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Show INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION CHAPJ1ER V. rwjIJgON'T understand jl fKoW you happened &IS 1 cross tnat rough G$arfc-$ 1 mountain In your Sw) 1 foute from tho de- Wfllpot." said th elder 'VmSt "brother, when tho I? r family assembled H Ofl that cvcnlnR for jjrOi what Miss Field al- x) ' 'ways denominated B "sociable, old-fashioned old-fashioned tea," which, in U,e country, was served at the town dinner hour. "Could you obtain no conveyance at tho station?" is "None unless flf choso to wait eov- oral hours. Surmising at once that my lottor had not arrlyed in reason to notify no-tify you of my coming, I loft my btig- . -. r.trin Rtnllnn mnslor gago in CiiHiKu - - - and set out on foot. I pleased myself when I was hero two years ago with survoylng an air Uno between your house and tho nearest point of the railroad. rail-road. If ono docs not mind some pretty steep hills, ho can save at least two mllos by availing himself ot my topographical topo-graphical skill. It was a pleasant variety va-riety to mc, after six hours In a narrow car seat, to Btrctch my limbs over tho rocky pass and breatho tho fresh air of tho "tvildwoods instead of smoke and cinders." "Tho mystery to mo Ib how and where you mot Mrs. Withers!" chirped vivacious Harriet "Do explain! I was never so astonished in my llfo as when I eaw you two walking up the avenuo talking togother llko old friends." "As we aro," smiled Edward at hla sister-in-law. "She was sitting at Ihe foot of a cedar near my projected road, enjoying the prospect beneath her. I recognized her from her resomblance to the photograph you sent me while I waa abroad, Elnathan; walked up to her, like the impertinent fellow some peoplo think I am; Introduced myself, and offered to escort her home." "You should havo taken a servant with you, Constance," f aid her husband, magisterially. "It Is not safe or proper for a lady to ramble alone In this ihln-lyettled ihln-lyettled neighborhood." "There are charcoal burners In the 0,ntalns!" MIss Harriet lnterjecfsd, shudfleringly. "TMr moBt ferocious and blade faces." Jf7w ono oneo whon wo were driving out And there used to be bears, rhen the country was first settled " "And wolves, and catamounts, and red Indians with no beards at all," finished fin-ished the younger Withers warnlngly. "Mrs, "Withers, let mo advise you to take 'me along whenever you stir bo-yond'the bo-yond'the garden fence. I saw a Rocky Mountain savage once, and last year was ono ot a party that wont out on a bear hunt In Norway. We saw nothing of Bruin, It Is true, but my Instructions how to, act In case he crossed my path were bo minute that I am confident I ahould prove a valiant protector in time ot need." The Invitation thus playfully given was renewed In earnest on the following follow-ing day. Tho wother and sister-in-law wore excellent friends from the moment mo-ment of their meeting. The traveled member of the eminent banking firm of Withers Bros, was about 30 yoars of age, and attractive In person, rather from a certain grax:e and elegance of bearing, and a frank, Intelligent expression ex-pression than from regularity of feature. fea-ture. He had read much and seen many lands, and knew how to uso the knowledgo thus gained for tho entertainment enter-tainment of his companions. A passionate passion-ate lover of music, he was not slow In discovering Constance's kjndred tastes. His coming gave a different complexion to life in tho secluded country house. There were horseback rides before breakfast, and diligent practlco with voice and instruments-piano, flute and violin, besides a couple of hours' reading read-ing In tho forenoon; then came the after-dinner walk, sellom ondlng until un-til sunset. In the eTtnlng Elnathan Withers dozod In h!a stiffed chair wh 10 ho tried to bent time to the duet going on at tho other end oi the room, and, Harriot, bolt upright li the mlddlo of a sofa, did wondrous things with a ppool of cotton or silk and a crocnet needle and took observitlons with her beady eyes. She waa discreet as to tho result of Iheso. For aught th'at could bo gathered .tfrora her words or conduct sho approved ap-proved entlroly of the growing Intimacy Inti-macy between tho married lady and tho agreeable bachelor. Elnathan waa not a man of Gno feelings and strong not a man of duo feelings an oirong tiffectlons. Ho had made up Wo mind to marry becnuso a stylish wlte woula add to his Individual consequence nnd adorn hla already princely establishment. establish-ment. Constance Romalne pleased his critical oyo, and captivated whatovor of fancy dwolt In his practical nature Yet, haying wedded, he trusted her. Sho offended him sometimes. He often wlBhod that sho were interpenotratctl -ith something of Harriet's ' wwnce tor himself; that sho woW Put forth more effort to anticipate nls wishes, and conforri herself In all respects to his Ideas of fltnobs In tlomeanor and conversation. Ho was never harsh In his treatment of thoBo