The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-26
A MODERN orHELLo.


kingsley Road. Surbledon), but it is
necessary. in the cause of truth, to re-
late that on this particular evening
the evening that she never can forget
Mrs. Angus Frost was seated in the
dining room mending a vest of DR..
Angus F'rost's CLEARLY not double
stitched in the wearing parts), with a
marked postprandial flush on her face,
with a somewhat weary looking blouse
on her angular figure. and with her
feet on a chair-feet that were encased
in a pair OF shoes that seemed to smile
broadly up at her with the comfortable
confidence of life friends.
on tbs floor beside her was q. basket
full OF .hildren's stockings, and a
daily paper, which she would not have
time to read Tonight it seemed GER
tain enough that absolute domesticity
was assured-the doctor out on a case
OF coachman's twins, the rain coming
down in sort of hopeless FORGIVENESS.
the hour close to $3.50 by the black
marble clock on the mantelpiece-
Nothing seemed more unlikely than
visitor. So she came.
A desperate knock at the front door;
q protracted ring; then James voice in
the hall drowned by another, higher
and quicker. Then the opening of the
dining room door and the thrush of
lady Mary and cold air.
"Oh. Mrs. Frost
My dear child"
''Oh. Mrs Frost, dear. do shut the
door"
T
greatly disappointing Jane, who had
held il ajar for private reasons-and
threw the vest mot double stitched,
etc-). behind the cushion of the arm
chair as she passed
What is it2 No illness. 1 hope"
CThe hope did credit to her tact)
"Oh. no! Much worse. I'm wretch
edt'' And. seated childishly on a foot
stool Gan art trifie at IS pence), with
her silly head in Mrs. Frosts skirt,
Lady Mary told of the dreadful quar-
rel that had just taken place between
her and her husband. What about
What was il ever and always about!
jealousy Nothing but this absurd
senseless. groundless, blind. mad 1eal-
people when they had told her what 1t
would be TO marry foreigner she
had read about them in books, and she
hadn't believed them either. But Carlo
was wilder than any book ever writ
ten. Why, good HeavenSi he had been
jealous of the doctor when she was i'll
Think of it, One OF these days he
would kill her.
She had been positively frightened of
him just now and she had done moth
tng-nothingi-only got a letter from
an old friend-well, a man who had
been silly enough to propose to her be-
fore she had ever dreamed OF Italian
singing masters and Opponents And,
naturally. she had refused TO return
the letter-and so on and so forth,
through endless side issues and fearful
frrelevancies. to the final entreaty that
Mrs Frost might keep her here-would
take her in and be kind TO her-aS she
would never, never, never look at
Carlo again as long as she lived; and
Mrs. Frost was the best friend she hSd
in beastly old Surbledon. and had been
like a mOthsr-she meant q slster-to
her when she was i'll, etc.
Poor Mrs Frost was terribly puz-
zled as to what tactics to adopt sym
patty, of course, and head stockings
and all that; but to decide between
harboring an earfs daughter for an
indefinite period (Which would, or
course, mean the cancebng OF me
h cooks notice to leave, if it meant moth
ing more), or inducing her to return
at once 10 her husband. was not an
easy matter. To her credit be It Sald
that she decided on the latter Ana
she was rewarded by a fiat refusal. Go
back to Carlo. then and there she
would rather die II Woburn Han
hadn't been at the other end of the
man. she would have run home TO her
own people for good and all that min
ute But oh! she was so alone. Mrs.
Frost couldn't refuse to take her IN, II
only for one wretched, solitary night
could She2 And poor Mrs Frost many
waived everything excepting her
fundamental snobbery, and tucked her
M in the armchair in front of the IRE,
while she hurried of to send the STAPLE
boy with a diplomatic note TO Olheiio'
and to see TO the spare room
She lit the fire there with her own
hands. while Jane tore down to the
kitchen
the IRE refused to burn uD- Volumes
of smoke rolled into the room but
very little mounted the chimney
Everything that brown paper ana IN
Venuity could do was done, but in vain
There was nothing for ii. Lady Mary
must have their room, and she ana
the doctor must have the spare room
for tonight. 1t would not be necessary
10 mention all this to Lady Mary.
In half an hour all was ready toT
her ladyship. who added the last touch
to her role of spoiled child by appear
ing subIimely unconscious OF haVlne
caused any trouble whatsoever. she
sailed into the spurious spare room as
if it had belonged to her from time lril-
memorial, and there fell asleep, Wnlle
Mrs Frost sank back in the dining
room chair and awaited the return VI
the stable boy -.
ssIf YOU please, ma'am, Mr.. Devalli
weren't in. but 1 left the note, was
the message which this youth brought
more could be done till the doctor
She would sit up for him. of course,
and explain matters as soon as he got
in. He might be late. She put on a
little more coal. took up her darnlns
again. and allowed her mind TO wan
der. The clock struck ten 1t may
have struck even more subsequently
hut Mrs. Frost heard it not for, with
her feet on the chair again, she mao
fallen fast asleep
The lamp. seeing there was no fur
ther use for it, went out.
She was awakened by a knock at
the front door. But for the glimmeT
from the hre she would have hao
trouble to realize her Whereabouts, for
she had been in the midst OF wild
Angus" of course was her first
thought Forgotten his latehkey'
She Stumbled into the hall to let