THE WAY OF A WOMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11060, 11 May 1899, Page 3

THE WAY OF A WOMAN.

(When' Derrick Loftus maEricd speculation was rifo as to what kind of a husband ho would make. Rumour had it that his bachelor days had been rather wild. He was Jinown to bo of a roving and restless disposition, and his income of ten thousand a year allowed him to indulgo in every whim that tho lancy of tho moment suggested. His life had not been worse—probably :t had been a good deal belter—than that of (ho average young man of means. But tho fact that lie preferred to roam about tho world i" quest of sport rather than sottlo down as a country gentleman, and devote himself to (lie management of the estate he hail inherited, had caused all sorts of exaggerated rumours to be circulated about him. But when lie met Adela Yanburgh, his character underwent a transformation, and he learnt that there were depths in his nature as yet unsounded. To most people she was jus: a pretty girl, good to look at and dance with: but to him she represented, almost from the first moment that he saw her all that was lovely and lovable in womanhood. She. filled in his heart a shrine, till then empty, which lie had unconsciously dedicated to the highest ideal a man can have.

His revere nee was so great thai many times when words of passionato lovo roso to his lips he checked them— to give them expression. And when at last ho tried to tell her ail he felt, his words seemed so inadequate that he could hardly believo his good fortune when sho graciously consented to Im l His wife. " I can't tell you one bit what I feel, darling," he said, taking her hand and'roverentlv kissing it, " but I -will give my life to make you happy. There is nothing 1 would not do for you." Adela looked at him a little curiously. "Are you sure you mean that?" she said. "Certain," he replied vehemently. "You have made a new man of me. t' may not have been all I ought to have been in tho past, but henceforward I shall simply live for you." He stooped down gently to kiss her, but she drew hack a little. " Don't kiss me, please—now," sho said. "ft is all so strange and new lo mol must think." Derrick Loftus was far too happy to notice any suspicion of coldness in her manner. All thai struck him was her gentleness, her modest v, her exquisite purity. 'I here was no need for a long engagement, and three months after Adela's acceptance of him the marriage took place. And then it was thai Derrick Loftus appeared in a new character to the world—that of the devoted husband. Every wish of his wife was gratified almost before it was expressed, and his own desires lie made entirely subservient to her.

lie would limn liked to live quietly with her in their country house. All his old associates had lost their charm for him, and his 0110 happiness was In bp villi lmr. Bui as soon a.- the honeymoon was over. Adda expressed a desire to entertain her friends, and for weeks flic would keep the house full of guest,-.

" 1 never seem to see you alone, darling." he said to her one daj after a constant mecession 0! house-parties. " Don't you think we might have a week or so to ourselves?" S!'" laughed a little nervously. "Oh, nonsense," she said; "just think how bored we should get with each other." "Don't," ho said gently: "1 know you mean nothing by it, but somehow I cannot bear to hear you talk like that." "Well, seriously, 1 think you should 20 out more," she said. "You so seldom do any shoot or hunting now, and you used to be Mich an ardent tpor'-inan." Derrick l.oftus did not broach the subject again. But he felt for the first time since his muriage that his wife did not quite understand. lie had learnt not. to expect any demonstrations of affection on her part, but he never questioned her love. It was enough for hi in that she had chosen to marry him nut of all the world. Loyal to the core himself. he was not the man to suspect another of disloyalty. He knew that many of the men who came to his house admired Adelathat was only natural: but it never occurred to him to feel jealous. His faith in her was so great that 't would have made him blind to any indiscretion 011 her part. But as the months rolled on he could not help noticing that Adela showed an increasing dislike to being alone in his company. Tie had taken a house for her in town, and she insisted on spending most of her time there. She was so tired of tho country," she

A sort of reserve seemed to grow up between husband and wife, which he, oil his part, did his utmost to break down. His devotion to her never wavered, and often he, longed passionately to fake her in his arms and shower kisses upon her face. But '10 feared the repulse that he knew would follow any such demonstration of feeling. Only once did Derrick oppose his will to hers, and this was in connection with a certain Colonel Staplcton. Adela was in the habit of receiving letters very constantly from India, and on one occasion Derrick, who never thought of interfering with his wife's correspondence, inquired as to the writer of one of ilie-e. "It is Irom Colonel Staplelon," Adela replied. "He is an old friend of our family." Derrick said nothing at the lime, but a few months later, vlien his wife announced that Colonel Stapleton had returned to England. and that she was writing to r.ik him " to come down and stay, ' lie expressed his disapproval. " I would much rather you did not ask him, darling. I don't like th" man. and there are some ugly stories told about him. "Nonsense:" she replied. "I shall most certainly invite him. All the tales are idle gossip. ' I have known Colonel Staplelon since I was 11 girl." "He is lint' a man I tor,ld trust, and, as I said, his reputation is bad," continued Derrick decidedly. Adela bit her lip?. She had a hasty temper, and was inclined to bo very bitter if crossed in any way. „ "You show great solicitude for me! she said ironically, "But perhaps it would be better if you were a little more charitable about' other peoole. Colonel Slapletou is not the only man about whom unwarranted itimours have been circulated. The reference was only too obvious. Derrick Coloured slightly. "We need not discuss the matter further, dear," lie said. " I don't as a rule interfere in any way with your arrangements, but on this occasion i must ask you to respect my wi-hes." . Atlela looked at him with surprise as lie walked out of the room. There was a new dignity in his mannei, and she found herself liking him bettei at that moment than at any li»*i time since her marriage. "It won't do. though, ' sin' said to herself, "to let him have his own way We may develop ml" a perfect tyrant. Ne\erthele-s, she put off the invitation to the Colonel by deciding that it was necessary for her to run up to town. Derrick, ivlu was engaged on some matters connected with the estate, could not accompany hot, but arranged (0 follow in two or three days. He had begun to try to ease the heartache cause-! by his wife's coldness by throwing himself into other pursuits, and he was now, with the aid of his steward, devising a plan for erecting some model cottages for the tenants. But he had exaggerated his own capacity for enduring his wiles absence. He bad not been separated from _ her for a whole day since hi; marriage, and before lour and twenty hours were passed he was conscious of a great longing to sec her again. To he with her, if only to gaze upon her. to hear her voice, even ll it were cox and unloving, seemed to bun to be his great- ' before the second day was oyer he could bear the sense of loneliness no longer, so lie caught the five o'clock train up to town, and wired to bis wife that ho would lie With liei at dinner. ~ , , • All through the journey, which seemed interminable, though it was only a matter of something under three hours, Derrick was consumed by a feverish restlessness Had he been of an analytical temperament, he might have realised that some foreboding of disaster had taken possession of him: but lie was 110! in the habit of probing his own emotions, and his painful anxiety seemed on y the natural outcome of his all-absorbing pas-

