The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-10
placid smile was an expression Of the

Mona Drydesdalc was the very anti
thesis to her friend. Twenty fivs
| years Of age at the most, she was pos
| scssed OF a bird-like and restless beau-
' tS: her face attracted by it's constant
changes OF expression: she was grave
and gay, happy and respondent by fits
| and starts. variable as an April day.
Her faults--and they were not few
! We're due rather to thoughtessness
| than to any inherent bad traits In her
I nature; she would admit them with a
| smile, and. since they were so much a
part Of herself. without the smallest
| intention of reformation. Her husband
adored her. and INDUCED her to an ex-
tent that was almost foolish. What
/ did her extravaganza matter while he
| had the means OF satisfying her de-
| sires? If she was selfish and took ma
/ interest in the things that interested
| him that was of small account. so long
| as she continued to love him In her
| own way---and she did love him. there
| was no doubt as to that: the Drydes-
| dales were universally recognized as a
| most devoted couple. OF course, there
| We're those who asked how long. this
! devotion would continue If Mona were
/ hsmpered in her caprices; but Herbert
/ Drydesdale was known to be man OF
! considerable wealth. and so there was
| no chance of such an eventuality.
Mona took her way home to Penton
Lodge--no great distance from the
| Vicarage. and pleasant walk on that
summer afternoon. She had quite fail
ed to convince Mrs. sPemberton that
/ the new residents in Glentham were
undesirables as personal acqua intances.
4 and she felt hot and cross in conse-
| Guence. Her dislike to trade and love
! Of high social connections was an in
! iherited instinct in her: 1t had been
| impressed upon her from her earliest
childhood by parents whose extreme
| views had been due to the fact that
thoy themselves had no ancestry to
| speak Of
4, Had there been any malice in Mrs.
| Pembertons nature. the latter might
have pointed out that Mona's own
grandfather had amused a fortune by
the manufacture OF soap--a fact which
his son, educated at public school and
at the university, with subsequent
career of idleness, had thought we'll to
/ overlook. Mona had consequently been
brought up with great idea OF social
I differences. and, as she had often
/ pointed out to Herbert Drydesdale.
/ when he first paid her bashful atten-
!, ton she would not have looked at
4 him a second time had he not been a
barister by profession. and man OF
independent means.
Il They had met for the first time at
a gathering held at one OF the large
houses In the neighborhood. a gather
/ ing where the society had been rather
mixed. and Mona had instinctively diff
ferentiated Herbert Drydesdalc from
the rest of the guests by his gentle
mainly bearing and the careful cut OF
/ his clothes. They had been drawn to-
/ gether, mutually attracted. almost al
i once. She had danced with him, to the
exclusion of engagements already
made With her natural vivacity ant
want of discretion. she had made mocf
of sundry of the guests. who hac
shop writ large upon them, and ht
had listened to her gravely, neither ap
proving nor disputing. A few day
later their hosts OF that evening hal
, taken their departure from Glentham--
the entertainment had been in the ma
/ ture of farewell festivity-and sh
, had never seen them again. But Her
, bert Drydesdale. who had struck VI
an acquaintance with her father tina
, night as we'll as with herself, had come
in due course to call at Penton Lodge
and it had not been long before he wa:
recognized as sutton for Monas hand
Il He explained that he was quite indie.
pendent that he had hardly relatio,
in the world. that his father had beer
colonel in the army, and that he him
self was a barrister, though he had M
need to follow his profession to carr
, living. There was no doubt as t.
the settlements that he could make
nor of the love that had sprung III
between the young people, and so thu
way was clear for an early marriage
!. All this had happened five years ago
and since then nothing had occurred
to mar the happiness of the Drydesdal'
menage. augmented now by little son
who was passionately adored by boil
his parents.
II was as she reached the gates o
Penton Lodge that Mona's temper wa:
put once more to the test. She hap
pened to meet Mrs. Parker, and thu
, latter had the bad taste to bow. I
. was an awkward and hashful bow, GER
tainly-Mrs. Parker did not seem t.
be quite sure whether the casual meet
! ing that afternoon entitled her to rec
ognition or no. Out OF sorts as sh'
was. Mona was not disposed to make
any allowances: she cut the poor little
woman dead. Immediately afterwards
noticing the look OF pain and distress!
that her action had given rise to, hel
4 irritation against the world in gen