dancing" i'll
the bottom left hand corner.
81 can't So,' said Mrs. Bremmil,
'Fit is too sool. after poor little Florrie,
but it need not stop you, To,n.'
She meant what she said then, and
Bremlziil said that he would go just to
put III an appearance. Here he spoke
The thing which was not, and Mrs.
Breninii knew II. She guessed--a wom-
ans guess is much more accurate than
a man s rtaiity--that he had meant
70 go from tie first, and with Mrs
iauksbee. She sat down to think, and
the outcome OF her thoughts was that
the memory OF q dead child was worth
considerably less than the affections Of
a living husband. She made her plan
and stalled her all upon it. In that hour
she discovered that she knew Tom Brenl-
mi thoroughly, aud This know ledge she
acted OH.
Tom" said she, ~ shall be dining
ont at the Longmores' Oh the evening
of the Goth. You'd better dine at the
club
This saved Bremnlil from making an
excuse to get away and dine with Mrs.
i4auksbee, so he was grateful and felt
small and mean at the same time
which was wholesome. Bremmii left
the house at fer ride. About half
past 5 i'll the evening a large leather
covered basket came i'll from Phelps
for Mrs. Bremnil. She was a woman
who knew how to dress, and she had
lot spent d week Oh designing that
dress and having it gored and hemmed
and EelrlngbOned and tucked and ruck-
ed Tor whatever the terms are) for moth
ing 1t was gorgeous dress-slight
mourning, I can't describe it, but il
was what The Queen calls "a creation'
"a thing that hit you straight between
the eyes and made you gasp. She had
not much heart for what she was going
to do, but as she glanced at the long
mirror she had the satisfaction Of know
ing that she had never locked so well il
ker life. She was a large blond, and
when she chose carried herself superbly.
Alter the dinner at the Longmores
SIZE Went Oh to the dance-Gs little late
and encountered Bremmil with Mrs
Hauksbee on his arm. That made her
finish, and as the men crowded round |
her Tor dances she looked magnificent. !
she filled up all her dances except three, |
and those she left blank. Mrs. Hanks
bee caught her eye once, and she knew
Ii was War--real war-betWeen them, |
She started handicapped i'll the struggle, |
for she had ordered Bremmil about just |
the least little bit i'll the world too
much, and he was beginning to resent
it. Moreover, he had never seen his
wife look SO lovely. He stared at her
from doorways and glared at her from
passages as she went about with her
partners, and the more he stared the
more taken was he. He could scarcely
"a Iii n