The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-12

J
with the other began fiinging crumbs to
the peacoeks
Up the avenue came a rattle and trip
Of horses; the peacocks fed shrielSine
down the great white steps, and the
Aady's skirts were half hidden in gay
wnirl of feathers. She laughed to herself
and then looked with a little dread at the
carriage roof piled with trunks.
How do you do, Polly?"
The visitor was stout woman. elder
ly. and of the kind who pry She hoped
up the steps with the bold air of a near
relation.
at was kind of you to ask me, Aunt
/ Elizabeth" she said. She never allowed
poor Bess TO forget that she was her
aunt by marriage.
Bess put up her hands to her flying
golden hair and smiled. The visitor fol-
lowed her look to where a lean man was
tramping up, dragged down by the weight
of a huge portmanteas.
ct can't be Joseph?" she cried and
frowned
oh said Bess quickly, 81 thought you
would amuse each other"
II was her duty to ask these relatives
once year and she had thought to take
them both at gulp But the arrivals
glared at each other with eyes full of
deadly hate. the man approached, in
jurcd and hot and dusty
''W hy are you walking?" cried the hos
tess shocked
He pat down his portmanteau with an
affected sigh.
ITS nothing. my aunt Simply the
lack Of mammon."
Bess was accustomed to thrusts like
that made by her late husbands people.
The general had been arbitrary in his
testamentary dispositions.
I'm so sorry" she said. The carriage
had to go to the Other station for Mrs.
Cox. but I said a cab
1.-The porter was very pressing that 7
should take a cab" said Joseph, with the
air of having outwtted an interested
party; but caught up my bag and Slip
ped drought the upper safe. can't af-
ford
you would not have had to pay for
it," said Bess. 81 ordered the cab to
bring you"
"Ohi" in a rueful gasp.
Bess turned toward the hall
Come in and have tea before you go
up TO dress" she said with a perplexed
smile. Poor things, they hated her, -
she knew; but it was awkward to find
THAI they should also nate each other.
They followed her in walking far apart
ANYBODY dining with you tonight"
asked Mrs. Cox casually, as she stirred
her tea
'Ive asked Dalcarres."
'"he enemies eyes were lit with a sud
den gleam
John Gordon, of Dalcarres, was stand
ing. tall and shy, among the dim lights
of the drawing room. It was empty: but
there was slight CULVER in the curtains
shutting in the little writing den beyond.
He heard a strange sound. like sobbn%.
behind the glimmering Indian reeds He
had begun to march forward. and then he
had stopped, afraid.
lie was a big man. with strong arms
CT n n
writing stoop. but the kind that often
comes with leaning over a horse, as
long man will. There was no mistakine
John Gordon's seat in the saddle.
He took long stride at last-eager,
unsteaGy-across all the gay litter of this
wGmans room; but his step had been
heard already; the woman inside had lift
ed her head with a start. He reached
her in an instant, parting the juggling
reeds.
"NVhy were you crying?" he said,
abruptly
ut was nothing" said Bess. Tim
rather tired"
She looked straight at him. with little
defiant smile, but her lip was quivering
back to tears. John Gordon took both her
hands determnedly in his; his ears were
startled yet with that sound of bitter
CRYING
Look here" he said. ''NVhat is the
Mrs. Courage-rm an old friend. Per-
haps'--
He broke off abruptly waiting Her
checks grew scarlet and she could not
any longer look him straight in the face;
she turned away her rumpled golden
head as she felt his strong fingers tight
on hers
Oh" she said, don't mind. I'm just
q coward. I've got those two in the house.
and they hate me so. They would like
me to die; they are always watching,
watching. I remember heard-how
eager they were once when I was i'll
"WhN?" asked Delcarres. He remem-
bered There had been stories of their
Impotence. lie had ridden ten miles
each evening, and waited IN the snow TO
catch the doctor. Had she heard that,
toC2
because of that awful money oh,
how / hate it,
a curious line came round John Cor
dons mouth. as if But he held her
hands fast and listened
- saw them look at each other" she
said, and their faces were simply muir,
dcrnus If they can look like that ut
each )thcr because one of them might
get it--oh! how must they look at me?
II frEhtCns me. 7 sec them wish poison
into the CUP drink. and Il should hear
them at night creeping-cIeeping''-
The little hands tightly clasped i'll his
were shaking. Was this the Bess Cour-
age whose pluck was famous. the richest
woman in the county, and the most unat.
tanable?
Laugh at me-" she said wistfully
ooh! laugh at ne; but remember I'm
most moor woman and a stranger, and
and I'm all alone"
John Gordon felt a sudden leap at his
heart. he put out his strong right arm
to fold round her and hold her safe
And then there was a high cackle behind
the reeds. and Mrs Cox sided in.
Half in the dark, Aunt elizabeth. Do
you want your poor relation to break
her neck?" Putting relation in the singh
lar was fine slap at the man who walk
ed just behind
ITS dinner l think" said the wild
owed girl who held that mock title. She
lifted her head bravely, as became a
generals widow. and led the way form
ally with Dalcarres. The other two had
to walk side by side.
InVoluntarily they looked at each other
and then at the pair in front.
Eh?" said Joseph
'Humph?" said Mrs. Cox, significantly.
Too cautious Then they glared at
each other again like tigers.
They were still sitting at desert, a sill
ent little company Bess had been try
ing to talk and failed, and Declares was
gazing at her with a slow earnestness
that was not lost upon the two third
parties Now one of the servants
brought in a telegram The mistress of
the house took it up listlesSly as a thing