The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-02-23
CHAPTER ".
Continued.

AOIlulSuI VI 81. 1HSA luC SnO SaAi1
the end to the prologue-not the
play.
Watching the hippopotamus to-
gether one July Sunday afternoon at
the Geological, the country cousins,
the n%onentity of a husband, all but
within earshot, young Master Roger
made a fool of himself. In stammer-
Ing, passionate whispers, he told Mrs,
Shelmadeane a secret which Mrs.
Shelmadeane had been calmly aware
of for some time past, but which it
was shocking-oh, unendurably
shocking-even to think of, the mo-
ment the confession happened to find
It's way into words.
She walked away from him, her
fair young matron face ablaze, and,
with the air Of a new Cornelia, laid
her hand upon her husbands arm.
Three evenings later Rose twenty-six,
remember, Roger nineteen - was
Waiting with him at a ball to which
duty babe her chaperon her country
cousins at the Hanover Square rooms.
Mr.. Temple had been wicked-so
wicked that it really took ones
breath away to think Of it in dar-
ing to regard her, an honored wife,
save with feelings of iciest respect
and esteem. But then Rose, gentle
soul, felt constrained 70 pity the
poor, misguided fellow, to lead him
If it might be, into better ways.
And that Bloomsbury Square life
and husband of hers, illumined by
present experience, we're so hideously
m~onotonous, and the homage Of a
man, handsome, young, distinguished
! like Roger, was so honey-sweet to
vanity. And then think how the pa
bers had spoken of Mr.. Temples brav-
cry in India; think of all the horrid
Sepoys he must have killed, his arm
still in that interesting black sling.
What could Rose do but accord the
lad the friendship for which he
pleaded and agree to forget that IA
tai, erring, not altogether charmless,
moment when they watched the hip
potamus together at the Zoo.
The young fellow gave up for her
his time, his friends, his pleasures;
gave up for her his life, and received
In return what? Sermons, a soiied
white glove OF two, and enough half
dead flowers Che has some of these in
his possession still) to fill a respecta-
BILE herbarium. -
The i%nfatuation lasted out the Lon
don season. Then old Shelmadeane
carried his wife off to Margate-tard-
lily Suspicious, perhaps, as to the kind
of sacrifice she was making to duty
and Rogers leave Of absence came to
Dan end. He was angry, sick at heart;
his, divinity during their last inter-
view having sermonized and sympa-
thized, and altogether tortured him
beyond measure, determined to re-
turn to India without seeing her
again, determined to despise, to for
get her. He determined all this;
= likelier than not would have carried
it into execution to the letter-at
nineteen so much is possible to the
human heart-had Mrs. Shelmadeane
been willing. But Mrs. Shelmadeane
was very far indeed from willing.
She was Il make the statement
a~dyisedly, Internationally, so as not
to have to go ove the same ground
AGAIN., both now and hereafter, one
of the most rigidly virtuous women,
as far as conduct goes, that ever
breathed. She was not certainly at
that early period of her life in any
ordinary of the word, a CO.
quette. But she loved her new taste
of power with all the faculties for
loving nature had bestowed upon
her, and for no consideration, short of
saving her soul from actual transgres-
. sion, would have given her slave
back his freedom. He must look for
ward to nothing; not v to the day
when he might l~egitimately claim her
hand. She would feel herself-oh
| dear!-the guiltiest Of creatures if
she could encourage anybody to look
forward with hope to anybody else's
death. What is such hope, Rosie
would say, piously shaking her blonde
head, but another kind of murder.
Mr.. Temple must look forward to
nothing in the future, must ask for
nothing in the present, must always
remember, please, that she was mar
ried to a man whose moral worth she
respected, always speak and act as if
Mr.. Shelmadeane were present. But
whether he remained in England, or
4 whether he went back to India, Roger
Temple must not regain his freedom!
She wrapped up her feelings, ever
to her own soul, in the very prettiest
tinsel paper of all hypocrisy's store.
To let that poor boy depart in his
present frame of mind would be to let
him depart desperate. He might
even go and marry ONE dreadful
creature in revenge, as mel with
olighted affections have been known
to do, and she would have the burden
on her conscience. Who should say
what the effect of a perfect reconcile
alton, Of a few solemn sisterly words
at parting, might have upon all the
poor young fellows future career.
/ She wrote to him-a sweet little
I plaintive kind Of note, in her school
girl hand. with her schoolgirl
phrases; that, also, Roger Temple
keens still Accidentally Mr.. Shelma-