The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-12

lie.
Lady Standish reared herself with
a sort of desperate heartsickness into
sitting posture and turned her head
to look duly upon her visitor.
"You come too late. she said: my
lord, Sir Jasper has gone to this most
disastrous meeting"
My dear Lady Standish,'' said DIR
Thurlow, my dear child He took a
chair and drew it TO the sofa and
then lifted her slight languid hand
and held it between his two plump
palms. My dear Lady Standish,. pur-
sued he. III purring, soothing tone
If he did not know how to deal with
an afflicted soul, especially if thai
afflicted soul happened to belong to
the aristocracy and in preference in
habitated young female body, who
did? Il came upon the very moment
received your letter. I might perhaps
have instantly done something to help
in this matter had you been more ex-
plicit, but there was a slight incoher-
ence-very naturalv' Here he patted
her hand gently "A slight incoher-
ence which required explanations
worthy husband has set forth upon an
affair of honor Ell? Shall we say a
dueI:'
Lady Standist gave a moaning as
sent.
Some trifling quarrel. Hot headed
young men, 1t is very reprehensible,
but we must not be too hard on young
blood. Young blood is hot Well, we'll,
trust in a merciful Providence, my
dear Lady Standish. You know, not a
sparrow falls, not hair of our heads,
that is not counted. Was the-ah-
quarrel about cards, or some such
trifie?"
1T was about me-" said the afflicted
wife in a strangled voice.
about you, my dear ladyw The
clasp Of the plump hand grew, if pos
sible, trifle closer, almost tender
Lady Standish was cold and miserable
This warm touch conveyed somehow
a vague feeling Of strength and COM
fort.
About me-" she repeated, and her
lip trembled.
"Ah, is it SO? And with whom does
Sir Jasper fight?"
with Colonel Villiers," said she, and
shot a glance of full misery into the
benign, large featured face bending
over her.
Colonel Villiers," repeated the bish-
op in tones of the blankest astonish-
ment Notch, not-er-old Colonel
Villiers?''
"Oh, my lord" cried Lady Standish,
~ RI
innocent Of women
my dear madam cried the bishop.
II never for an instant doubted the
latter"
His hold upon her arm relaxed, and
she withdrew it to push away the tears
that now began to gather thick and
fast on her eyelashes. The bishop won
dered how it was he had never noticed
before what a very pretty woman
Lady Standish was, what charming
eyes she had and what quite unusual
ly long eyelashes. 1t was something Of
revelation to him, too to see so fair
and fine skin in these days of rouge
and powder.
"And yet" sobbed Lady Standish,
"'tis my fault, too, for 1 have been
very wrong-very foolish. Oh, my lord.
if my husband is hurt I cannot deny
it's shall bear the guilt Of it!'
"Come, tell me all about it," said the
bishop, and edged from his chair to her
side on the sofa and repossessed him
self of her hand. She let it lie in his.
She was very confiding. I'VE are all
foolish" said DIR. Thurlow. I'VE are
all, alas, prone to SIM" He spoke in
the plural to give her confidence, not
that such a remark could apply to any
bishop of Bath and Wells.
"Oh, 1 have been very foolish" re-
peated the lady. II thought, my lord,
I fancied that my husbands affection
for me was waning"
Impossible" cried his lordship. But
he felt slightly bewildered.
And SO, acting upon inconsiderate
advice, IL pretended-only pretend
ed, indeed, my lord-that / cared for
some one else, and Sir Jasper got jeal
Gus, and SO he has been calling every
body out, thinking that he has rival"
Nevertheless said the bishop, The
has no rival. Do I understand you
correctly, my dear child? These sus-
picions of his are unfounded? Colonel
Villiers?'
Colonel Villiers,' cried she, ssthat
old, stupid red nosed wretch! No, my
lord, indeed, there is no one. My hus-
band has my whole heart" She caught
her breath and looked up at him with
candid eyes swimming in the most at
tractive tears. Colonel Villiersw
cried she. ''Oh, how can you think
such thing of me? But my husband
will not believe me. Indeed, indeed,
indeed, 1 am innocent. He was jeal-
GUS of Lord Verney, too, and last