The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-11-03


81 am dreadfully sorry, dearest, but
1t was impossible to leave earlier"
"You promised, John; and we shall
be 30 late"
Yes, dear, yes, know. Now, you
60 and have some dinner, and when
am rested little I'll run up and dress
and be ready as soon as you are"
But you can't go without dinner"
eyes, can. You run along"
He put his hand to his forehead and
pushed back his hair.
care you so tired, dear2" Cicely
asked, gently, bending over him. He
smiled up at her and took her hand.
"Then we won't go, DEAR" she said.
Yes, yes. Ipromised to take you,
Cicely."
"I'll forgive you. You are very
tired, can see, and will be much hap
pier at home"
"Dear child" he answered, kissing
her hand, "You really don't mind?"
She turned away and rang the bell
for dinner. She was bitterly disap-
pointed at not going, but she concealed
it from John, and after dinner played
the piano to him, while he dozed in
chair.
That night was the beginning of
many things. Cicely sought amuse-
ment more at other houses, and went
about with friends instead of with her
husband. This is the beginning of the
end with many love match.
John was now very busy. He sell
dom got home before eight, and very
often found Cicely either going or gone
to some entertainment, to which he
was disinclined to follow her.
They gradually drew apart, living
different lives, and asking less and less
of each other. John grew daily more
absorbed in his business. He was very
fond of Cicely, but he had given up
showing it, and this is what woman
hates. Occasionally, after leaving him
to lonely evening, Cicely would come
down to breakfast in repentant mood,
wishing to put things back as they had
once been. She would make some
pleasant remark, and John would say
''yes, DEAR" or emo, DEAR" in his
quiet tone, and would ask her if she
would have bacon or fish, and then
would open the Times and spread it
before him like some hideous barricade
without loophole, till her warm in
teuIlOuS lCeu III pTluoj anu BLU hulpuou
her breakfast silently.
Cicely, like all women who fancy
themselves neglected, craved for ex-
element, and sought intimacy at houses
to which, year back, she would not
have cared to go. She grew extrava-
CANT in dress, wearing clothes for eff
feet rather than for adornment, and
walking consciously.
In hei new "set" it was fashionable
to play roulette, but the stakes were
moderate, and, with her supply of
money, the trifling losses were no in
convenience. The excitement, though,
told on her, and perhaps, after long
evenings play, she would allow a
complement to pass unchecked which
a year ago would have annoyed her in
a calmer spirit. More especially was
she lenient to one man, George Proctor,
who, of all her friends, was the most
agreeable. He was a man in whose
nature the animal somewhat predomi-
mated. He had the sort of cunning
which is wrongly called patience; and
he was subtle, making himself useful to
Cicely, with the purpose OF becoming
indispensable.
Cicely liked him; any woman OF her
age and experience would probably
have done 80. He met her very fire.
quently and often came to the house.
After few months he let fall some re-
marks on the ''yoke" of marriage, and
the injustice of all laws. BY degrees
he gained her confidence; he learned
that her husband was much away from
her, and he treated her as NEGLECTED
| oefn osla ournnothu pnnv
Cicely! She was only twenty-five, and
the desire of her life was denied her;
she had no child. Matters drew on to
climax at the end of November; q
lighted taper soon burns down and
hurts ones ones fingers.
III.
John breakfasted alone one morning
Cicely had been at dance the night
before, and was too tired to get up at
early as eight O'Clock.
When he reached his Office he found
that he had forgotten some most impor
tant papers which he had taken home
with him the night before. He hat
left them in his safe in the bedroom
and there was no one to whom he cared
to intrust the key. He sent for Phil
lips, his head clerk.
'"Oh-er-Phillips, find must g
home again. 1 have left some papers
, behind me. Will you do these ORDER
, and see that man with whom have al
appointment this morning? Tell hin
, l was obliged to go, and shall be bacl
t soon after twelve. l shall be off a
soon as I've got. through these letters
= 30 just ask the boy to get me cab"
8 John told the cabman to driv'
, quickly. When they turned into tn
I street he noticed a hanson standing be
. fore his house. He supposed Cicel
r had an early caller. In the hall can
. vas trunk was lying. He ran upstair
!, 10 the drawing-room to see who ha,
J. come; he had not heard that any guests
q were expected.
Cicely was standing on the hearth
a rug, buttoning her glove. AS sh
i looked up and saw him, her face be
: came awfully white, and she swaye