Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-17
,carIet face and blazing eyes but served

scarlet face and blazing eyes but served
to fan the fierce fame of bitter resent
ment which was burning so passionate
" in her heart. 'How dared he, how
dared he3" she burst out. ''Does he
think am a toy to be flung down one
minute and played with the nextf Oh.
how dared hef''
She was quivering with rage, but
there was no suspicion of tears about
her eyes, Outraged pride, anger, wom-
anly fury. possessed her, but grief had
no place in that tumult of emotions.
She felt more deeply insulted than if
some strange man had seized her in the
street and had deliberately kissed her
without 80 much as a with your leave
or a by your leave. Such proceeding
her thoughts might have put down to
dozen motives, admiration, daring or
a wager, but to think that the man
who only that morning had raised his
hand and struck her to the foor-to
think that he had dared to force his
loathsome kisses upon her and in spite
of her absolute refusal 1t was horrible
it was an outrage, no more, no less.
She was still raging when the bell
rang in the hall, and after minute or
80 Mouncey came up and told her that
tea was served in the drawing room.
With the best intentions in the world,
and believing thoroughly in cup of
tea as universal panacea for every
woe, Mrs. Hamilton had ordered the
small repast to be served full half
hour earlier than usual, and when
Mary, still flushed and full of ire, came
down she entered into a voluble expla-
nation of her reasons for so doing.
"Come, my darling; cup of tea will
do you all the good IN the world. I sug-
gested to Mouncey that she should let
Us have it at once. There are little hot
bune, dear child. Come, try to eat some,
for fretting will not bring our dear boy
home one day earlier.
A reply rose to the tip Of Mary g
tongue, one which would have relieved
her mothers mind forever as to the
likelihood of her fretting. She choked
it back, however, and eat down before
the tea table. Mrs. Hamilton looked at
her furtively.
"Evidently she is bottling it all up,
poor darling! There's not a sign Of a
tear. Such an intense yet reserved ma
ture My poor, poor grill" And then
Mrs. Hamilton helped herself to lit
tie hot bun with virtuous air, as one
who is conscious of having done her
whole duty in every relation of life.
From that moment the household
went on with the regularity of clock
work and in all respects as if no absent
master was in existence. Mrs. Hamil-
ton assiduously studied the daily papers
for news Of the Arikhama, and she bab-
bled from time to time Of "our dear
boy" After several days she, however,
gave up even that much, and, as Mary
did not divulge the contents of several
letters which she received from her
husband, Mrs. Hamilton was positively
afraid to question her on the subject,
but contented herself with seeing that
extra good things were provided for
Mary's meals
eyes; see that there are little buns,
Mouncey, she said each morning.
"And tell Foster to make them very
hot and with plenty Of butter. What
would Mrs. Conway like for sweet
Well, let me see. She used to love q
trif1e with almonds, ratafas and straw
berry jam. You might tell Foster to
make a nice little dish Of trihe and per-
haps mushrooms on toast for afterward.
We must take care to keep Mrs. Con-
ways strength up. She is feeling the
parting terribly"
(Which Julia Noun
cey as she repeated the conversation to
the neat cook in the kitchen-"whlch,
between you and me. Alice, I'm more
than doubtful about. It's my opinion
that missis married master out of con-
sideration for her ma. 'Tain't likely a
grizzled, gruff, unreasonable beast such
as him s going to break any young girl 8
heart when he goes away"
81 shouldn't t wonder but what you re
right, Julia, returned Foster wisely.
Meantime in Mary's mind only a
huge sense of relief from an obnoxious
[ presence dominated every other feeling
She heard her mothers remarks about
"our dear boy" it is true, but she sim
ply endured them as 60 much babble
which it would be useless to answer.
Her one idea was to think out some
plan by which she could be rendered
free of her husbands purse at the end
of the time Of his absence. She had
fully made up her mind that she would
never under any circumstances live
with him again. She told herself that it
was no part of wife's duties to live
with man who had used personal vlo-
lence toward her. She went over the
situation many times in her own mind,
and she had deliberately come to the
conclusion that in striking her to the
ground Captain Conway had forfeited
all further right to her consideration.
81 knew" her thoughts ran, "that
he was elderly, or at least of advanced
middle age. that he was rough and plain
in ways and manners, but I did not
know that he was brute, an unmiti-
gated brute. If I had known it, even
for my mothers sake could not and
would not have married him. Now I
feel am perfectly justified in carving
out the rest of my own life independ-
emily Of him.
But, though it is an easy thing to say
that one will carve out life for one
self, it is another thing to do it. 1t is
one thing to declare for independence; !;