deficiencies, but his oertlnacious schooling, his curbing and dictating, tho portentous shako of his head and solemn curvature of the brows, Irritated her to the extromo of forbearance, Edward had not been twolvo hours In tho houso before ho porcelvcd this endeavor on his brother's sldo to mold a maturo woman Into tho likeness of his prim Ideal, and tho effect wrought b It Ho had suspected it In tho courso of his Initial Interview with his brother's broth-er's wlfo upon tho mountain. Ho never told her that, attracted by hor singing, ho had stealthily ncarcd tho npot whero sho sat, and, unseen by her, been a witness of tho tearful strugglo botweon hor real self nnd Fato. Ho had pitted her heartily then, whllo comparatively Ignorant of tho reason for her seditious emotion. His compassion com-passion was more profound aa ho bot-tor bot-tor understood tho relations between tho Ill-matched pair. Had IiIb personal liking for his now sister boon loss decided de-cided ho would hnvo pronounced her unhapplncss to bo tho righteous punishment punish-ment ot her crlmo and folly In having linked her destiny with that of a man whom sho did not love. Ho had known dozons ot olher women who did the Bame at tho bidding of similar motives, and his sympathies had lain dormant But this ono had heart and Intellect, and both were famlBhlng. I havo Bald that Mr. Withers' sensibilities sensi-bilities were not llvoly, nor hlB love ln-tonso. ln-tonso. But of nil peoplo living this, his only brother, had moat hold upon his heart, most influenco upon his Judgment Judg-ment Ho made much of him after Ms formal Btylo: listened wltn obvious re spect and secret pride to his opinions, and conceived tho notion that his wlfo waa highly honored when Edward rln-gled rln-gled her out as the object of his marked attentions, and did not dia-gulso dia-gulso tho pleosuro ho, the Hon ot many brilliant circles, took In her society. This fullness ot confidence In thorn both, and hla unselfish regard tor his nearest living relatlvo, might have be- I gotten Bofter and, kindlier sentiments I toward him in Constance's breast but for tho palpablo fact that he encour-agod encour-agod tho nidation, not bocauao Jt tbroughtttoor enjoyment, but ok a moans of prolonging Edward's stay with them. "You seem to amuso my brother," he said to his wife ono morning, as fhc waa arraying herself for her ride. "His admiration for you 1b highly complimentary. compli-mentary. I trust you will leave no means untried to Induce him to remain with us Eomo weeks longer. It gratifies mo to seo how amicably you get on together, to-gether, and tho friendship is especially credltnble to Edward, inasmuch as he was unlvorsally regarded aa my heir prior to my marriage." "In that casD ho deserves all tho courtesy cour-tesy I can show him," mused Constance, Con-stance, going thoughtfully down to her ateed and cavalier. "I do not know many men who would be so complaisant to a stumbling block in tho path to worldly advancement" The conversation would havo thrown hor off her guard had she ever considered consid-ered it prudent to bo wary In an association asso-ciation at once so natural and Innocent. Inno-cent. Sho had always liked Edward, and was growing to like him better every hour. Thoy were near the samo age, and, being of harmonious temperaments, tempera-ments, they usually enjoyed the same things. He was good, kind and sprightly; spright-ly; amused and interested as much ns Mr. Withers and Harriet wearied her. This was tho reason why tho sun bhono moro brightly, tho hreezo was more odorous, her favorite oxorciso more Inspiriting on that early midsummer morn than theso had ever been before. "I can hardly bellevo that I enter today to-day upon tho third week of my sojourn In this region," said Edward, when tho steeply-rising ground compelled them to slacken tholr speed. "Is it possible?" Tho oxclamation was not a poll to and meaningless for-mtilaas for-mtilaas Constance brought her startled oyea around to his. "It seems a very little wiillc ago that you came to us. You do not think of leaving us soon, I hope?" "I cannot say positively how long I shall stay. This visit is a wolcomo exchange ex-change for my long wanderings. This ray brother's home is the only ono I haye in America. Yet I was dissatisfied dissatis-fied -with it last year. Elnathan was often nbsent you know be3t upon what business" smiling meaningly, "and. to be candid with you. our cousin Harriet Is not tho person whom I should voluntarily select as my only companion In a desert But for my gun and Ashing rod I should havo committed commit-ted sulcido or run away and left her to tho tender mercies of tho Hibernian domestics and tho beam. I would not be so communicative touching her to any but a member ot tho family. But sho is ono ot my botes noires. I never liked hor." "Nor I!" answered Constanco, energetically, ener-getically, "Then, my little Bister, you and I t fthould unite our forces to oounteruct miiiiiiHH her Influence with my brother, 111a KMmrWt disposition is, in some