The Man Between: An International Romance

saw a faint smile that nothing evident could have induced. Unconsciously also he set a tone of constraint and hurry; the meal was not lo

o meet them, asking permission to remain with the little

tan. Make yours

he Judge lit his cigar and looked at Ethel in a wa

ather," she said. "Is

nd grandmother has a good deal to do with

O

ething like this attitude had been expected, and Judge Rawdon was not discouraged by it; he knew that youth is capable of

randmother's name before m

mpler, father, the one that is framed and hanging in her

use on the Bowling Green and lived very happily there. I was born in 1850, the youngest of the

suppose Mrs. Rawdon has had

Frederick Mostyn, her grand-nephew, is coming to New York, and Squire Rawd

d to invite him here, Edward

se. But he is our kinsman, and

It is out of my reckoning," said Ethel. "I

. He has taken the right side in politics, and is likely to make his mark. They were always great sportsmen, a

ests. There was Lord Wycomb, his broadcloths and satins and linen were marvels in quality, but the make! The girls hated to be seen walking wi

y sang songs of triumph wh

And I do not suppose the English lord has now a single peculiarity left, unless it be his constitution

" she asked, "why does Squire Rawdon introduce Mr.

are bound together by many a gold wedding ring; we reckon such ties relationships. Squire Raw-don lost his son and his two grandsons a year ago. Perhaps th

Mostyn may become Sq

ot certain. There is a lar

O

realized. Mr. Rawdon remained silent; he was debating with himself the advisability of further confidence, but he came quickly to the conclusion that enough had be

e is going to be ma

ough. Who i

d Mr. St

nse

itiv

aintly young priest! Why, Dora will be tired to

He is very much

e more believable than the butterfly Dora. Goodness, gracious! The idea of that

know him

at Mondays were dangerous days for him to do business on. And whatever Wall Street financiers think of the Bible personally, they do like a man who sticks to his colors, and who holds intact the truth committed to him. Stanhope does this e

r. Stanhope's fault if she is not led in the right way; for if he only loves and pets her enough he may do all he wishes

way to take? What do her par

pleased

that I hope they will not appeal to me on any question o

," said Ruth. "It is not fair, or

girl of today accepts marriage

rdly one of

tunities. Well, I am sorry for the young priest. He isn't fit to mana

rl of intense feelings and very affectionate. And she has dissolved all her life and

ou not find a more p

e of matter; a material sy

," said Judge Rawdon. "Dora's intellect in itself is childi

great beauty; no one can deny that. I think Dora is giving up a great deal. To her, at least, marriage is a state of passin

ntary is no hardship. Now, my dear, I have a case to look over, and you must excuse me to-night. To-morro

did not; for, a couple of hours afterwards, Ethel tap

ar, what

ther said about the mor

es

to know all

does know al

hink he h

so-it is no

he is to inherit Rawdon, wou

rse he

ld be to marry the daughter o

ld be o

I am a matrimonial possibility. Ho

it over with their friends. They always conceal and hide the transaction. If your father holds the mortgage, I feel sure that no one but himself and Squire Rawdon know

ave not heard all

s that is g

grandmother first th

e will not see through. Your father will call on Mr. Most

ndred and sixty-four days and twenty-three hours in a year, and the

sh, yo

the other counties, and people from them are just respectable foreigners. You may dep

es whatever your grandmoth

know how to manage her. I shall meet her squarely with the truth,

nly a little maid,' and so on. Far better go and talk with Dora. To-morrow s

all plain enough now. Good night, Ruth." And this good night, though dropping sweetly into the minor third, had yet on

Mr. Mostyn. "I have received orders from some one," she said to Ruth; "I simply do not care whether I ever see or hear of th

e little dinner served to them in Dora's private parlor. Then about nine o'clock Mr. Stanhope called, and Ethel found it pleasant enough to watch the lovers and listen to Mrs. Denning's opinions of

was to feel the pinch of the frost and the gust of the north wind, and after it to come to the happy portal of home, and the f

, dar

d took Ethel in her arms. "How delightfully cold you are! And wh

Mos

, and perhaps Dr. Fisher-t

w handsome you look! That black lace dress,

would be overdress

air of royalty, and a woman without jewels is like an uncrowned queen-she does not get the homage. I can't ac

om his words what he thought. I fancied tha

t wonder. We

e dressed i

Shall I wear

white violets in the library. I have a red

really care how we look in

ot care. We must make some sort of an impression, and

sider the

he mortgage

g me a cup of tea upstairs. I

sign of a radically sweet temper. And everything went in accord with the smile; her hair fell naturally into its most becoming waves, her dress into its most graceful folds; the sapphire necklace matched

e fire, but when she heard the door

d lightly on the old lady's shoulder and kissed her cheek. "You do look middling well," she continued, "and yo

ou, grandmother? I have those you

styn is rather better than I expected. It was a great pleasure to see him. It was like a bit

ot an old woma

d her beauty lingered as the beauty of some flowers linger, in fainter tints and in less firm outlines; for she had never fallen from that "grace of God vouchsafed to children," and therefore she had kept not only the enthusiasms of her youth, but that sweet promise of the "times of re

w the girl to her side. "I hear your

a? Y

you s

me for four years. I hope her husband

afraid he

herto she has had her own way in everything. Excepting myself, no one has ventured to contradict her. But

to church and promise to love, honor, and obey their hus

wered Ruth; "that is that men should be so foolis

Ruth. But the old-fashioned woman was a very soft-hearte

er, Madam; and is not the New Woman

there is now very little difference in their looks, and still less in their walk; they go stamping along with the step of an athlete and the stride of a peasant on fresh plowed fields. It is the most hideous of walks imaginable. The

stride in the sam

nough; it does not suit a woman's-she feels

plays

d for centuries by men only. In Scotland, the home of golf, it was not thought nice for

ladies to play golf if it keeps men fro

Men will think what

up; he has no wit and no wisdom and no illusions. He talks of his muscles and smells of cigarettes-p

mbarrassment and no useless polite platitudes; and Ethel's first feeling about her kinsman was one of admiration for the perfect ease and almost instinctive at-homeness with which he took his place. He

ing?" said Judge Rawdon as

ate the suffering. If Dante was writing now he might depict a constant round of personally conducted tours in Purgatory. I should think the punishment adequ

face was keen and thin, from the high cheek bones to the sharp point of the clean-shaven chin. Yet it was an interesting face, for the brows were broad and the eyes bright and glancing. That his nature held the opposite of his qualities was evident from the mouth, which was composed and discreet and generall

ty was illustrated during the evening by an accidental incident-a noisy, mechanical street organ stopped before the windows, and in a blatant manner began its performance. Conversation was paralyzed by the intrusion and when it was removed Jud

" and he went impulsively to the piano and then the sweet monotonous cadences and melodious reveries slipped from his long white fingers till the whole room was permeated with a delicious sense of moonlit solitude and conver

ht of the music and the musician. I fancy we shall be good friends; she is proud-that is no fault; a

might be imperfectly shared. Yet silence was the first result of his departure. Judge Rawdon took out his pocketbook and began to study

I suppose, Edward, you have an op

if he were, mother,

d a young man

, but then, you know, h

nt every wo

but I am not bound to believe all I

o find out, if they could, what manner o