Courier Democrat., 1902-12-18


And the Sergeant is married to a"
-Kipling.
Her name was Ethel Genevieve
Wynne, but her friends had shortened
It to "Vieve." 1t seemed to suit her.
She was Of an exquisite sweet figure,
full without fatness, slender without
scragginess, and her hand and lore
arm and her foot and the ankle above
it might have served as models to
any man used to putting his dreams
into marble. Golden hair crowned
her small, shapely head, blue eyes
looked from under level brows, and
her cheeks were the hue OF the sun
kissed side of the peach. Leroy Hen
Cryx saw her and his heart and soul
went out to her and were not In his
keeping.
He was a poet, young, ardent, hon
est, gifted and poor. He looked at
the world with fresh eyes and
thought himself rich because his
wants we're few; he could not con-
ceive of gentleman, or gentlewoman
who cared for money. His birth
gave him entry to what are called our
upper" circles, though why upper"
since they do not contain more wit or
manliness or kindness or suavity
tran our other circles, no man can
cay.
His life story began on the upper
Hudson. There is a summering place
there small enough and exclusive
enough to warrant high prices and
poor accommodations. Not more than
q dozen guests were in the hotel when
he reached it. In that kind of hos
tclry the fact that you have register
ed at all is warrant of your social
standing, and everybody knows every
body else as a matter of course. That
uight Hendryx dreamed of Vieve's
eyes; next morning he sailed with her
over still reach of the river.
She found 1t pleasant enough
watching the light of worship in his
dark eyes. He talked with a poets
tenderness and passion; she did not
understand all that he said; she did
not appreciate much Of it; she was Of
the world and her mother was
schemer; they were not rich, and the
girl was in the market as much as
If she had stood naked upon a block
in Stamboul to be knocked down to
tie highest bidding Pasha; this had
been drilled into her from her four
teenth year; she accepted her destiny
complacently; that destiny was to
make a good match" She was vir.
tuous, or thought she was, and shall
low. No one had ever told her that
when she married a man for hts
money she would sell herself, so she
had not considered this view Of it.
She had plenty OF clothes and was
happy in light way. She was only
twenty and had time enough in which
to marry well; meanwhile she wished
to enjoy herself, and Hendryx was
about the only eligible in Ravens
Nest hotel. The mother looked
askance at the intimacy, but said
nothing; she had learned in two sea-
sons to trust her daughter.
It is an old and common story and
hardly worth the telling. 1t happened
yesterday; it happens to-day, it will
happen to-morrow-the man, earnest
and loyal, believing in himself and
in her, the woman physically seduc-
tive, mentally barren, without deeps
in her nature, not consciously evil.
but. working evil.
In a months time he asked her to
marry him; not in the least intending
acquiecence she answered Eyes"
Thereafter he walked on air and felt
strong to achieve. There came moon
light strolls and sailings, whisperings
in shaded hooks, all of the sweet,
nonsensical meetings and partings of
a courtship and betrothal. He wrote