Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-11-04


following with pure steadiness the Sus-
tanned notes OF the organ. Nevilles
heart thrilled,-he heard her with
sort of breathless wonder and rapture,
and when she ceased, it seemed as
though heas en- had closed upon him.
"One cannot praise voice like
that!" he sad. 1T would be KIND
OF sacrilege. it is divine!
After this, many We're the pleasant
musical evenings they all passed to-
gether in the old library, and, as Mrs.
RUsh-Marvelle had so Indignantly told
her husband,-no visitors were invited
to the Manor during that winter En-
rington was perfectly happy-he want
ed no one but his wife, and the idea
of entertaining party of guests who
would most certainly interfere with
his domestic enjoyment, seemed al
most abhorrent to him. The coun-
tly people called, but missed seeing
Thelma. for during the daytime she
was always out with her husband tax
ing long walks and rambling eXcur-
sions to the different places hallowed
by shakespeare presence, and, when
the country people. they also seemed
to be never at home.
And so, as yet. she had ma3e no ac-
quaintances, and now that she had
been married eight months and had
cCme to London. the same old story
repeated itself People called on her
in the aftern 0on just at the time when
she went driving,-when she returned
their visits, she, in her turn, found
them absent. She did not as yet I'M
derstand the mystery Of having "a
day" on which to receive visitors in
shoals-a day to drink unlimited tea.
talk platitudes, and utterly bored and
exhausted at the end thereof-in fact
she did not see the necessity of know
ing many people,-her husband was
all-sufflcient for her,--to be in his So
ciety was all she cared for. She left
FER card at different houses because he
told her to do SO. but this social duty
amused her immensely.
1T is like a game!" she declared
laughing, some one comes and leaves
! these little cards which explain who
they are, on me.-then l go and leave
my little cards and yours. explaining
who we are, on that same one-and we
keep on doing this. yet we never see
eGch other by any chance! 1t is so
droll!"
Errington did not feel called upon
to explain what was really the fact
namely, that none of the ladies who
had left their cards on his wife had
! given her the option of their "at
| home" day on which to call, he did
not think it necessary to tell her what
he knew very well, that his set" both
in country and town, had resolved to
"snub" her in every petty fashion they
could devise,-that he had already re-
ceiyed several invitations which, as
| they did not include her. he had left
unanswered, and that the only house
to which she had as yet been really
asked in proper form was that of Lady
| Winsleigh He was more amused than
veXed at the resolute stand made by
! the so-called leaders" of society
against her, knowing as he did, most
thoroughly, how she must conquer
! them all in the end. She had been
seen nowhere as yet but in the Park,
and Philip had good reason to be con-
| tented with the excitement her pres
ence had created there,-but he was a
| little astonished at Lady Winsleigh's
eCme to his bride. Her behavior
| seemed little suspicious,-fo he GER
tainly could not disguise from himself
that she had at one time been most vi
olently and recklessly in love with
| HIM. He recollected one or two pain
full scenes he had had with her, in
which he had endeavored to recall her
to sense of the duty she owed to her
! Eusband,-an his face often flushed
| With a sense of vexation when he
! thought of her wild and wicked aban-
donment of despair, her tears, her pas
sion, and distracted, dishonoring
words. Yet she was the very woman
who now came forward In the very
front of society to receive his wife,
he could not quite understand it.
After all, he was man,-and the sun
cry artful tricks and wiles of fashion
able ladies were, naturally, beyond
him. Thelma had never met Lady
Winsleigh--not even for a passing
glance in the Park,-and when she re-
ceived the invitation for the grand
reception at Winsleigh House, she ac-
eepted it, because her husband wished
her TO do SO, not that she herself an
ticipated any particular pleasure from
il When the day came round at last
she scarcely thought Of it, till al the
close Of their pleasant breakfast tete-
a-tete described at the commence
ment Of this chapter. Philip suddenly
said
"By-the-by. Thelma, | have sent to
the bank for the Errington diamonds.
they'll be here presently. ! want you
to wear them tonight"
Thelma looked puzzled and inquir-
Ing.