The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-09
A TRAGEDY OF ERROR
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
For Heavens sake don't quote those lines
Of Tennyson at me- said Mrs. Vereker, i'm
patiently. Greater nonsense never was,writ-
ten
The lines so much objected to were those
from Clara We're de Vere"-
Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood,
some man, whose aristocratic cast of feature
and bearing belied his expressed sentiments;
and, as Mrs. Vereker also was a distinctly
patrician individual and a creation
in tea gowns. ard her drawing-room dis
played at once wealth and perfect taste, the
Wanting of such ideas as the quoted words
expressed, seemed entirely inappropriate.
The woman she spoke, stretched out
jeWelled hand to take the teacup the young
man handed to her
She apparently about Internationally.
tall, slender and graceful, with a more than
pretty face-lndeed, her features had too
much expression to be called pretty-a wealth
Of curly, auburn hair, and lovely, dark brown,
longlashed eyes, that could be wonderfully
pathetic, but just now flashed mockingly, and
not little Scornfully.
Evelyn Vereker was widow before she had
been an hOur-old wife.
Cliffe Vereker fell desperately in love with
her when she was barely twenty; but she,
not reciprocating the feeling, refused him,
though he was very rich.
Six months later he seized with illness.
On his death bed he implored her to marry
him.
She could not refuse a dying mans prayer.
A priest was summoned, and she became
Vereker's wife.
He only lived long enough to make brief
will, leaving everything to his wife, and then
he died; and the young widow found herself
wealthy and free.
''Nonsense?" the visitor replied, taking up
her words. do you mean to say, then. that
a bad gentleman is better than a good farm
er, for example?'
THAT isn't what Tennyson meant, you
know. He is deprecating good blood, and I
do mean to say that bad genteman-unless
he were murderer or a blackleg-would be
more tolerable to live with than a good
farmer.
Gerard Ernescliffe laughed
Come, come Eva, you're not serious.
Indeed I am. only hope you are not.
tell you 1 haven't patience with the twaddle
talked about good hearts compensating for
everything. We have it on the stage ad nau-
seam and boxes and stalls applaud what, in
real life, they wouldn't tolerate for a mo-
ment."
'My dear girl" Ernescliffe q rose, and
walked through the room. you really talk
extravagantly."
The woman's clear, hooking eyes followed
the mans tall figure.
What has come over your she said, cool
ly. when we first met-two years ago in
delightful Vienna-you were as aristocratic
personal reason for this vote face-there al
ways is a personal reason-with a man."
"Bah!"
ooh! you may Bah as much as you please.
You may just as well tell at once that,
though you are thirty years old, and ought to
know better you've been falling madly in
love with young person, whose pa keeps
shop, or collects taxes, OF something Of that
sort"
Ernescliffe's handsome face had flushed
when his friend first began this philippe; but
it paled again quickly.
He turned back and threw himself into the
had risen.
You're too bad" he said, half annoyed,
half laughing. Zone would think to hear you
talk, that the low-bred people, as you call
them were not Of the same flesh and blood
as we who are descended from knights and
gentes.'"
81 don't know about the chemical qualities
Of the blood" Evelyn replied; that may, or
may not, be the same, and would, in any case,
be largely matter of good or bad food but
I~say unhesitatingly that they are not of the
same mind and spirit"
But there are grades among the masses
as it is the fashion to call them"
Certainly; and the highest grade falls
short of what we require There is such
thing as caste, Ernesclffe; good blood, ages
of culture, even the better food enjoyed for
generations by the well-born, must go for
something. We acknowledge breed in horses
and dogs 1t is sheer folly to underrate it or
deny it in the highest animal of all.
Its the fashion in these days to make out
that all class distinctions artificial. What
humbug! They exist; you can't help it.
You have met girl whom you think divine.
and you in her the atmosphere your in
cense has raised about her"
What them" said Ernescliffe, with a
naughty lift of the head
The woman's whole face and manner
earnestly
NOW, Gerard, listen to me. You and I