The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-27
CHAPTER XII.
CONFRONTED BY A MONUMENT

CONFRONTED BY A MONUMENT.
Eight months had slipped away since
the mysterious disappearance of Vane
Hamilton, and in all that time not
one word of tidings as to his where.
abouts had been received. All trace
seemed to be swallowed up or envelop-
ed in the obscurity surrounding the
bank defaulter, Ashley. Grovedale.
meanwhile, was busying itself, as small
active villages are apt to do, over a
scandal of its own. And Constance
was the subject of it. Strange that
the high-bred, reserved woman should
give cause of IL; but she did. For her
infatuation for the illiterate workman,
known as Primus Edes, was only too
evident to any one who chose to in
Vestigate the matter.
Not that it was considered that she
had been guilty of the least imprudent
or reprehensible conduct. Even her
worst detractors did not say that. But
for a cultured, beautiful woman in the
higher walks of life, whose husband
was not known to be dead, even though
she had ordered a monument to be
erected to his memory, who had SEEM
ed to love that husband deeply-for
such a woman to care for such a man
as Primus Edes, of doubtful origin, if
not of doubtful character, illiterate to
a degree, and not particularly good
looking, was quite enough to set the
feminine tongues of Grovedale running,
to say nothing of masculine gossips,
quite as nimble in the social conclaves
about the blacksmiths forge or the
grocery stores. The object is always
the last to be informed, but Constance
was quite unhappy enough without this
knowledge. 1t was mortifying, humili-
ating, to her proud heart to feel 1t
struggling in fetters she despised, or
ought to despise.
She had not meant to succumb to
the strange fascination that Primus
Edes from the first seem to impress
upon her faculties by his fancied re-
semblance to her husband. 1t hao
grown insensibly, and after he brought
her boy back to her and tenderly car
ried him home, she felt that gratitude
could not be withheld any longer. She
had been kind to him, and he, knowing
her gift of the dressings gown, at least,
ventured to show how deeply he ap-
preciated 1t.
He was never intrusive: indeed 1t
was Constance herself who talked
most, who was most to blame, 1t was
said. Singularly silent and retiring, he
said very little; but that little was
freighted with passionate devotion, as
she could see. Unwittingly, perhaps,
he had taken the very means neces-
sary to win her thoughts. She was of
a romantic, poetical temperament, and
a respectful, silent devotion was not
displeasing in one who looked so like
her husband. His intense gaze in
church, his solitary watch of her house,
his search for her child. and his
thoughtfulness in relieving her of his
burden when not even her uncle had
thought of 1t, charged her heart with
many thougts-thoughts which would
have flown instantly had his manner
been intrusive.
He seemed rather to avoid her, she
thought. and she reasoned II would
do no harm to be kind to him. SO
whenever she went TO Mrs. F'rys, OF
chanced to encounter him elsewhere
she would invariably say few words
in gentle, gracious way that to him
seemed divine.
than ordinary gifts, and when she
CHANGED TO hear him playing one even
ing IN his room while she sat talking
below with Mrs. Fry, she was charmed
into forgetfulness Of her errand by the
rare melody.
SWhv. aid not know he could play
like that?" she said, as the wonder
mi strains ceased-strains which SEEM
ed TO be drawn from the intense pas
eionate nature % tho performer, rsth-
81 than the violin itself for II was
a. an Interpreter OF soul-wrought emo
,tona Of an enwrnpt mood. that hS
MA yed. rather than set music or hack
neyed chords. go, - ...,,
4. az " said Mrs. Fry; 20 he says"
~ "a possible" said Constance,
A. she took her way homeward over
80 crigD snow, for n was winter nov,
- rassi0naie strains followed her
antu sho reached hsf Own door. an9
~ knew fhaf hs must have Opened
M window ~ fhnt she might near
lim .t .syo,,ia