Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-07-10
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
tions. 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
a conviction that the display of master
fulness in woman did not make for wom-
ans happiness.
AS a girl, it had not occurred to Lara
to exert an authority counter to her
mothers. When she became 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
ont question. The creature of indecisions
that she had become grew more and more
odious to her as the forenoon passed. ana
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 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
snoak. she had run from him, like
friohtened 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-
onhood which marked her ideals; and in
cinorler contrast stood out his gracious
ness and patience. The thousand little
+b;ros in which she had subserved her
own incIinations to the maternal Will had
dured the delicate point OF personality,
-,,;+bor+ which a man cannot stand val
;on+lv through the crux of harsh days.
~ r,,os oil nIain now, so hideously plain.
r,ho chief of the acts she regretted had
~ With the morning itself What
r,onnor of Friendship" was this which
accented as authoritative the testlmony
- newspapers suspicious? She had
dome more than this, IN handing Constaole
tha document that witnessed against MIN,
ord shutting the door upon MS possible
dofonse. There was an ADDED polgnancy
IN the knowledge that her motner Woulo
no+ have thus used one OF her 1aVorltes.
uor distaste for the American caused
Nrs Stansbury so readily to accept news
nonor evidence as a triumph OF her Judg-
wont Az il such thoughts OF wretched-
noss uara not sufficient to start tears or
no~o+;on Iara's mind finally added to the
;nvon+orv of it's miseries by revertlng TO
bor conversation with Constable IN the
carriage on the day of his arrival how
sbo had berated the essayist for deciar-
inc that the stuff of friendship stirred not
uomankind! How vigorously ne nau
agreed with her!
So o,,rb+ her own room when the tu-
,,1+ mounted to the point of tears. Pres-
,+Iu Che went to the door and locked IL,
60 tho inevitable thought had come what
did the name of Peter Constaoie ihean -
barp She had felt his strength Ans
GOO she had dreamed of SUCH strengtn anu
Ant the dream away. Whetner OF not NC
uas TO be the conqueror, she kne" ma
mastery like his could rouse ner near
Che was evading the substance oi lns
question. Before the mirror sue hio"neu
Severely at the Lara there.
..ToII me this" said the woman 10
want him to go away!
ono. no" said the image
mo" repeated the woman; not II ne
ha innocent" -.
" The image scowled at her Conservatism sim
..you deserve to suffer. You sent mn
. n without 1.-THE of your trust VIII
ont . morsel of your mercy.