respects, slnju- BMM larly guileless. Ho believes that Har- tCkv riot's oirtcloua regard for his comfort UKEttS&tn" and deference to his wishes and opln- BHaP'JP'lr'' ions havt tholr root In slncero nttach- iflBftrawH ment for himself. We know better wK&Wv.W know her to be aa mercenary as sho BK' thinks herself cunning, and that aho (JaHnpiaiiiiiW clings to him as tho leech does to him aHavfiMed whoso blood Is fattonlng It I loso all fiHMaH patience with her fawning and flat- iikIH terlcs when I recollect that theso or JeBraBSH tho tricks by which she hopes to oain.' ftHHHfiaiH her living, and, at his docooso, a com 9H fortablo HMbbbI CHAPTER VI. Hafaflas tONSTANOB'S face liHflH wan sHSaalH Bcrconed from hla EbV vlow by her ttll- aHaHaB low phuno. Her H volco waa low, and' jH hnd In it an lnfleo- HH TX tlon o( mournful SrCT'Ji charity for the as- H ( NlVr sailed parasite, or HH - J nn echo borrowed H U from Bomo sorrow- fll ful romtnlBcenco. "Sho la n woman, PH and poor!" sho Bald. "A woman, too. H whom Bocloty forbids, upon penalty ot H banishment from tho circle In which H Bho was born and bred, to seok a live- H llhood by manual labor. It is atry for H men to talk of freedom of thought and H action. Tho world 1b boforo thetn. To H them the bread of charity and dopend- H enco moan ono and tho samo thing. Tho M lattor 1b tho only nourishment of most JU women from the cradle to tho tomb. I "M wlflh tho passage between tho two waa H shorter for their sake." H "I never looked at tho subject in that H light boforo," waa Edward's remorseful reply. "Poor old Harriet! I see now -H how much more sho merits pity than H "Sho Is no wonso off than thousands of her slstero," oald Constanco, In -HUH harsher Judgment "Content yourself ,. H with giving thanks that you wero iaaaaaaaaaa born a man!" ' ""aaaaaaaal Sho had spoken out of tho pain of H wrung spirit, with no thought of plead- H lng her own cause. She was too proud H to murmur, least of all to her bus- 4. H band's brother. But tho conversation u"H was a koy Utat unlocked for hor In hla ,H heart reccBses of interest and sympathy 'liLaaaial i which must else havo remained forevev alaaaaafl barred against a woman who, whatever "wM I were her virtues and fascinations, had '-H 1 deliberately bartered her charms and iH I perjured herself in order to secure an siaaaaiai I eligible settlement -- Bfaaaaaaaal j "And, to do her Justice, sho Is supe- "Siaaaaaaaal I rlor to tho practlco of thoSrtB that make i! Harriot acceptable to my brother and 'H odious to overybody else," ho meditat- Vaaaaaaaa! ed. "Sho offers no profession of dovo- taaaaaaaa! tlon to tho man she has married, while Laaaial she accords to him tho respectful duty 'jH ot a wlfo. Elnathan seems Ballsflod. Clil Perhaps' he craves nothing warmer. -iM Pray heaven ho may never guess of how much fato has defrauded him In with- holding from him the freo, glad affoc- H lions ot a true woman!" 1 If thero wero any changes in hla be- imaaaaaal havlor to ConBtanco after this, It waa to be discerned in a gentler address, In SaHH unobtrusive regard for hor wlshos, tx- JBaaH pressed or surmised, and a prolonga- Laafl tlon of hlB stay in a house that held so H few attractions for her. That this or- H rangetnent waa highly satisfactory to aaaaaal hlB brother wbb not without effect la H shaping his conduct. That Harriet pilot! H him with solicitations to remain before H his decision waa announced, and wa4 'afffH loudly volublo In her protestations of 'H delight whon tho question was isttlud, M had not a straw's weight with him. .' M She annoyed him leoa than formerly,' M however, either, as ho explalnod It to M himself, because he had learned charity - H from Constanco's defenso ot the lonely spinster's policy, or because she kept herself moro in the background than M was hor wont Sho seemed amiably iH disposed toward Constanco, too, and ho M strove to credit her with kind inten- H tiona with regard to ono whom mrst M peoplo in her situation would have M hated as a usurper. Sho abetted Tvhat- H ever project of outdoor exourslon or fl domestic recreation was proposed by him for Constance's diversion, offering H horsoif as the wife's substitute In the .H sober phaeton drlvo on breezy after- H noons, that Constanco and Edward H might act as outriders, and never M failed to call tho husband's notico to H her graceful horsemanship and tho , H brighter bloom planted in her cheeks jB by tho exorcise. Mr. Withers never H tired of chess, and tho Indefatigable fl toad-eater apparently shared his zeal on this point. Tho board waa produced! M nightly as tho days became shortor andl tho evenings cooler, and music, reading ' "'""aH or conversation upon art and litem- turo was carried on for hours by the remaining two ot tho quartette without 'H Interruption from tho automatu bent M over the checkered surfaco. !K For Harriet could bo tnclturn when H need was a very lay flguro In dumb- V ness as In starch. Whether Bho over B ceased to bo watchful waa anothor mat- . Jk ter. (TO BS CONTINUBD.) H |
