JOHN WINTHROP'S DEFEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 248, 19 October 1891, Page 6

JOHN WINTHROP'S DEFEAT.

Bγ JEAN KATE LUDLUM. Author of ' Under a Cloud, , Under Oath, At a Girl's Mercy,' ' That Girl of Johnson's,' 'Called, , Etc., Etc.

CHAPTER VIII, FAREWELL. WellraEter. There are nettles everywhere, But smooth green grasses are more common -stili; The blue of heaven is larger than the cloud. AuBORA Leigh. c Alecia !' ' Yes, mamma.' • Why will you and Harold be so absurdly proud as to give up all home ties, hide yourself from friends who love you, and go to the other side of bhe counbry because misfortune has come upon you 1 You know thab you are more than welcome to your old homo while Harold is retrieving himself. Misforbune is liable to fall upon any of us; ib is no crime. Why should you go away as though it were ?' lOr as though you were defaulters !' said Marion, her hands among embroidery silks in her lap, her eyeg lifted for bhe momenb to her sister's quiet face. 'Or the naughty ehildr&p who threw atones afc the prophets !' addScfCora. * 'Or hide in the woods for robins to feed, because the wicked uncle wanted their money !' supplemented Beatrice, in her swifb, defensive voice. ' I wish I could send John Winthrop to the Sandwich Islands to be eaten by cannibals ! It's no more than he deserves for being so hateful!' ' They wouldn't eat; him, Baa,' said Cora, soothingly, ' because he is boo tough !' ' Anyhow bhey'd scare him !' retorted Beatrice, unmollified. ' And somebody ought to lower his pride !' Alecia laughed,more because of fcheirprav testabions than from lightness of heart. • You must nob think of our going in this light,' she said, presently, unable to speak at first, because of Beatrice's lavish caresses. For Beatrice considered Alecia the ideal of womanhood. ' Harold has lost everything through those fraudulent mining investments and the rest, and it is impossible for him to retrieve himself in this State, in consequence of his heavy debts. We are going West because there the field seems good. California is charming, especially Southern California, and we wiil doubbless meet with pleasant people. I have long desired to travel through that State and Colorado and Oregon—those brave pioneer sister States of ours, you know—'and here the opporbuniby opens ! ■ • Of course, we will be thab distance from home ; bub if all goes well with us, we shall return as soon as there is a chance of payIng the3O dreadful debts. You can, too, come to us next summer instead of going to Europe, if you wish, and ib isn'b half so bad as going bo Bee's Sandwich Islands or Siberia ! Now thab the v/orsb broublo is over, Harold needs resb and change. The poor, dear fellow is terribly worn !' ' Yes,' said Beatrice, tearfully, patting her sister's head, 'poor dear! I just want to cry when I look ab him, and I hate John Winthrop afresh every time !' ' Your hatred doesn't move him, Bee,' said Marion, in her cool way; ' for he hasn't) asked for your love. 1 would not allow him to trouble my conscience to such an extent. Ib is bad enough for Alecia and Harold to go away without giving grief or thought to a stranger.' ' He'd call them crocodile's tears, anyway, Bee, if he knew ib !'■ added Cora. ' Nevertheless,' said Alecia, quietly, rumpling up tho brown curls upon Beatrice's head as the girl sab upon the rug ab her feeb —' in spite of all this, Bee, dear, lam certain thab Mr Winbhrop simply carries out his standard of honour toward his client. Hβ is hard in doing so, bufc he is an honourable man.' 4 And setting aside honourable meu and crocodile teara and John Winthrop,' added Frances, softly—Frances was sitting idly at a window looking down upon the Avenue —' ib still remains a self-evidenb facb bhab dear little Alecia and her husband are going to leave us nexfc week. There is no use in arguing with them, I fcnoiv, mamma, and Marion and Cora and Bee— because when once tho minds of those Grahams are made up to do a thing, that thiug will they do if ib ia in human power. You couldn't burn bhem any more than you could turn the crocodile teara to pearls!' 4 Bub we can never get you ready to go in ono week, 'Lecia !' cried Beatrice. ' You can'b go so soon. I shall tell Harold that ib is impossible.' • And the only benefib thab you will derive from that information will be to learn that Harold bakes Alecia's word againsb bhe world, Mistress Bee !' said Cora. " I descry That Cora and I At loggerheads will live and die!' said Beatrice, wickedly, "Maybe I know jusb as much as you do about Alecia and Harold, Cora; Field !' ' May be you do !' retorted Cora, with a significant shrug of her shoulders. ' But as Harold is coming, mayhem would be as well for you to keep thab—and your doggerel— to yourself, Bee Field.' 'And this is no way to discuss Alecia'a going,' said Mrs Field,' gravely, endeavouring to be heard above this babel of tongues. ' You girls are as bad as little children v/ibh your disagreements ; it is enough to drive one distracted to listen bo you. One cannob talk connectedly or think with any common sense, among you. Come to my assisbance, Harold, and bring order out of this chaos,'she added, as Graham paused in bhe doorway, hie eyes seeking his wife, as they always sought her during bhis weary time. ' What shall I do to govern these chatterboxes when you and Alecia are gone—if you mu3b go ?' 'You aro kind,' he said, sbill with bhat strange, feverish, restlessness of voice and manner, crossing to his wife. 'Ye 3, we must go, Mrs Field—and at once. I cannot endure this lifo much longer.' There waa a fierceness in his voice thab startled Alecia, although she was outwardly calm, looking up to him standing at, her side. •Wo will go then, afc once, dear,' she But farewell was a harder word to utter than they thought during those hurried days of preparation. 1 Still,' said Alecia, to her husband, when their lob seemed cast in specially hard places, ' think of how many friends we have proved true, Harold, dearest.' ' And she repeated this assurance to herself over and over fighting to be brave, fighting to hide her own sadness. No one knew how she fought for that, unbebrayed in her comforting words and strong faith. So the swifb days of the week went by, and the day of departure was come, and Harold Graham and his wife wera booked as passengers upon a Pacific mail steamship bound for Aspinwall on their way to California. 'It is scarcely yoii time for aubumn sborms,' said Alecia, arguing down bhe fears of their friends ; ' and the sea change will be excellent for Harold. I have no fear of the water, you know. Ono grows bo love it as one loves the hills as one gains confidence.' . • Bub I could never, never gam coniidenco, , protested Miss Bess Catherwood, emphatically. She - was home from Fire Island, and on deck, of. course, to bid Godepeod to her friend.

