Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-02

Il They had frequently vowed to practic.
the utmost severity with the tnterloper
but somehow In a way utterly 1nexpllca
bic to- them, she always circuMventee
them manufactured some trivial pretex
for approaching them. with the result
that they invariably found themselves or
| tcte-a-tete terms with her. almost with.
out their volition. Now, IL she could USE
| such fnesse with her own sex. what sol:
| Gerry might not her Establishments work
with the other. was the natural deduction
| Returning from q moonlight drive with
Channing-who seemed to meet with the
most favor with her-she would come to
the door Of one Of their rooms. where
they nightly congregated. having nothing
now more engaging to do. rap t1midiy.
then poke her fluffy, yellow. head inside.
and say In her most pleading tones:
May come In? I am SO lonesome
a chorus Of voices would make insta Mt
reply to that duicet appeal. Certainly.
| Notwithstanding the fact that the owners
thereof had been gossiping atrociously
about her the minute before. In response
| to their invitation she would glide In.
select the softest spot on the sofa. and
/ begin 10 talk.
/ They had long since discovered that the
| widow was one Of those persons who talk
| simply for the love of IT, or for the love
! of hearing themselves which Is literall,
/ the same thing; who do not eXpec,
! answers. do not wait for them. and do not
want them. to whom answers are mere
| superfiuities. However. the widow was
/ such a charming talker. such delight
! full raconteur.. and with such an mex
haustible fund of sparkling bon n1ots. tina,
| one freely forgave her any transgressions
| on that score.
Rhea was both panied and surprised a,
| Claiming. for his apparent f1ckleness.
and their friendship was now reduced tc
| the Formally OF a bow. whenever they
| CHANGED to meet. which Rhea was care
| full should be as seldom as possible.
| Claiming had never done much in the
! way Of active service in the world Che
had always had the wherewithal to dis
| pense with that obligation) but he had
assiduously cultivated bis intellect. He
was a devout lover OF art: he could dis
course on the history of painting and
sculpture ad in1nitunl. and quote poetry.
as Rhea irreverently said by the yard"
And when he felt so Inclined he could
sit down at the well-wcrn Inn piano-ar
impossible instrument in amateur hands
and evoke therefrom the most enchanting
strains.
! Claiming had found Rhea. albeit g
bright and enlivening companion. lacking
In many essential points Of an aesthe-
tic nature which deficit had been the
one inharmonious note in their friendship
he had tried to quote Browning or Tenny
son TO her once. he had forgotten which
and she had said:
Don't recite poetry to me. like to
read it som etirles. not the standard poets.
but just little vagrant pieces which ]
sometimes come across in the news
papers. and which are so often full Of
concentrated sweetness and power. Don't
do it again. It makes you seem artificial
stited. And il makes one most uncoua-
Portable"
Needless to say. Claiming never had
made any subsequent onslaughta upon he1
imagination.
Also Rhea had told him that she did not
care for the classic In music. She had
frankly confessed that she did not under
stand Beethoven; and that Wagner was
a distinct bore to her He did not think
she had ever heard OF Bach He had
never inquired. Perhaps he had wished &c
preserve some illusions
In the widow. who could discuss psy-
chology or poetry with equal facility and
appreciation. Claiming felt that in her
he had found a kindred spirit. He was an
ardent believer in affinity. soul-sense. and
e.
Mrs Fairfax had the true artistic sense,
as well as the delicate musical tempera-
ment.
When he played, she would seat herself
in low rattan chair. drawn up close to
the piano. with her head thrown back OF,
her hands. which were clasped behind It.
and fix her dreamy gaze upon painting
Ga singularly fine thing to stumble across
in regulation inn parlor> of sunset
tinged clouds. and quiet woods, waiting
for the on-coming of the gray twilight.
Claiming asked her once what were he,
thoughts when she sat thus, and she
had answered: 81 don't exactly think
| allow my soul to drift on a radiant sea
of sound" AS she spoke. her eyes seemed
to radate a soft. violet light which gave
her an uplifted. almost spirituelle ex-
preston Her reply was just what he had
anticipated. Any other would have been
grievous disappointment TO him.
So he grew to wonder how he had ever
played-how heFwouid ever play again
without that silent. rapt figure beside him
as an inspiration. However. he did not
mean to do without it, for he meant to
win her if he could. He wanted to have
that lovely acolyte always Offering up
incense at the altar of his genius.
Thus matters stood. when one day, the
dusty. road-stained Jason, who carried
the mail to the Inn, brought to the widow
letter which bore the postmark Port
Antonio jamaica
She was sitting on the piazza, looking
off where,
1.-The heat like mist veil floats,
And peoples fame in the rye
but when she saw the letter, she scanned
the outside of it with a certain tense !
eagerness. then sprang out of her chair, !
with single bound. rushed indoors and |
upstairs to the secluson Of her own room !!
Her hands trenlbled little as with ner- |
vous haste. she broke the seal and read
the contents. written by the manager of |
her plantation in Jamaica, and which |
ran in this vein.
There has been a terrific hurricane |
here. during the progress Of which hun
dr-ds OF your banana trees were up !
rooted or blown down. being completely