Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-01

the VasplainesS have held the very l highest position in the best society for several generations? Has not young l Vasplaine been received everywhere in society where you and Louise have l been:'' <s
 "It is possible that society may have more regard for wealth and family name than for the little consideration of character and morals. 1 have heard sometimes that that is the case,'' said | Stuart, with T sad smile.
 "Why have you allowed the Vas plaines to come into the house, then, if 1 they are such dreadful people:" asked | Louise as she sat in one of the deep easy chairs, with her feet out toward 1 the fire. -.'
 Stuart did not reply. He was dis tracted by the events of the evening. He realized that his home life was dis turbed by the conflicting factors which necessarily entered it with all his new CT ideas and definitions of life Moth 1 ing could be more certain than the fact that henceforth the lives of his sister and Aunt Royal lay in directly oppo- site ways from his. He felt the need 
 and longed to escape from it. | Louise, however. had no intention of | letting Stuart go without suffering | from a blow she knew so well how to | inflict. Aunt, I told Stuart he ought not to object to my choice if I didn't object to his I don't think. th.ugh, that we shall be disgraced by a Salva- tion Army alliance in the family Miss | TN- .l>% ,4~I escort this evening, and by the appear ance of her face it was easy to see she thought them very handsome cou- pie"
 Stuart clinched his hands tightly as he stood with his back to the fire. The old passion rose in him to it's highest point and nothing but the grace of God kept it from bursting out into torrent such as in the other days had more than once terrified Louise, reck- less as she was in provoking it.
 There was q deep silence in the heavily perfumed room. Stuart drew q long breath. Then he looked fear lessly into Aunt Royals eyes, and with a sudden movement he stood close by his sister.
 "Louise," he said, and at first his voice was calm, even loving you do not know how you hurt me- I expect to ask Miss Dwight to be my wife, but I will never subject her to the humilia- tion of living under the roof of house where"-
 He broke off abruptly and went out of the room. He felt unable to finish calmly. Aunt Royal and Louise sat up quite late talking over the whole mat ter. It is not necessary to enter into it. The whole situation was becoming un- bcirable so far as Stuart was concern ed. so the two women agreed.
 "What if Stuart marries her and brings her home here:' Aunt Royal would say.
 "Then I shall leave the house. but I don't believe Rhena Dwight will ever marry him." Louise would reply. And there the matter rested for the time be- ing, ill the thought of the women.
 The next morning Stuart did not ap- pear at breakfast. He left word that he bad very important business at the office and could not wait for the late meal to which Aunt Royal and Louise were in the habit of sitting down.
 He had reached q point in his feel
 
 ing Ehena all. What Louise had said about that chance meeting at the hall disturbed him seriously. But the great question with him now was to know the truth from Rhena herself.
 He spent the forenoon at the office. There was plenty to do. The fever and the want on the part of the miners families were grim factors now in all Champion. The other ranges were fast feeling the effects of the double scourge of sickness and suffering. Scores of the miners children were dy- ing daily. To meet the emergency Stuart used his money lavishly. Fly erythin2 in the way of medicines and nurses supplies went out of the office in large quantities. He took melan- choly pleasure in spending his money this way. He could at least relieve some pain, lessen some anguish. It was a drop only in the great ocean of the misery, but Ae had some satisfac- ton in contributing that much.
 A little after noon word came to him that the child in the cabin at the end of Cornishtown was dying. Stuart had DO particular reason for going up there more than to any other cabin where other children were dying. but somehow he felt drawn in that direc- ton, and about ? o'clock he drove up the narrow wagon road and left his horse and cutter at the same place where he had stopped the night he had found Rhena.
 He walked on up the path over the trCdden snow thinking of that night. The air was crisp and the sky clear. The whole town behind him lay in it's setting of snow dressed hills, beautiful ns picture painted by master, giv- Ing no outward sign of the anguish and IVY NA 'sgEE3NXW *1s <:'~-,1z z Mi k. ks~4 zsA (Kzk ]