'Besides,' added Alecia, smiling, her eyes upon her husband's haggard face and feverish eyes—alert always for his comforting— 'we will so enter by way of the Golden Gate into the city; that augurs well for us, you see. One comes to watch for any chance good when there is need, Misa Catherwood. , 'You will nob.forget to write regularly to us all V urged Cora, tearful at tho last, as she clung tor a moment about Alocia'a neck. ' I will not forget,' said Alecia, her own eyes nob clear of tears. ' Is it likely that I should, Cora ?' ' No, , said Cora, with a sudden inner eonvicfcion thab this parting was, after all, more to her sister than she would acknowledge. 'No! Good-bye, Alecia. Goodye, Harold. Bon voyage, \ Bon voyage !' v ' Good-bye,' said Alecia, steadily — it seemed to her at times that she was growing incapable of showing emotion, from her constant struggle to master whatever was trying to others — her hands upon her husband's arm, as their friends lefb them and the great ship weighed anchor and bore them slowly away to the new life, her face turned to them, watching them away, her handkerchief answering the flutter of handkerchiefs from those left behind in the borne city. ' And now,' she added, by and by, as the bay lay before them and the ocean stretched ahead, the bustle on deck proving that in truth they were sailing away from all that was dear to a new life, ' and now, Harold, we musfe live for God and each other and have no fear.' ' You are my life's angel!' he said, under his breath, but with his feverish vehemence, • There can but good come to me with you, even remembering what I bp.ve brought upon you.' One or two of the passengers promenading the deck watching tho sunset, turned to look after her as they passed by. One hand was upon his arm, tho other rested lightly upon the rail. ' I refuse to hear any word againsb my husband,' she aaid, calmly. ' The Golden Gate for which wo are bound may open pleasant lands for us, Harold. "The flowers of the west are still sweet, though the eastern gardens fall." Remember that, dearest,' ' And ifa shall be so !' said Earold Graham presently, with stern determination, ' Though Palmer Earle would grind me to the last for his debt, yet I will rise against him—against all that would oppose me— and gain a fortune and give you your old luxuries, and laugh afa them, Alecia. I will not be pub down ! I will show them thsb Harold Graham's pride and ambition match even those of Palmer Earle V 'But Mr Earle was nob so much to blame as his counsel, Harold,' said Alecia, bar eyes upon the sunset heavens beyond the water and the receding land. ' Mr Earle was willing to compromise the matter, bufc Mr Winthrop considered it unwise. I think them both just men.' ' What have I to do with them,' said her husband, turning upon her suddenly and fiercely, ' in our new life, Alecia ? I shall prove my honor and my pride againsb theirs any day. There is no guilt upon me.' And then silence came upon him and his eyes turned from her fn.ee, for, like a black letter upon a snowy page, stood vividly out the struggle in that night of storm and blackness when he came so near yielding to the tempter—when, to savo himself, ho would let his enemy drift from under hie hand into eternity. And she, nob knowing, still trusted in and bolievod in him ; and he could not meet her eyes, bub looked to tho fiery sunset; and was still. And the ship sailed through the nights and the days, bearing them to their new life and new endeavour; the darkness of night too tender to lifb the veil that hid what lay ahead, and the sunshihe of the soft autumn days shimmering upon tho waters, and dazzling the eyes that attempted to pierco the future. Only one day of storm struck them upon the voyage, and-this was off the Gulf of Mexico, where white mists drifted in from the ocean, and shrouded them about for ono whole day and one long night, making it possible for death to look upon them out