People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1895 — A WOMAN'S HISTORY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A WOMAN'S HISTORY

/ TEN I see her pass in her carriage in \ the park wrapped L’v'tj' in her furs, opuy lent, haugh t y, , cold, invulneraM ble, beautiful, the woman’s history

comes back t,©. pie ever and again, point for point/step for step. Her brow has the same marble smoothness; het shoulders, when she s.ts in the braze of her opera-box, diamonds that would grace a queen shimmering on* their whiteness, are as incomparable as ever. Time and again, her calm, inscrutable eyes meet, juh a fleeting glance, her They quietly, undemonstratively despise each other, these two. But, again, who would know it? *******' But that was ten years ago. The outward circumstances were different then. On a moist, foggy afternoon in January, a young man with a keen, set, determined countenance, and eyes brooding, calculating, summing up. combining as he went along the crowded city streets, was accosted by another man of about the same age, who was hastening, 1 though somewhat more leisurely, in the opposite direction. “Hullo, Hammcind!*’ Hammond half-wheeled round and stopped.

“If you’ve nothing else on hand, come and make that call with me tonight,” said Searle. 7 Hammond of no special eagerness. But Searle was a rather good friend’.of his —the best he had. That was, perhaps, not saying much, for Hammond’s friends, were few. He had come from a rural district to the great city, resolute upon making his way. How he lived he himself best knew for a few years. There were timfes when the struggle was fought at such close quarters that his often remained unpaid. But at the darkest the dogged determination in him never faltered. He used now and then to walk up the fashionable streets at night and loiter a moment, lost in the crowd of street Arabs of small and large growth, at the house of a well-known prince bf finance, over whose front stepsan awning extended to the curb. The noiselessly opening and shutting door at the head of the steps gave glimpses of an interior of light and warmth. To the curb there drove up a long, slowly moving mass of liveried carriages, disgorging their contents on the carpeted .way. Hammond would stand there an instant or two, observant of the scene. “Some day,” a voice within him would say, “I shall open my doors in this fashion, or drive up to this very door as these people do now.” Searle was but insufficiently cognizant of these characteristics of his friend. He liked him, did him a good turn when he could, and unbosomed himself to him as the more prosperous man will occasionaly do to the confidant whose fortunes are not so excellent as his own. Hammond, had he been asked to give his opinion, would have remarked that to be the manager of a bank, on

ft salary of SIO,OOO a year was ft- beg- • garly sort of thing, unless a man expected to get up higher.' The call the friends made together that evening was on a young girl and her mother. The mother came second. Searle had been infatuated for some time. Now they were engaged. The young lady could scarcely be said to be in society; and she was only in moderate circumstances. But Searle was so happy that he eagerly wished every one of hi,s friends to see Miss Eastiake, and appreciate his good fortune. Did Hammond think her sufficiently, handsome? Searle, with masculine fatuity, asked himself the question several times in - the course of the evening. Hammond’s face was,under sll circumstances non-committal. But, on the other hand, not to acknowledge the beauty.of Adrienne Eastlake was impossible. ' ’ , ‘ Hammond, pleading another appointment, left early. Searle behind half an hour later. »• ‘•What do you think of llarnmond?’ ; he asked, looking down at the girl.as she sat before him'in a low chair, her. head thrown back. ’ . • . “I have only seen jiim once?’ she said evasively. Her manner .’.to the man she waS.gping to marfy .was cool, calm, elusive. But, unconsciously, blinded by his own engrossing passion. Searle invested it with* a reflected fervor. ‘ •. » , “Uh,'Hammond is bound tb strike I—> ■ , t

