Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-06-26
CHAPTER XII

Alice Mayberry fingered on for weeks
We never saw her, for she remained
wholly in her mothers charge, con-
lined to the rooms which had been
assigned her. Everything which the
\ tenderest solicitude and love could
&have devised for her comfort and well
fare were procured for her by her
husbands orders. At that time, OBJ
serving how considerable OF her we'll
2being he was, and how constantly he
SendeavOred to render her affiiction less
intolerable, 1 often speculated as to
how much love for her might linger
In the depths of nature which was
$no open book to me, even after I
: had been subjected to long and init
mate companionship with it. Perhaps
l thought. Madam's conclusions had
been mistaken after all, and the pas
Z sion with which Alice Mayberry had
linspired him had gone deeper than she
4believed, and its roots still chung to
ttheir places and were throwing out
fresh shoots of tender regard.
Later, l learnt to know how fallac-
aious were my suspicious, and discover
Jed beyond peradventure that nothing
sinstigated Darracott's magnanimous
zconduct towards his erring wife but a
sdivine charity that held sacred and
aunaccountable creature SO punished
aby higher Dispensation. But at that
! time L had no such cause for feas-
fsurance. and spent many wretched
hours dwelling upon a fear that was
3intolerable to me.
But these hours were not occupied
3by speculation and reflection alone.
Mayberry utterly refused to share the
I care of her daughter with a nurse.
Sand therefore her duties as house,
keeper were sadly neglected. Madam
talked of procuring a substitute, but
L saw that the idea of another strang-
fer in the house, under existing cir
scumStances, was most unwelcome to-
Z her. Therefore / proposed that u
3should myself undertake the positionl
! temporarily, and my proposition, after,
ssome demurring on the grounds of ex-
scessive employment, was gratefully ac-I
scepted by Madam. The demands Of!
ia double calling gave me little LEISURE
flor my own affairs, and I was CRATE
sful for occupation which took me out
sof myself and allowed me almost no
! time for retrospection.
After that one scene in the morninp-
room there were no tender passa ye,
between Darracott and myself. He
was careful topreserve a distant court
sesy in his manner towards me, and 1
held myself as aloof from contact
with him as possible. had discovered
that association with him BODIED dang
] er TO my peace of mind, and the in
stinct of se6-preseryation led me to
avoid him.
On rare occasions he would Join
Madam and me in her boudoir for n
cup of tea, and was always hopeful,
at such times, of a nearer rapproehe-I
ment between mother and son. But,
alas!. my hopes never fulfilled them
selves. While he never again for an
instant lost sight Of the final re-
Ispect due a mother from her son, and
lever manifested the most considerate
Ithoughtfulness I'm his conduct towards
her, there never transpired any abridg-I
ment of the unnatural distance which,
separated them, such as 1 was con-
Istantly on the alert for. AS time went;
on began TO suspect that the presence
in her home of this son whose love
she was powerless to win was a sorer5
trial TO Der than his absence had been.
and l lamented in vain over the sad
situation; for / began to discover that|
my beloved lady was by degrees los-s
ing something of her strength and vi;
tally, and i feared greatly lest she!
should fade into weakness before We,
her constant associates, should fully,
realise her condition.
mentioned my fears to Dr. Spencer
who had resumed n partial intimacy:
lat The Ivies; but he seemed to think
little of indications which had aroused;
my apprehensions. Inability to con-i
tinue her customary exercises, short.s
ness OF breath, and n frequent and in.
voluntary placing OF the hand over;
the region Of the heart, appeared tot
him but the natural result of the re-;
cent severe strain upon her emotions,
l was uneasy, nevertheless, and con-;
tinued to watch her closely. One'
afternoon, late in May, the season be-S
ing unusually advanced, we were sit
ting. Madam, DR.. Spencer and I. In the
far end of the entrance hall, groupedk
about the French window of staineds
glass, one half OF which stood oper
to admit what faint breeze might be
|stirring. 1t wanted but few minutes
of the dinner-hour, and Darracott hads
not yet put In an appearance. Wei
were most costly established, and werek
engaged in familiar, desultory dis.
eussion OF village affairs when. sud.
1eniy' light step came bounding
across the turf outside, and in another
dlled the space left open 10 the even.
ing air.
L hat side OF the window which had
been set ajar was the one on which
was painted the form of the repentantS
Madgaiene, and through the closed
haIf streamed the rays of the set
tlng sun, illumining with glory the ma
9esty or the Divine Judge, and irradi-
ating the gentle clemency of His Fea-
lures as He stood with appraised Hand.
pronouncing pardon and in
voklng peace to rest upon the head
or the weeping sinner who had thrust
nersen into the place of the penitent j
MARY. For a moment, so exquisite
was the picture that / forgot what
menace 1t BODIED to my lady's tran
guilty land continued to gaze upon
It In rapt ecstasy. Alice Chester. wit
less and distraught as she was, was at i
that moment the lovliest woman it is
possible TO imagine.
She wore a loose gown of white;
fashioned as simply and with as little
r. nd 70 rAx~I~