of this fog at any moment in spite of the regular striking of the bell and the signals shown a and one morning tho Gulf of California was spread before them like a shee'u of gold, and the land stretching before them seemed full of promise. ' Still, 5 Gregory Bensonhursb said, anxiously, as he turned from watching the ship away upon the day of departure, ' i wieh Graham took ib easier. Ib isn't his fault, this failure. The investments looked reasonably good. Of course, he pub almost everything in, which was unwise ; but no one doubted its sscuriby until the crash came. I never saw anyone tako a thing to heart as he has this. 1 have been with him a good deal, you know,' Miss Beatrice was listening with bowed head as he walked beside her up the pier to the ' elevated' station, ' and I have had an opportunity of judging.' _ ' I think that he cared most on Alecia s account,' said Marion, gravely. ' He ia devoted to bar, you know, Mr Bensonhut st. ' And in spite of our having to lose them, I am sure that they will be happy,' said Frances, the stillest of the group, her large eyes looking somewhat larger and darker out of her pale, calm face. ' Alecia would be herself if you set tier in a jungle full of bears ; her heart will make sunlight; anywhere.' ' Yes,' said Gregory Benaonhurst, turning kindly to her. ' Your sister has a remarkable temperamenb, Miss Field. Change of forbune has not changed her excepb to make her still more lovely.' ' And she was lovely enough before.' said Miss Catherwood, mournfully, refusing bo be comforted even by her lover. ' I don't see why those big-minded men, who tell us in books bhab trials are senb wisely _ to strengthen character, don't pub them first and foremost—to make it more true—that bhe very loveliesb and strongest characters seem specially chosen bo be bried 1' 'They are almost always men who shut bhemselves away from bhe world and only see people en masse any way,' said Cora, spitefully. 'When one comes to know people the wprld seems dreadfully unequal in its fortunes and misfortunes—as though we were run through a mill and thrown in indiscriminately to come out as may happen !' •Like tho mills of the gods,' said Leland, laughing. ' The irony of fate is sometimes pasb anyone's perceptions, Miss Field !' ' And ib doe3ti't make any difference about your mills of bhe gods or the wisdom of the philosophers—jusb a lot of mean, horrid men, who think they know so much ! —Alecia has gone !' cried Miss Catherwood, pitaously. ' And I shall always feel that bhab Mr Earle drove bhem away. They never, never would have gone but for him !' , ' Yen,' retorted Cora, indignantly. 'He is a hateful man, Bess Catherwood, bub he isn'b to be compared with thab John Winbhrop in meanness. Ib should be he who is driven away instead of Alecia and Harold.' Then they balked upon indifferent subjects until they reached the uptown station where they were to leave the train bo cross town to Fifth Avenue. Here, as Beatrice and Bensonhursb wore passing oub of bhe gate, a gentleman hurrying up the stairs ran almost againsb them and turned to apologiee. As he lifted his hat, glancing from Bensonhurab bo Beatrice,after addressing him by name, a peculiar stiffness came over his manner. The girl's quick eyes noted this, and turning to her companion, she asked abruptly : 'Who is he, Mr Bensonnureb? A sfcrance face, is ib not ? You look as though you do j nob particularly love him. ) I didn't know that you could be so cross ! A frown was upon his face as though his

thought of the man was nob bhe most pleasant; but ab her lasb words he laughed. . 'Really, Miss Beabrice,' he , said, 'you have nob yeb proved what a bear I can be ! but the gentleman you mention, although he occupies a position which many envy, is cob envied by your humble servant, because he possesses your hatred. That, Miss Beatrice, is—John Winthrop !' (To be Continued,)

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