Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-06-25
CHAPTER TX

The morning which broke through the
defenses Of Breen, and crumpled the dear
est purpose Of Constable, also drew Miss
Stansbury into the vortex of intense emo
tons. Whatever dominant traits and i'm
pulses she had inherited from her mother,
it had been her self-training to repress.
Ample opportunity had been afforded her
to note in her mother the career of an in
domitable mistress of affairs. The result
of her observations was positive distaste
for stiffness of views in any sphere, and
conviction that the display of master
fitness in woman did not make for WON
ans happiness.
As girl it had not occurred to Lara
to exert an authority counter to her
mothers. When she became a young wom-
an she carefully avoided any extremity
which might lead to the breaking of
| either her own or the more visible will
of the house.
Now, in the midst of painful develop
ments, it was borne home TO Lara that
| she had progressed too far in the way of
| amiability; that she had unconsciously
outstripped her intention, and passed into
| the boundaries of self-effacement. In the
crisis of the newspaper revelations, she
| had followed her mothers initiative with
out question. The creature of indecisions
that she had become grew more and more
| odious to her as the forenoon passed, and
| in her contrition she realized that the
man whose first wish was to spare her
| from harm had been repaid with lack of
courtesy and a greater lack of courage.
Nothing that she had said or done, it
| seemed to her now, carried the stamina of
| decision. She had implored him not to
speak; she had run from him, like a
| frightened child to her mother, when he
| had told his love and begged her to seek
| safety aboard his ship. In none of her
dealings had she shown the strong wom-
! anhood which marked her ideals and in
singular contrast stood out his gracious
| ness and patience. The thousand little
| things in which she had subserved her
| own inclinations to the maternal will had
dulled the delicate point of personality,
| without which a man cannot stand val
| iantly through the crux of harsh days.
| 1t was all plain now, so hideously plain.
The chief of the acts she regretted had
| to do with the morning itself. What
manner of Friendship" was this which
accented as authoritative the testimony
of a newspapers suspicious? She had
| done more than this, in handing Constable
| the document that witnessed against him.
and shutting the door upon his possible
| defense. There was an added poignancy
| in the knowledge that her mother would
not have thus used one of her favorites
Her distaste for the American caused
| Mrs Stansbury so readily to accept news
| {.,,, orL l.
ment. As if such thoughts of wretched-
ness were not sufficient TO start tears of
vexation, Laras mind finally added to the
! inventory of its miseries by reverting to
| her conversation with Constable in the
carriage on the day of his arrival How
she had berated the essayist for declar-
ing that the stuff of friendship stirred not
womankind! How vigorously he had
agreed with her!
| She sought her own room when the tu-
multi mounted to the point of tears Pres
| emily she went to the door and locked it,
for the inevitable thought had come What
did the name of Peter Constable mean to
her? She had felt his strength. Long
ago she had dreamed of such strength and
| put the dream away. Whether or not he
| was to be the conqueror, she knew that
mastery like his could rouse her heart
She was eyading the substance of the
| question. Before the mirror she frowned
severely at the Lara there.
Tell me this" said the woman, do l
want him to go away?"
NO no! said the image
NO" repeated the woman; mot if he
be innocent"
The image scowled at her conservatism.
You deserve to suffer. You sent him
away without a 1.-THE OF your trust, with
out a morsel of your mercy"
Standing in the upper hallway, she
| heard what passed between Breen and
the planter at the front door. Why did
not Uncle Joey demand extenuating cir
cumstances? She was sure that Breen
would have dropped some hint, at least.
Of COnstable's part in the mysterious al
| lance, had it not been for the barbed
iron of the others words. Lara's palms
ached from the pressure of her nails.
She did not go downstairs to luncheon,
but often crossed the hall, entering Con-
| stables room to look at the mountain and
cityward along the smoky highway. In
one of these watches she saw the little
| black carriage of Father Damien ap-
preaching. He would have driven by, but
she ran below and called to him from the
veranda:
Come in and rest a minute, father. Is
there any good to tell?''
VERY little, Lara. The gray curse is
on Saint Pierre, indeed. l have grown
afraid for my people, and am warning
them to seek refuge in Fort de France
Your guest suggested this step, and has
helped nobly with morey to care for the
people fleeing to the capital"
She drew from him an account of his
meeting with Constable on the highway
in the morning. He told her, too, how the
young man had sent sick native mothers
and their children out to the ship for
refuge from the heat and sulphur fumes,
and of the large sums of money he had
volunteered for the care of the favored
few who fed to Fort de France Lara
bent her head forward toward the priest.
And what do you think of this man,
father?" she questioned suddenly.
The old mans mild gaze fell before the
glowing eyes of the girl. Il did not
think when l first met him that he was
gifted with such ZEAL" he answered
weakly.
Where is he now, Father Damien?"
THAT | cannot tell, dear. We have
not seen him since morning. Some say
that he has gone to Morne Rouge; others
, that he has assembled to the craters of
Pelee."
She sprang up, but repressed the ex-
| clamation upon her lips. Her mother had
entered.
Good morning, Father Damien" Mrs.
Stansbury said pleasantly. rs Lara re-
hearsing private theatricals for your
The priest made haste to depart, saying
that he was Oh the way to Fort de France
with the money Constable had given. to
, make the refugees there as comfortable
as possible. The ladies followed him to
the door. 1t happened that the old man
= L farod ha said