Gunnison news-champion and tribune., 1905-05-26


~ depot to their
Constance wss jsded ~ aer fort
nights travel and dispiritef aims; be
yead her po~er Of eonceslment. bai she
had learned already that her lord DIS
liked to have whatever observation he
vas pleased to make GO unanswered.
'sae Is yoar housekeeper. ! suppose
she replied. laaguialy.
"No.-h hat Is q does not ecCapy tnq
position OF a salaried inferior In my
establishment | must surely have
spoken to yoa of my cousin. Harria'
Field
Not that recollect. am sure thai
! never heard the name until nov
Her mother. continued Mr.. With
ers. In a pompous narrative tone. Wa
my fathers sister Left a widow Ger
years prior TO her deeease. she aseepi-
"a my invitation 10 take charge of my
mousse. She brought with her eHly
'hiid. the Harriet of whom ] speak AMI
The two remained with me until ouf
family group was broken In upon by
death. Harriet would then have
sought situation as g0verness ba
tor my objections. She T. a woman o.
hirty or thereahouts ana / pre-
vailed over her seruples touching tho
psopriety of her continued residenes
Under my roof by representing tha
her mature age. even more than au-
relationship. placed her beyond tfe
leach Of scandal For eighteen month
ae has superintendsd my domestic af-
fars to my entire salts acl ION Thai /
have not alluded directly to her before
turing our acGuain D is only 10
lie accounted for By the circumstance
that We have had so many other and
i:9re engrcssing topics of ccpyersa-
iien. He raised her gloved hand to his
! ps in stiff gallantry. and Constance
spi'ed constraine edly in reply.
Ills endearments. albeit he was less
pFoiuse o. them than younger ana
AoTe ardent bridegroom woulJ have
- il. were yet frequent enough 70 keen
is vile in unfailing remembrance of
d : claims and her duties. He was an
mission 10 these. seemed to see in her
forced conpllis,rce evidence of her
pleasure in thelr reception. He was too
sodate. as wei rs TOO gentiemaniv to
be openly cor ceited. but his apprecia-
iion Of his 0vn importance in society
ard in business circles was too pro-
found TO admit a doubt of the supreme
D. sf ffr.. n,
share his elevated position. without
leng puprTisa. he was pragmatical;
without leirg ill-tempered. he was te-
haciogs ia the extreme of his dignity
and the respect he considered due to
this. Had her mood been ligater Con-
stance would have been tempted TO
mile al the sliusion 10 his cousins age
his own exceeding ii by three years, as
sAe had accidentally learned through
'he indis.re ion of a common acquaint-
nee. Ee ass sensitive upon this point
- hei likewise been informed. Shs
lad yet 10 discover upon how many
others
Most young wives would not have
relished the idea OF finding this inval-
ager in her new abode. II mattered In
lie TO her, Constance said, still languid-
ly. who ruled and who obeyed She
had given up so much within three
months past that res snation had be-
come habit; sacrifice was no longer
an effort. Having nothing to hope for
she couls sustain no further loss How
long this nightmare of apathy would
continue was a question that did not
present itself in her gray musings
Having once conquered Nature. and
held Inclination under the heel OF Re-
solve, until life seemed extinct she an
ticipated no resurrection She did not
know that no single battle. however
long and bloody. constitutes cam
paign; that length of days and manv
sorrows are needed 10 rob youth .,
elasticity; that the guest who fingers
longest In the human heart. cline,na
TO the shattered shelter from which al
other joys have fcwn. is Hone. II is
doubtful If she thought with any dis
tinctness at this period. she was Ger.
tainly less actively mise able than in
that which Immediately preceded her
engagement. That was ampusation
this. reactionary weariness. How shs
would fare by and by. when tho wn1nd
had become scar. she thought of leas.
of all
II was handsome carriage IL
which she rode al the masters rizhf
hand pair Of fine horses pranced
before IL. and . liveried eoachgslaa ss-
on the box She had sometime erviet
"iher women the pessessioa a ia