The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-08-06

ct have no unkind feeling toward yUu,
Mr.. Hastings"
Then shall 1 say less Indifferent"
"Can one help feeling Indifferent? re-
torted Winifred.
He turned away, stung to the quick.
Winifred kept up the same demeanor
toward the two men during the whole
ride and then at night. when she went
to her room. she cried bitterly, and hated
and reproached herself unreasonably.
Il do love him-I do love him" she
sobbed to herself over and over again |;
but the next morning she was as cold
and repellent to him as ever. and would
hardly wish him good-by before he mount
ed and rode away.
The afternoons post bag contained two
letters in the same handwritng-one for
Winifred, the other for Lady Grace. The
correspondent was Mrs. Clayton.
Dear Winifred' (she wrote to the for
mer)-"Do ask Lady Grace Farquhar to
spare you to me for a week. Mr.. Clayton
has taken villa on the Thames for the
summer, and | am going to spend few
days there before we go to town for the
season. | expect to be very dull and
quiet, so that if you come to me you will
be performing an actual charity"
The note to Lady Grace was couched
in much the same terms: DO spare Wlni-
fred. and persuade her to come to me. My
husband and aunt have quarreled, and
am so terribly dull"
Mrs. Clayton received Winifred with
open arms.
Il am so glad you have Gomez she ex-
claimed; your companionship will make
me forget half my troubles. We shall
have a tete-a-tete dinner tonight. Mr.
Clayton is in town"
Winifred had not been five hours in her
friends house before she was aware that
Fee had made a miserable marriage; that
she had bartered all her possessions for
an inadequate value; and that she almost,
if not quite, hated the man whose name
she bore.
During the time that Winifred stayed
at the Cedars. she had plenty of oppor-
tunity of observing how this ill-assorted
couple lived. Francis Clayton's manner
to his wife was in itself an offense, al
most every word he addressed to her con-
tanned a covert sneer, and he seemed TO
find no greater pleasure than in thwart-
ing her wishes and contradicting her or
ders
Winifred detested him, and was sys-
tematically cold and repelent in her man
ner toward him. He saw it, and laughed
secretly to himself.
Little fool!' he thought, contemptu-
ously, she assumes these airs of virtuous
Indignation with huge propriety. Per
haps the simpleton thinks that | am i'll
love with herr
He redoubled his attentions on seeing
that they annoyed her. If his wife sat
down to the piano, he would get up and
leave the room, or else exclaim:
For heavens sake, Marion, don't make
that horrid noise; you have not vestige
of voice left. Do get up, and let Miss
Eyre sing. Her performance is worth
listening to. Come, Miss Eyre, won't you
sing me something's
"No, | will notr' cried Winifred, an
grily, one day, tears of vexation in her
eyes. IF you cannot admire the beauty
of Fees singing, take it as no compli-
ment that you should praise me-"
my dear Miss Eyre, pray don't be
NlOleul, Sdlu MT. SldytOu, Will a
licious smile. Il am afraid your temper
is getting spoilt by Mrs. Clayton's ex-
ample: mine has suffered already from
her baneful influence"
Il think she must be an angel to have
lived with you so longw Winifred eX-
claimed, in hot, angry championship Of
her friend. She was not worldly wise
enough yet to abstain from taking up
other peoples quarrels.
Mr.. Clayton remembered her words,
and bore malice toward her for them.
ho