The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-20
FIXT OLD WORLD AND NEW
A LOVE STORY.


son, and his mother was a widow. His ia
ther, country gentleman, had freed {
burdened estate bequeathed to him by hi:
father, and when he died left his widow
and son well provided for. The Vinni
combes were not an old family. and they
had been received somewhat co!dly at frs
when they took UP their residence at High
Void. But in the end solid worth, and
that true gentlehood which is neither pre-
tentious nor officious. conquered and over
came prejudice, and they took their right
place among the county families in that
part of Sussex in which they dwelt. Henry
Vinnicombe the younger came to be re-
garded by-and-by as a very eligible party
and his way in life might have run on In
smooth. even tenor but for an act of dis
astrous folly perpetrated by his mother
Adela Vinnicombe was one of those trying
persons who, under the cloak of great hui
mility and helplessness, are obstinate to a
fanit. and who by their self-will constantly
get themselves and others into serious
scrapes. She had been and was still very
pretty woman, of the pink and white or
der and she had held her husband in thrall
to the last day of his life. Shrewd careful
cautious to a degree In all relations of his
life, Henry Vinnicombe the elder had been.
in his wife's hands, as clay in the potter S
" utH ne OlcO, his Will WoS IOuiiO "
be rather extraordinary one to have
been made by a man leaving behind him a
grown-up son of sound ability and excellent
character. High Void and every penny of
his large fortune was left absolutely to his
wife. Harry Vinnicombe was as dependent
on his mothers whims or caprice as IL he
had been a baby in arms. At first TINS ala
not at all trouble him. Having neither
brother nor sister, and being very fond or
his mother, he regarded himself as much
master of High Void as if it had been real
ly wiled to him. And this was all very
well for time. After the lapse of a Few
years, certain things began to occasion him
considerable uneasiness and he often
wished that his position were more assured,
especially as he had matrimony in view for
himself He was sitting in the little bust
ness room at High Wold one March morn
ing wearing on his honest face somewhat
perplexed and gloomy look. He was in his
twenty-fourth year, a tall. we,l-built, man
ly fellow, with no special claim to good
looks, yet possessing singular charm OF
appearance and manner, which won MN
friends and regard everywhere. 1t was
fine, bright March morning, with the breath
of spring in the merry wind that swept
across the open downs and stirred all the
budding trees to life and motion. The
spring flowers were peeping up everywhere,
and all things breathed of hope and prom
Use. 1t was not season for sadness and
yet the young man. for whom the emblems
of spring should have had some kinship,
looked upon them with Indifferent If not
unseeing eye. The gloom seemed to deepen
on his brow as he caught sight of a high
stepping and perfectly groomed riding
horse being led up and down by groom
on the gravel sweep before the door. The
man who owned the horse was closeted
with his mother in her own sitting room,
and Harry Vinnicombe was of opinion that
there had been too many private interviews
lately between Godfrey Delorme, barrister-
at-law, and the mistress of High Void.
He was still sitting when he heard the echo
of departing footsteps in the hall, and
pushing his chair further back from the
window so that he might not be seen. he
watched Mr. Delorne mount his horse and
give the groom the tip which never lacked.
That it was a handsome one was evidenced
by the particularly obsequious smile ON the
lads face. Mr.. Delorme, though elderly,
made no bad figure on horseback but sat
as straight Harry himself. He was
gentleman, and looked it, SO far as out
ward appearances went, but he was re-
garded by young Vinnicombe in no favor
able light. Before the echo of the barris-
ter's horse hoofs had quite died away, Mrs.
Vinnicombe came downstairs in. search of
her son. AS she entered the room he was
almost painfully struck by her youthful
appearance and by the girlishness OF her
attire. A man does not care to see his
mother aping the appearance and dress of
a girl of eighteen; and Harry Vinnicombe's
face did not clear as his eye took in every
detail of the dressy gown the deliberately
dressed head and the simpering smile on
his mothers face.
Mr. Delorme has gone Harry. Why
didn't you come and speak to him?"
Because / didn't feel inclined. / sup
pose" he replied, rather more rudely than
he had ever spoken to his mother In his
life; but she did not appear to notice lit.
She sat down in basket chair near the
fire, and placidly smoothed the plump
white hands which set off so we'll the vaIu-
able rings which Mr.. Vinnicompe had loved |
to lavish on her. If she felt that Harry |
was in bad mood, and that she was the |
cause of it, she made no sign, but pre- |
served a perfectly unruffied expression on |
her face
..It is a pity" she remarked. quietly, |
s.that you do not feel kindly disposed to- |
ward Mr. Delorme."
II don't see that it matters much,' Harry |
replied, quite surIily for him. II think the |
fellow pokes his nose IN Where ne ISM
that's all.
Mrs. Vinnicombe sat up, and her fa1r race
became deeply flushed.
Have the goodness to explain what you
mean by speaking in such insulting terms
of a friend of mine.
I'm sorry if he is a friend of yours,
mother for / don't like him, and never
shall and think he comes here too much
Mrs Etnnicombe'S color heightened still
further, and she was about to speak, when
her continued:
Nobody likes him. mother, and there
must be something amiSs with the man
who has no friends. and of whom so few
have a good word to say. What does he
want here?'' The idea that his mother
could be contemplating a second marriage
never occurred to Harry Vinnicombe, and
he had attributed Dalormes constant visits
to business matters and feared that he was
too familiar with their money affairs. and
where they were concerned. He was so
loyalty and lovingly devoted to the memory
Of the father who had been all in all to /
him. that he could not conceive of any
woman who had been his wife contemplate
ing marriage with another man.
at is unfortunate that you allow yourself |
to be biased by the evil speech of out
siders Harry" his mother said, very cold
" ut shows a sad lack of observa ton, to
say nothing of charity, on your part. Bat
apart from that it is unfortunate that you
10 not feel kindly disposed toward Mr.. De-
orme. because you may have TO see good
deal of him..
Have you given him control of our af-
.Of my affairs she repeated signif-
1xr h.fN n ma AJT Tln