Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-07-15
SO1E SINNERS
Your letters, miss. "
"haOl-S Down -

Dedlflce was III pea. EcHc olteu WIS III
bed, even when the third and fourth de-
llveries came. With the letters the maid
brought cup of tea. She drew the rose
pink curtains to give her mistress an OPP
pOrtunity to enjoy her letters ana the
tea. Also, she was curious about The ef-
feet Of that envelope with the postmark
POrtland." She was not supposed 10
know: but she knew. She had had great
experience as q Iady'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 mad no
need of those pink curtains to enhance 1t,
and with a petulant movement OF the
hand she overturned the dainty little
silver stand with the tea. Payn uttered
a sympathetic cry.
Take it away" said Beatrice, Il don't
want any, after all.
Payn was quite 10th to go. There was
another letter with the postmark Maid
enhead," and Payn was curious about
that also. But she was not allowed fur
Their indulgence in drama at her mis-
tress' expense.
Leave me- said; wish to be alone"
Beatrice calculated, with, for her, an I'M
usual 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 nand.
Shame flooded her. as the tea, the car
pet and many memories incident 10 the
sense of shame.
And consequent upon this feeling Bea-
trice's heart grew angry with fate, and
she asked herself why she. Of all women,
should have been subjected TO such fear
full humiliation.
For an hour she lay thus Then,
though still with preoccupied thoughts,
she rang the bell and babe Payn help
her dress.
IF you please. miss" said the we'll
conducted maid, as she entered, Il was
just coming to say that the viscount is
here"
"Oh. yes" murmured Beatrice; ''you
can go and tell him to amuse himself
with breakfast, or cigarettes, or any
thing. And then come back We must
hurry"
They did hurry, though not unreason-
ably. The viscount was not a young
man who liked to be kept waiting, es-
pecially 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
forcbly before her.
While PEN did her work with that
smooth celebrity that made her so great a
treasure, Beatrice lived in the past. And
these were some of the pictures that
passed like dissolying views before her
lively mind
The home vicarage, with her white
haired, worried parent. and his imbecile
money troubles Why had he. a clergy
man. mixed so unwisely with the worlds
affairs? I'VE are ruined. my DEAR" he
walled, with his old head bowed in his
is only one way out of it.
And what is that. papa?" asks
girl of twenty, springtime edition of
the beautiful woman upon whose face
Beatrice looked SO impassively in her
mirror. while Payn brushes her hair.
If" moaned the old man, you would
but marry Paul Williams"
A wedding. She (Beatrice) and a lit
tie middle-aged man, upon whose clean
shayen face there rests an expression of
irritating pride and reverence 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:
MY darling. there is nothing on earth
| will not do to make you happy. Moth
ing!''
ants, gliding and lights, flowers. the adj
miring homage of the world and of the
many smart young men in particular.
A little harassed bald-headed man some
where III the background.
'Who's that little ape?" she hears a
young, diplomat whisper to a youth like
himself. with Il nod at the little man.
Don't you know? Why, it's Mon
sieur lie Mari, TO be sure!''
Then q laugh-such laugh! Anon,
the first of the young gentlemen, having
an opportunity, kisses her hand and be.
comes imprisoned.
A curious conversation: ''My dear
Beatrice" says the little bald gentle
man-how bothered he looks yet how
kind.-'if you are sure it will make you
happy, it shall be done. But | must not
disguise from you that l am playing a
dangerous game. For myself [ care not;
it may lead me into trouble of the worst
kind, but you, please God, will even then
be spared the misery of want. That [
have cOntrived."
Eyes" says the woman, brutally impe-
rious and cold, 1--WE must certainly do it.
/ don't believe your talk about wanting
money either. [ made a mistake when
| married you, and mean to get the only
compensation possible" WhereupOn tho
little elderly gentleman signs, kisses her
hand (she less willing to have it kissed
than in the previous scene) and departs.
of interested but unsympathetic friends
(women), eager to pick up Information.
They all hurl back words at poor. little
Monsieur le Mari. Beatrice, with her
lace handkerchief to her eye and cruel
rage in her heart. acquiesces. The visits
Of interested and interesting young men.
who are quite cheerful and who per-
suade her at length that she. too, I'M
der the circumstances, nIly. if she will |
also be cheerful. 1T might be a deal
worse deuced deal worse" says one of
them: and he presses her hand tenderly
and kisses it later, perhaps less reyer
emily.
The parting Good heayens-what ig-
nominy. The wife Of a convict. The lit
tie bald-headed man, however, does not
look very wicked There are tears in
his eyes. Dearest" he whispers. L
will not ask YOU to forgive me. | did
it. as | thought for the best-but my
brain must have been turned. [ wronged
you when | married YOU. and now you
must forget HE. If | write TO you, you
need not answer. l can worship you
at 4 distance, and pray for you as we'll |
in my prison cell as by your own dear
side." That was all. They did not en-
Il