The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-23

of CONSERVATION and distress that she I
recognized, in a flash OF keen feeling, |
how much the loss of this generous
friend would mean to her and to her
child.
But it would mean more than that. |
Unwilling as she was to acknowledge |
the fact she, a widow of but a year.
Beatrice knew that this man had in
spired her with sentiment so strong
that his presence affected her as that
of no man in the world had ever done
before. She had loved her husband,
indeed, with grateful docility, being one
of those women who are rather cling
ing and gentle than self-assertive and
rooted In themselves But that#feeI- !
ing had been but the natural return
of the love the young lieutenant had
expressed towards her, and under his
subsequent Indifference it had suffered
some inevitable change.
Now therefore, much against her
will she was forced to know the feel
ings with which Lord Catherington
inspired her were the strongest she
had ever known. Love never called
them; she shrank from even looking
the fact in the face that his look, his
touch, moved her strangely: but yet
she could not but know, down in the
depths of her own heart, that he was
to her the ideal of what man should
self-absorbed nor unduly expansive:
but kindly, affectionate, and withal a
man of action; of decision! just such
a man, she felt and knew, as fulfilled
every requirement of her own ideal.
What could she do? Was there any
way in which she could ward off the
danger that seemedssto threaten him
| thru her wrong-doing? 1t seemed to
the unhappy woman that she was be-
tween two fires. On the one hand,
if she were to go away to the north,
she must fairly expect, as Lord Cath
erington had truly: warned her, that
the mad artist, who had already
shown so much cunning in tracking
them out, would find her, follow her.
and obtain forcible possession of the
| child when she should have no strong
| arm at hand to protect her.
| =, If, on the other hand, she chose to
remain at stone court, keeping up the
! deception she had begun, then it was
Lord Catherington. for whom she
| feared the most
But even if she took the child away,
might not the mailman vent his dis
appointment and anger upon the Wis
count. if he found that the little one
had escaped? With this thought Bea-
trice tried to pacify her conscience, to
persuade herself that she was justi-
| fed in remaining near the man whom
she would not own she loved, but who
undoubtedly filled her thoughts as no
other living man could do.
And, thru the T.. long hour which
/ elapsed before Errnyn came joyfully
upstairs hugging AIRED camellia close
to her little neck and full of the
| beautiful things she had seen, "BoOfer
/ towers in such big, big warm house
1 all made of g'assyfa Beatrice walked
/ from one room to the other, torturing
herself and Representing herself, and
wondering how twas all going to end
| With her darling once more in her
arms, however, the dark thoughts dis
appeared again into the background;
and when on the following morning
dows and showed her the sparkling
sea and the dew shining on the wide
eXpanse of grass, she felt her spirits
rise in spite Of herself
AS the day began, bright-and cheer.
full, so it passed, and the next and the
next and whole month glided by il
a manner so tranquil and so happy
that Beatrice's fears, were gradually
lulled deadened under the quiet sense
. of personal happiness which she en-
joyed in Lord Catherington's seaside
home.
This happiness had its drawbacks
! Of course. In the first place. her con
science would not let her rest; in thu
second, she could not quite forget tina
the mad artist had been to the house
and might come again; in the thirt
place. she saw much less of Ermyl
than she had ever done before; AM
t lastly, she missed the pleasant com
partnership of Lord Catheringtor
t which she had enjoyed in the big Lon
2 don house.
t Of course, the household at ston
1 court was more conventional in a.
= respects than the q. arrangements a
g FCatherington house had been. Fac
f person here had his or her regula
s duties; and she soon found that tn
:. duties of the governess confined he
to her three rooms, day nursery, nigh
r nursery, and a little schoolroom, an
g that she could vary the monotony G
this life only by discreet little walk
t about the grounds with her charge.
Lord Catherington chad the chill
s with him for a great part of the da!
u and often took her out driving wit
= him in his dog-cart or riding in fror
o of him on his horse. But he neve
= sent for Beatrice, and she. on her sid
q avoided even a chance meeting wit
= him as carefully as she could.
Is Her own feelings told her that tn
2. was her only safety, as we'll as an az
II of common prudence. She knew yer
e We'll LnaC 1GT anu TIE Cilliu
re must already have caused a great de;
of gossip in the household and neigh
g borhood and she knew that as long {
n she kept out of the way of the maste
E, of the house, idle tongues would fin
little to comment upon.
- But she missed those pleasant talk
e and she used to listen for the sound {
n Lord Catherington's voice; and whe
G she caught sight of him, always
II riding-dress, and generally on horse
!. back, she used totfeel in better spiri
/? for the day. .
g AT first he seemed to fall in with he
discreet notions perfectly. But after
n few days she fanciad that he was NJ
= quite so we'll pleased with the ne
t, arrangements as he ought to hay
is been, and on more than one occasio
l. she had to exercise a good deal Of de
t.. icate strategy to avoid tete-a-te
re with him. ~
20 That she was perfectly right, hov
or ever, in her avoidance of him W:
~ speedily proved.
I Lord Catherington had not been sc
lie tied at stone court for more than
ct week when certain of the neighbo
IN began to call. They were men, for tt
If most part, but one afternoon a larl
er lum bering carriage, with servants
ut old-fashioned and ugly liveries dro'
r. up to the door, and a tall, middle-ag'
ly lady with sharp eyes and an assur'
u manner got out, and, on learning tn
Lord Catherington was not at nom
~ said she would come in and see +
ur daughter Beatrice dreadfully ner