sion. , , , , 11 was not until he reached the house and found that his wife was out that he real car..-e of hi.- uneasiness revealed itself to him. Madame had pone out about six o clock, said the servant. No, she had given no orders about dinner, but bad ordered supper at half-past eleven. . ~ . And then, for the first time ill Ills 1110, an overpowering jealousy seized upon Derrick Loftus. , . . In an instant, memory supplied him a hundred suspicions little incidents which lie had passed over in silence or explained aw.iy at the time of their occurrence. Ado a had never eared for him, and in his blind tolly lie had not realised it. All the pent-up feelings in the man burst forth with uncontrollable force. . „ The humiliation, the bitter shame of it all, the unsatisfied longing transformed him lor a time into something like a madman, lint this pitch of feeling was too intense to last, mid gradually it died away, leaving a sort or hopeless recklessness behind.it. His habitual self-control reasserted itself, and by the time Adela arrived his outward demeanour was calm.

to?! voiS & the* i:sr;r - . st l>'r " Good-nielli" tt,™ I' ™ m his v.ifo a laugh, and tho ?Jl e IfldT'^l™"' 3 ' she ascended the stairs alone 8 ! ' 3 ft**lurked behind her husbTndVnui F" 6610 "- l '' at it who'll thai?.' 1 Ule door and motionod llis Adda, obeyed mechanically aetlv wish you to to "i me '" ' 10 E "' c '> " ex - clock " *°* ll "° beon doin ■»'» »' ttaU*™h, l s™ 1 ,0 '" d <» »'• pleton?" y ° U bee " aloll ° wilh Colonel &&•

vutaiTOhr^Hi 01 '' ° n i! ''• 0r ' ,osom heaved eonper Was Waning to loso her tern-

" I anwlnlfi bo , catechised!" she said. exlnordnar 1 "to understand 3'°"'' "ordinary manner. Derrick' lL'l'l". 3 '°o-J w '" know," exclaimed with me-" y " Slmll 110 loll|?cr ' ,la y What do you suspect?" she flashed. for ill" will" IVn1 V n 11 1 oncoaml All } ' 0U e " mC? "•one fr '""V 180 '}- Evc,, y trace of colour had : r 7, hw T e " Tlle Furics had posbritorl II "I 1 t Wry word she s P" ko viOrated through her body. wnll^ CS ' S ' ><! . aid >, ani 'here was 6coni as von as anger iin her voice. "I will tell ton! u ? °" with C " lollcl Slnpleton 0-n ght, and alone, and I refuse to be dietatea to by you. I have never loved vou. i «as forced into marriage with you. I have been almost bored to death In- von. So long as you did not attempt to interfere. I could just endure you, but now I hale you! I halo 101 l with all my heart and soul I" the cruel words came upon Derrick like a lash and out deep into his soul. He did noi attempt any reply, but without another »ok at the woman whom lie had loved so blindly went slowly out of her presence and out of her life for ever. In the morning, when her mood was soft™.Hl, Adela waited in vain for him lo come, lint even then she did not realise that she would never see his face again. An announcement from his lawyers that he had gone abroad was Iho only news of him that reached her, until the papers contained fin account of how Mr, Derrick Loftus, wellknown in England as an intrepid sportsman, had mot Ins death while tiger-shooting in India. *

„ Tho world's sympathy was with his wiK It was very sad," people said, to lie eft a widow after -ighleen months. Her hut-band was always a wild sort of man, and we were curtain his devotion would not in*' long. He had no Inisiness lo go tißor-pliootim; so soon afte. liis marriage. Hut lie did '.hi right thing in leaving hoi all his money." ihe world, 100, applauded, wlion a year later .-Viola became Airs. Staplelon. But the world is not always quite correct in its judgments.—