Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-04-13

to avoid him as much as possible. \
/ had guilty consciousness of having
| gone beyond my province in taking m
the e0dgels in Madam's defence, and
I was well aware that, righteous
thongh my indignation was, there had
D'eh no warrant for my exhibiting 1t.
bul / cannot feel easy in the position
OIL debtor. and knew that 1 owed The
hlah beside me an apology.
haiie one or two tentative remarks
hoping to open up Il channel through
which | could glide easily and grace
it9ly INTO the broad waters of general
regret for MY over-Zealous manifesta-
tOn of my exceeding love for my mis-
tress. thinking that SO / could vindi-
cate pfy late imprudence without actual
self humiliation. But In seme inscru-
table fashion. effective. but apparently
careless In design, my companion turned
the driw OF my attempts quite away
fIom their goal. AT last l was forced
TO come boldly up to the point.
1T Is very good of you TO have come
for me tonight, Mr.. Chester" 1 said.
:" hook upon the attention as a mark
of your forgiveness"
"F6r whatT' he asked, and I saw he
was determined to force an issue.
VI my III ItSDeGl lOhdIu6
yo& yesterday" l murmured.
There is no reason why you should
need forgiveness on that account" he
replied. Elf mans conduct is such
MAT u aHouses the scorn of others, ne
would he singularly unreasonable TO
hah then responsible for manifest
ing tlrett just contempt"
But dependant should better exer-
else selfcontrol," | returned. Il should
remember that | was not engaged to
discipline shc morals of the household.
II was the place of the mistress, not
OF the servant, to resent your cruel
words; for they were cruel, you know,
Nh Chester"
He nodded his head, and In the
moonlight | saw a bitter expression
settle about his meuth.
Yes" he said, .they were-I sup
pose"
"Sdl SUPPOSE l cried, little hotly,
for memory brought before my eyes
the Vision OF my dear lady as she had
looked when those words We're uttered.
'Of eQprse they were cruel. And 10
Madam sof all persons in this world!
10 Madam-who can never have caus-
ed pain 10 the smallest of living
thingsr'
He turned and looked at me. His
brow was little lifted and there was
a qufzzical and yet stern smile in his
eyes
~ am q man of average proportions,
Miss koShfop; scarcely infinitesimal
enough to be reckoned outside your
category"
You mean" l paused in amaze
ment, absolutely unable to construe
him
'l mean" he replied, quickly and
with hard. metallic ring in his voice,
''tlfat no one living in this world to-
day has ever caused me pain and suf-
ferfng equad to that which my mother
has inflicted UPON me-
'Qh.e / cEied protestingly, Il cannot
no. | cannot believe it. If 1t Is so, II
was an unconscious act on her part
He gave O. short laugh.
80. Il think not" he answered I'm
voftnkRy, perhaps; but not uncon-
seieus. She Is aware of it"
"Then she is deeply repentant also,"
l said, recalling now the pecularlties
which l noted in Madams regard for
her Only son.
He shook his head.
"One does not sincerely repent a
cruelty while still practising it." lie re-
turned, sententiously.
Ny leve and veneration for Madam
flafed up Hotly at this.
You calumniate herr. l burst forth.
1T is treason for me to discuss her
with you. Let US change the subject,
Mr.. Chester. You are wounding me
beyond words"
We were turning into the avenue ds
/ spokel and he curbed the eager pace
of tile horse into n walk before he an
swered. Then, letting the rains fall
slack OF the animals back, he turned
sideways on the seat and looked
sqnarely and earnestly down upon me.
miss Lothrop," he beaan-and there
was no longer either bitterness or Gym
icism in his voice, only gravity and
obviously controlled emotion-"it is not
my haJyit~to discuss my mother or my
own feelings and sentiments with
Others. But neither is it my habit so
to forget myself as l did yesterday
IL that incident had taken place before
almost anyone else in the world l
Should have been too proud or toe in
different to attempt to justify myself;
but WitR>you 1t is different. What You
have done for my mother has given
YOU a claim upon my regard second to
none nj the world. l can't bear you to
think me wantonly and wilfully cruel.
l hold myself generally pretty well in
hand; but yesterday some devil got
inside me while you wefe reading that
hetter and pulled all the pins out Of
my self-commapd. Perhaps l was
Jealous Of the claims of others upon
that cheSriness which has brought new
Ife within our old walls"-he made an
effort to tighten his tone bit, but
rather unsuccessful one" or perhaps
yoHf reference to your friends in the
village brought back to my mind
wfetehed memories which undid me-
He broke off abruptly. made no re-
ply. What was there for me to say?
The horse was walking slowly up the
avenue. The moon had gone under
cloud. Ny heart was beating violent
ly. partly In unaltered championship
of the mothers cause partly % SYM
uathy with the sons wrong, of whose
nature / was still ignorant, partly In
accord with the mystery and romance
of eur surroundings.
TcoNTINgED IN OUR NEXT