St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-07-20
MRS. YORKE'S RUSE..

Doris Yorke stood in her bedroom
thinking over things. That her thoughts
were not pleasant could be judged by
the troubled look on her pretty face.
She was not what one could call
beautiful woman, but there was some
thing irresistibly fascinating about her.
Every one admired her. The big gray
tyes with their long, dark lashes, would
,ometimes seem black when they were
filled with merriment Her hair was a
most delightful shade of red gold, and
her complexion, being colorless, was as
pure as alabaster, and, moreover, Doris
was a very sensible little woman-a
woman who had been used to mixing
in society ever since she first entered
her teens, when she took the manage
ment of her fathers house after her
Door mothers death; little woman
who, underneath guileless exterior,
had tremendous amount of tact and
worldly knowledge, and therefore when
her father married again, although she
was perfectly friendly with her STEP
mother, recognized that it would be as
we'll for her to have home of her own,
SO, to the surprise Of every one, she ac-
cepted and married handsome George
Yorke.
Why every one was surprised was
simply that George, who, enjoying the
reputation Of being the handsomest man
in his set, also had the reputation Of
being the very worst flirt in Slowmin-
ster He had been engaged times out Of
number, while his firtations were
countless. Every body liked him in spite
of his weakness for ladies' society He
was SO good looking, SO generous and
witty, so warm hearted, that, in spite
of his delinquencies, he was a universal
favorite. Still the news of his engage
ment to Doris caused quite a thrill Of
establishment, for the girl was a flirt,
too, and every one prophesied that the
engagement would speedily be termi-
mated. But every one was wrong.
George was head over ears in love
with his pretty sweetheart and she was
equally in love with him; SO after a
brief but intensely happy, engagement
they got married and up to the time our
story opens had led an ideally happy
life Every one pointed them out as be-
ing one of the few couples that effectu-
ally disproved the legend of marriage
being failure.
Yet here was Doris in her bedroom at
the Queens hotel at Bournemouth with
knitted brow and perplexed face.
The cause of her annoyance was very
simple. She aud George were staying
at Bournemouth for few weeks.
She had been very delicate since the
birth of her second baby, and the doc
tors had ordered her to go down there
for perfect rest and change.
George had been and was most de-
voted and kind to her during her i'll
ness, and of course had accompanied his
bonny little wife to Bournemouth.
Everything had gone well until O
Mrs. VIM had appeared on the scene
young widow, who dressed most beau
tifully and was coquette from the
crown of her dainty golden head to the
sole of her faultlessly shod little foot
She was so young and bright ant
charming that it was no wonder thai
the men speedily fell victims to hel
charms. She fiirted in an unconscious
sort of manner, and as she was witty
and sparkling she invariably had 6
small court of admirers hanging about
her.
George quickly got an introduction tt
her and fell apparently victim to the
wiles of the charming little widow.
Doris laughed at it at first and pa
tiently listened to Georges rhapsodies
She did not mind him accompanying
Mrs. VIM for driving excursions to thu
New forest or for picnics to the isle @
Wight till one evening she accidentally
overheard conversation in which slit
was spoken of as "poor. blind LITTLE
Mrs. Yorke," and heard herself describ
ed as "a little fool" for not preventing
the Irritation that was going on between
her husband and Mrs. Vim. Her ear
burned and she was intensely mortified
and that evening she in the frankes
manner told George Of the gossip tina
was going on in the hotel.
"Such nonsense, he said angrily
"Mrs. Winn is charming woman, ant
she interests mo and | am sure tina
you are not such an idiot as to be jeal
Gus, are you? Jealousy is thing
could never understand. "
Doris did not answer, but her lip
had quivered little. Without beini
jealous, Doris was annoyed about it
She did not like her husbands name t.
be connected with Mrs. VIM and 70
her to pose as an injured, unsuspectini
wife. Yet how was it to be avoided
She wondered how she could brini
George to his senses, for, sure as sh
was of his love and faithfulness, ye
through carelessness he was likely t
drift into an unenviable position.
1t was no good quarreling, she decid
ed, and worse than fatal for her to ap
pear jealous. She determined to speal
to him seriously that evening. The,
were going to the theater, A very wei
known actress was appearing that week
md they had taken q box, Mrs. VIM
and Captain Beaumont were accompa
nying them.
n hon