luck some day; Let mh UA ybii aioni him.” An I Searle discoursed for boom to vhich Adrienne listened, tanifui .lr. “Egad! h he eried, with a suddeh laugh, “if he had only a start, withe little capital—say SIO,OOO. Something like the chance one or two fellows I know would have if they were aware of a certain inside fact I could communicate to them!” Searle was rather a wea& man, and a somewhat indiscreet one. When Adrienne, with a new -show of interest, asked what was . the inside fact, he was not proof against the flattery of her freshly bestowed attention. “Simply the fact that our bank ” Then he stopped short. “Look here,” he laughed uneasily, “I ought not to be telling you this! It only shows what confidence I have in you—how I worship you! Heaven! I believe better than any girl was worshiped before.” She laid her clfeek against ‘his shoulder. Her caresses at all times had been few. This one fired his blood. “Tell me ” He had still presence of mind to ask: .7. “But why do you want to know’?” "Simply a feminine curiosity! If yod don’t tell me, I shall know you don’t love me.” And Searle told her. ***** * * The following morning, a slight, girlish figure, with a certain majesty, too, despite its girlishness, was admitted to the small office where Hammond was eagerly scanning some papers. { The lady’s face was veiled. When She asked if she might see him alone on important business, Hammond, with a faintly puzzled brow, led the way to a still smaller inner room. Then she removed her viel. “Miss Eastlake!” “Yes; you are surnrised, of course. Yet a man such as I take you to be should be surprised at nothing. As a preamble to what I came here to say, however, I am going to tell you that, if you do not know me. I know you, far better than you think possible. Don’t misunderstand me.”

The girl had seated herself. She spoke in a quiet, collected, level voice:“1 am not in love with you. But, from the things Oscar Searle has let drop inadvertently about you from time to time I have formed a certain idea of your personality. And that personality interested me because it coincided with my own, with my own temper, with my mode of thought As soon as I heard you speak last night —I hid seen you before and studied your face, for Mr. Searle pointed you out to me on more than one occasion —I saw that I had not been mistaken in this view I had conceived of the manner of man you were. Well, this being so, I have come to make a bargain. I think it quite to your advantage. I shall’state it as briefly as possible. Few words are needed.”

She paused and her mag nifieent eyes were fixed upon him with a piercing Ijeeness in place . of their customary nonchalance. Hammond had listened with growing attentiveness.

“Go on,” he said. ‘ I can give you information—inside information—concerning the shares in a large bank, which if you have the daring financial spirit I take you to have, will make your fortune or launch you on the way to permanent and colossal success.” “Ah!—Searle?” “Exactly, Searle. He tohl me—being infatuated with me, and* thinking a woman could make use of no such disclosure. He ought not to have trusted to that, of course. But Mr. Searle is a fool.' You thought I loved him!” She was shrugging her shoulders. *‘l consented to marry him because his position was, at least, not poverty —genteel poverty—the worst of all. , But I want to be rich, I want to be powerful. I want to see the world at my feet. “Possibly, I think probably, you are the man who could do these things. Therefore, my bargain. < I communicate Mr. Searle’s information—which he was a fool to give me—on consideration that you marry me.'”

The two faced each other a moment. . Hdmmond’s brain was working with lightning rapidity. “Of course, Searle may be suspected.'He will lose his position. This will brand him—ruin his. chances for-' ever.” ~ 5 Again Adrienne Eastlake shrugged her shoulders. “I arh sorry—l would not willingly harm him. But ,in the struggle for life the weak go to the wall. It is the law.” Half an hour longer this man and this woman Wdre closeted. When Haiumoud walked with his visitor to the door, the information had beep given, the bargain struck. •Before ■ him, „ Hamihond’s insatiate inner eye saw stretching th‘e feverish vision of success, no Ipngef afar’off and dimly,uncertaiit, biit nearyclose, within the grasp of ,fiis-hat»d. ’ * . * * * *'■'* * .

Searle to-day. is a poor man. For ten years be,en an unsuccessful ofre. ■ Thaji the affairs of men .wliicli,,takep tftfits flood, led Hammcmd and ”-pis .beautiful wife on to f'or.tun.e, has jefp.h?m stranded. He lost his positioq bafy odor. The same unweleo.nrb 'repitf-e' has bling’ aoout his naiqe»gvo since. But Hamaiaons b.ullge'jfincE;“bears the market." And. Adrienne has attained her ends; onioys the •fullest- fruition of her amVision.."

To -the general world she repre-. sents triumph incarnate, secure.. The few who know see her drive by, ' as I do, with wonder and .a question its to the possible final end of an-’ earthly tyiumph/. -• ’ •• ■ *

Sam Dead ruff of Morocco was in town last Wednesday. The highest price is paid foi corn at the Nowels elevators. Best galv. barb wire 2|c lb. at J. M. Hufty’s, Mt. Ayr, fnd.

THE LADY’S FACE WAS VEILED.