La Junta tribune., 1898-11-05
A WOMAN sCORNED.

Tho scene was comfortable set of cham
bers in tho Middle Temple, with windows
looking out over the gardens and the riv
or, and the time WAS Nttlo after on an
evening in tho early autumn. Mr.. Horace
Transon, the owner OF tho chambers, was
member Of the Junior bar who had had
but very brief experience Of that dismal
period of probation during which the bar
rister, bricfless and unknown, dawdles
away his time in court trying to look busy
and important over bundle OF old briefs
and documents relating 30 a case that has
long been done with and forgotten.
He had been called little more than n
year when Mt garden party he met the
woman who was now standing with her
back to tho door of his sitting room, twist
ing her lace edged handkerchief about in
her writhing hands and appealing passion
ately to his honor, his manhood and his
gratitude, only to swiftly change her plead
ing for n fierce denunciation of his false
hood and treachcry.
When they had met at tho garden party,
Manuela Condcr had been married about
two years to the senior partner in tho firm
of Conder, Hawke s; Conder, one of the
most eminent firms of solicitors in Lon
don. Her husband was nearly 90 years
older than his beautiful half English, half
rather family arrangement-some III ma
turcd people called it u prrchasc-than
union Of hearts. Stlll ho was eminently
respectable, well preserved, wealthy and
not by any means u bad sort OF man to get
on with, granted that his wife wanted
nothing more than u complaisant, patron
izing sort OF affection ard everything in
the way of comforts and luSurlcs that
money could buy.
All this Mrs. Conder had had, and in
her inexperience of the world sho was fair
ly contented with it until that fatal after
noon when her hand was first closed in
that of Horace Transon From tho mo-
mcnt that their eyes had exchanged their
first chances she had felt something In
her heart that had not been there before.
She didn't exactly know what 1t was but
IL remained and grew till at last one fine
morning after . dance she awoke to tho
fact that she was in love fer the first time
in her life, and that her lover was not her
husband.
The man at whose house they had met
was an old college churn OF Transon's.
Two or three other meetings followed, and
then Mrs Condor contrived so to arrange
matters that the unknown young barris-
ter got his legs under the mahogany OF tho
influential solicitor and managed to mako
such good use OF his opportunity that very
shortly nfterward he got his first brief.
The case, though not very important
one, offered plenty Of scope for ability, and
Trapson won 1t with flying colors against
one Of the mcst experienced juniors at the
bar. Mr.. Conder was delighted and gra-
ciously informed his wife that she had dis
covered very clever young man indeed, n
man who with proper encouragement and
looking after would somo dag be n credit
to the bar.
After that they began to meet moro fire.
ouently, both at the Conders' house in
Kensington and at other houses, for brief
followed brief now with pleasing rapidity,
and Transon came out of every case with
added distinction and usually with sue
cess, and so the social circle in which he
moved widened quickly under the magic
influence Of prosperity.
So for five years the comedy had gone
on. Tho world had seen nothing in it to
frown at, hardly even anything to smile
at, and yet it had all the clements of real
tragedy In it-passionate infatuation on
tho ono side anG on the other love nt
first equally intense and always equally
guilty, but ns year after year won't on grad
ually cooling under .he influence OF that
sensitized prudence which serves tho intel
ligent man of the world ns conscience
Then, again, the dust of five London sea
sons had swept across the frcshcr girlish
beauty which had faecinai.'d him-five
ycarx Of excitcmest 9 apprehension, OF
alternating ecstasy ara reiiprse and
Manuela tho girl had iecotae Manuela the
woman.
As for him. he was ~. good looking
successful and cnrnins, the income OF
cabinet minister. He was ambitious, too,
and there was certain young lady who
had looked with tender eyes upon him and
whose father would give her eio0, 900 on
her wedding day Society had indeed al
ready begun to couple their names with
out amy very energetic protest from either,
and 1t was conversation on this subject
with mutual friend which had brought
Mrs. Conder to his chambers.
He had told her M gently and consider
stely as circumstances permitted that the
time had como to sever their connection,
or, as he put II. to become good friends
and no more He was indebted to her for
much Of his professional and social nd-
ynncement. In return he had given her
tho five best years of his life, and during
those years no other woman had ever
claimed tender thought from him. Sure
IL that WINS enough. It could not go on
forever, and tho time had como to merge
the lover into the friend and be content
with the memory of wha: had been.
Il was Just the subtle, ekillful pleading
that had made him famous. and it was
enhanced by all the hundred arts Of the
skilled and prncticcd advocate. She had
fistnned first In stony silence, then the
Acrcc outburst Of passion had come. and
then gradually tho storm had worn tfeclf
out, and the fury became the woman
again. Her hands stopped twisting and
tearing her handkerchief and Wseo
sazetchsd out to him in supplication. ehs