The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-09-09

We'll. sir. you promised one. and you
have married another. Now. what are
,''tS what can Il do' d Nary I'm not the
money csme in his way and tempted
him"
mo. you are not the nrst. But that's
neither here nor there. sir. That calk-
faced girl has bought you away from me
with her money. and now ! mean to
"oh, il that is ALL" said Richard, I'VE
can soon settle II. i was afraid YOU
were going TO talk about broken heart
sible girl. and too beautiful TO want a
husband long. III give you 80 pounds
10 forgive me"
temptuously. what. when you prom
ised me should be your wife today and
lady OF Huntercombe hall by and by
Fifty pounds No, nor Ave hfties',, ,s.,
won't do. you must go to law. and see
what you can get"
What. % hsint you had SsH your belly ssIlyfSl ,d
| forswear yourself. and that is what you
done at the sizes. have seen what you
did swear about your letter 10 my sister;
Sir Charles have got i all wrote down In
der heaven, you villain" She raised her
voice very loud Don't you gainsay me-
for your lies You'll do as bids you,
and very lucky to be let off so cheap. You
was 10 be my master. but you chose her
| instead: well. then. you shall be my ser
want You shall come here every Sat
| urday at 8 o'clock. and bring me a SOW
ereign. which ! never could keep lump
from moPey Rhoas ana 20 nats take ans
week till get husband OF my own
sort and then you'll have 10 come down
handsome once for all.
Bassett knitted his brows and thought
hard His natural impulse was to defy
her. but IL struck him that great
many things might happen in a few
months: so at last he said humbly. Il
consent. have been 10 blame Only
I'd rather pay YOU this money In some
! other way"
MY way. or none
Very well. then. will bring It you as
you say
Mind you do then" said Mary Wells.
and turned haughtily on her heel.
Bassett never ventured TO absent him
self at the hour and. at first the black
mail was delivered and received with
scarcely word; but by and by old habits
so far revived that some ltte converse
tion took place.
Then. after a while. Bassett used TO tell
her he was unhappy. and she used to
reply she was glad OF IL. Then
he began to speak slightingly ~
his wife. and say what fool he had
been TO marry a poor. silly nonenity.
when he might have welded a beauty.
Mary Wells. being intensely vain. listened
with complacency TO this. although she
replied coldly and harshly BY and by
her natural volubility overpowered he.
and she talked to Bassett about herself
and Huntercombe house, but always with
a secret reserve.
Iater-such IL the force Of habit--each
used to look forward with satisfaction
to the Saturday meeting. although each
distrusted and feared the other at bot
tom.
Later still that came to pass which
Mari Wells mad planned from the first
with deep malice. and that shrewd in
sight into humsn nature which many
low woman has-the cooler she was the
warmer did Richard Bassett grow. till At
last. contrasting his pale. meek little wife
with this glowing Hebe, he conceived IN
unholy liking for the latter She met IL
sometimes with coldness and reproaches,
sometimes with affected alarm. some
times with a half yielding manner. and
so tormented him TO her hearts content.
and undermined his affection for hts
wife. Thus she revenged herself On
them both TO her hearts content.
But malice so perverse Is apt TO recoil
on itself: and women. In particular.
should not undertake a long and subtle
revenge OF this ssrt; since the strongest
have their hours Of weakness. and arc
surprised into things they never intended.
The subsequent history OF Mary Wells
will exemplify this. Meantime. however.
meek little Mrs. Bassett was no match
for the beauty and low cunning OF her
rival.
Yet time came when she defended
herself unconsciously She did something
that made her husband most solicitons
for her welfare and happiness. He began
to watch her health with ma ternaI care,
10 shield her from draughts. TO take care
OF her diet. TO indulge her in all her
whims instead Of snubbing her. and 10
pet her till she was the happiest wife In
England for time. She deserved this
at his hands: for she assisted him there
where his heart was fixed: she aided his
hobby: did more for II than any other
creature in England could.
To return TO Huntercombe hall: the
loving couple that owned II were no long
er happy The hope Of offspring was nov
deserving them. and the disappointment
was cruel They suffered deeply. with
this dfrerence--that Lady Bassett pined
and Sir Charles Bassett fretted.
The woman's grief was more pure AMI
profound than the mans. II there had
been no Richard Bassett In the world.
still her bosom would have yearned and
mined. and the great cry OF nature. Give
me children or I die" would have been
in her heart though It would never have
risen TO her lips.
Sir Charles had. OF course. less OF this
profound instinct than his wife. hut he
lad II too: only In him the feeling was
adulterated and at the same time emhit-
tered by one lees simple and noble. An
enemy sat at his gate. That enemy.
whose enduring malice had at last begot-