The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-04-15


sorrowfully into his kinsman's face.
you have suffered very much,
Raoul," he said, quietly.
yes, and never thought to see you
again. You are changed, too, Uric
I feel inclined to ask where is the
sunny faced boy whom loved so dear
ly?"
"The truth is, Raoul, I have not
| turned out very well. l may have been
a good boy, but l have scarcely been
good man."
"a fault acknowledged is often half
amended" said Sir Raoul.
YES" admitted the earl, carelessly;
"but 1 feel no great desire to amend
| ] half wish that l did"
II hear wondrous news, Ulric-that
you are married. Is it true?"
YES" he replied, gloomily, Il am
married"
"And your wife, have been told, had
large fortune"
"That is true" he said. Have they
told you anything else?'
mo, except that she was Miss Hill
dred Ransome, the great lawyers
daughter"
1.-THE great money lender and
schemer's daughter" corrected the
earl.
"She will not be answerable for her
fathers faults. What is she like,
Uric, this young wife of yours? l
never had a sister, and my mother died
when l was a boy. 1t will be quite a
novelty to me to claim kinsmanship
with lady"
"All the novelties are not agreeable
Ones" was the moody reply.
"This one will be, I am sure. I
shall be quite proud to address My
cousin, Lady Caraven.
You are a preux chevalier, Raoul-
you believe in the SEX" said the earl.
And do you not, Ulric?"
mo, not in one of them. The fact
is, l feel quite certain that you will
not like my wife, and it annoys me-"
Like herr" echoed Sir Raoul. How
strangely you speak! Certainly I shall
do more than like her. your wife and
my cousin. tell you that the
thought of seeing her is a positive
pleasure to me-"
With hasty steps Lord Caraven
walked up and down the room. He
seemed as though about to speak, but
then stopped abruptly. He stood at
last in front of his cousin.
"Raoul," he said, Il am not good at
keeping secret. The truth is, l do
not like my wife,
mot like her, Ulric You are Jest
ing, surely"
II wish to heaven that l were!
know l am a prodigal, spendthrift,
but / think sometimes, now that l am
little older, that might have been a
better man had l been happily mar
ried."
But, if you did not like her." said
Sir Raoul, with an air of utter aston
ishment why did you marry herr"
"That is the question. l think the
answer is-because her father wished
her to be a countess"
What has his wish to do with you,
Ulric?"
"Some day will tell you ALL he re-
piled. ut is not pleasant theme.
But, with all my faults, l dislike deceit
and would not have you think that
you are about to enter upon scene of
domestic felicity"
But the lady herself" said Sir
2aoul-"since you confide in me l may
cpeak-does she know that you do not
love herr"
Eyes, there has never been any pre-
tense of affection between u.s."
"Then," said Sir Raoul, slowly, "it
seems to me that the lady is the one
10 be pitied-between her father and
you"
"You can pity her if you like-she
can hold her own remarkably we'll"
returned the earl. II do not want to
talk about it. Raoul. Every man pays
the price of his folly sooner or later
l am paying it now. / do not care
ever to mention the matter again, but
thought, if you had some idea of
entering an earthly Eden, you had bet
ter be disabused.
81 wish that it were an earthly
Eden" said Sir Raoul, slowly.
my wife brought me a large for
tune-a fortune that saved me fron.
luin-and 1 insist always upon all re-
spect being shown to her. She is, as
she ought to be, entirely mistress of
the house. l am always particular
about that Now that we have finished
with the matter there is, perhaps, one
thing more that l should say. My
wife will be very pleased to see you;
she will make you very welcome"
"And you do not like herr" interro-
gated Sir Raoul.
'Well," replied the earl, you see.
she is not my style-not at all my style.
like fair women-she is dark; besides
I never think that a man loves wom-
an whom he is compelled to marry"
"You were compelled to marry her,
.hen?" said Sir Raoul
"It was either that or ruin-such
ruiR as would have left me penniless.