New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-04

BY EMEKIc HULME-BEAMAN.

Lady FeethCrstOne enfoyed not uniustly. the
reputation OF being one OF th4 most eclectic
hostesses in London. and had for some years oc-
cup'ed that position society which her birth.
her wealth. her accomplishments and. last but not
least. her undoubte! beauty emitted her. At LADY
Featherstones Eouse-at fes little social assemblies.
her soirees. her occasional dinner parties-ore
might be sure OF meeting only chose people upon
whom the cachet 90 u0dueStlcued breeding had
been set
A woman herself 90 uuerriug taste of che most
delicate ethical Discrimination and of e f1stdious
fau-y. she able 90 tolerate in others she
least DETECTION from her htEa standard of
criticism. and culture She vas clever enough 90
admire clever people Vet not stupid enough Q" pass
fer being clever herself: she VS. widow wits two
Young daughters. large income aId. il seemed.
4 considerable capacity for enjoying IL. and people
said-;hose people who always SAY th-nGs-thlt
the fact o. this la~-e income ceGsiu2 on her re-
marriage eNpIline: the other fac' r Lady Feather
stone remaining Nifow- 10 give several thou
sand d year. an assured position .u society. and
her liberty would De mvch to expect ~ a woman
FOR the qIcs-ionab,- advantage Of second
husband. 50 people said They knew that Lady
Featherstoue had made a bri liant marriage az an
early age; that she ecviabe because she was
rich and happy because she was e1vlable- But
oddly enough. Lady Featherstone was not always
happy; ard particular afternoon In January
she sat alone in her drawing room. with a lock
OF singular sadness apou her beautiful face: her
chin rested on her hand. her gray eyes were bent
wistfcIIy the fre. ard E0w and again she sighed
softly to herself, though mood Of memories
were her.
She sat alone Perhaps this consciousnesa-this
consciousness that she was 'alone"-had something
TO do with the stirring Of those secret emotions
which a retrospect OF the past will often evoke;
perhaps it was this r, Prospect itself that made the
consciousness lore acute: but at least the burden
Of solitude seemed 20 weigh heavily on her SOUL
Her children were too young TO be comps mons to
her-tOO young 90 ill quite that void IN the heart
Of woman II thirty-hve which LOOKS I s sSlne
other and fuller source o. repleuon; her TRENDS
but a woman's friends. what are they?
indulge a morbid train OF fancies and this very
evening. the evening OF one OF her IaIge GLnnes
have carried her into melancholy grooyey tnas
the faint far on chord OF cary theInoois ~ q
French name-the name Of a stranger the nane
Of Of her guests. the Count de SeriIlac. whom
the French Ambassador was bringing with him 70
Except that he was a distinguished diplomatist.
Lady Featherstone knew nothing OF NJ de serIlao
awakened in her heart the sudden memory Ok an
Other-a compa triOt-a FrenChman. poor and OBJ
ner tender and gallant handsome and debonair.
who once had loved her. once. fifteen years ago,
ing master, He had loved her. this French artist
robjIitV 60 oddI at variance with the nature Of his
cailing-he had loved her. this drawing master and
yet what in another similarly situated would nave
seemed the acme Of arrogance. in him seemed but
the assertion Of natural prerogatve. carrying
with It nothing bizarre, nothing presumptlOus,
nothing inappropriate. He had loved her. and she
mad Pyd raW5 50 1fFg d 3 o %n9 o no her
presence forever. for he was gentleman Only
''3lademoiseIie go. but leave my heart here
with you. Treat It you will. MademOiseIle. keep
n or cas-. II avav think Of me or forget me. but
remember that. n ever the day comes when may
euetbe1. II IL IS in your power to bestow what
it may be in my power 20 ask, ! shall demand Of
YOU the ha ppiness which only you give me.
live now FOR that day-tor that day aloner'
ei1l Ike thai me should not leave her and for
reply. he had taken her hand very tenderly and
''Mademoiselie' he had murmured. Il must!
n Gressonier never returned. and four years az
terward Miss Maxwell married Lord Featherstone,
a man Of considerable social attainments and some
love with the beautiful girl whom he had met at
So. in course Of time. Gressonier was forgotten.
and the one romantic episode 90 lady Feather
life lay buried deep down In the elm receSseS
OF a womaus memory. 49,,
az the front door bell
Lady Featherstone started. for she was not ex,
pectng vsitors-nOr. rule. did visitors arIlve
80 Iate-and. rising abruptly. looked with won won
ans instinct into the large mirror aIIve S nothins
en- mal-uot OF hair disarranged. not 49,, a ~
the image indeed Of a very beautiful womaIh,
clothed with the perfection OF simplicity 'S rI SIN
her scarce more than a y , IS s. Of mis-
Haif-smlllng with satisfied consciousne.S OL s
fact she sat down again as the servant tn.ei9N
the room and handed her a card on tn5 r6 sd-
Lady Featherstone glanced At the care, @ tT ser
denly her face turned pale She looked AT 'Ne
a gentleman. you say-tO see me-
7, Was not customary for Lady FeatheTston1.e to
question her b am eS S not at this instant
bear from asking What kind OF gentleman. /
answered: elderly with gray hair-a foreign gen
tleman. think your Lady ship. -. 49,. ..-s Il, /
her hand-"Psul GressOnier 60, -, ,o- -s /
J-uconsciousy her pulses ouickened. the Soler re-
turned her cheeks her breath came outiS II5ni
What did mean? What could II mean es. 81, 7
wears ago and left her. the man whose name DIt /
Ave minutes since had crossed her thOusIilS" Ios
face had risen so strangely vivid ouj OF the miSts
OF long departed years whose voice had rung but .
upon her fancy with h9lt,forgotten eflloSS %
her girlhood days-Ciressonter! II must De SOM
mistake. Some singular illusion or else some cu''
Gus cOinCfdenCe-nO more.
The servant cOughed apolOgetically. -
Il told the gentleman your Ladysnlp ne ne WI {
Gould not see visitors at this hour. but ne wouldn't
take no refusal. Take up my caTu' SdlI nc, 70
Lady Featherstone. and say wish 70 see her par
that you are indispoSed2 ne inquired STaEeiy.
sudden effort. SHOW the gentleman up
There little time in which 10 adjust ner
mental attitude adequate conception OF the
emotional possibilities that this quite unexpected
With SO complete a suddenness that the effect OF
IL upon Lady Featherstone's mind was considerably
mnrNbabIe to the practically existent the abstract
10 the actual. in the brief space OF two minutes
still upon her when the door again opened and the
A gentleman. tall. with grtzzled mustache,
strong aquilne features. keen. earnest eyes and
head entered took step forward paused. then
silently bowed.
A sharp surprise certain disappointment q
troubled gladness. singular embarrassm entail
these sentiments were fused into the consciousness
that before her stood last after long years the
lover OF her youth. and Lady FeatherstOne's eyes
dropped before the gaze OF VI. GressOnier- |
Fifteen years had changed him from "a young to
a middle aged mana man handsome still but In
adverse fortune His clothes shabby-sO
shabby that. when he had Invested himself in the
looked at him askauce half doubling the prOprety
OF conductRg sHcn an III crossed person mo Ine
at the strange discrepancy between the strangers
costly. sable lined oveTcoat and the threadbare SaT
ments underneath u; for they threadbare and