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Tretherick at the theater and church; his professional habits

debarring him from ordinary social intercourse; and indeed any

other than the most formal public contact with the sex。  As this

gentleman had made a snug fortune during the felicitous prevalence

of a severe epidemic; the colonel regarded him as a dangerous

rival。  Fortunately; however; the undertaker was called in

professionally to lay out a brother senator; who had unhappily

fallen by the colonel's pistol in an affair of honor; and either

deterred by physical consideration from rivalry; or wisely

concluding that the colonel was professionally valuable; he

withdrew from the field。



The honeymoon was brief; and brought to a close by an untoward

incident。  During their bridal trip; Carry had been placed in the

charge of Colonel Starbottle's sister。  On their return to the

city; immediately on reaching their lodgings; Mrs。 Starbottle

announced her intention of at once proceeding to Mrs。 Culpepper's

to bring the child home。  Colonel Starbottle; who had been

exhibiting for some time a certain uneasiness which he had

endeavored to overcome by repeated stimulation; finally buttoned

his coat tightly across his breast; and after walking unsteadily

once or twice up and down the room; suddenly faced his wife with

his most imposing manner。



〃I have deferred;〃 said the colonel with an exaggeration of port

that increased with his inward fear; and a growing thickness of

speech〃I have deferrI may say poshponed statement o' fack thash

my duty ter dishclose ter ye。  I did no wish to mar sushine mushal

happ'ness; to bligh bud o' promise; to darken conjuglar sky by

unpleasht revelashun。  Musht be doneby God; m'm; musht do it now。

The chile is gone!〃



〃Gone!〃 echoed Mrs。 Starbottle。



There was something in the tone of her voice; in the sudden

drawing…together of the pupils of her eyes; that for a moment

nearly sobered the colonel; and partly collapsed his chest。



〃I'll splain all in a minit;〃 he said with a deprecating wave of

the hand。  〃Everything shall be splained。  The…the…the…melencholly

event wish preshipitate our happ'nessthe myster'us prov'nice wish

releash youreleash chile! hunerstan?releash chile。  The mom't

Tretherick dieall claim you have in chile through himdie too。

Thash law。  Who's chile b'long to?  Tretherick?  Tretherick dead。

Chile can't b'long dead man。  Damn nonshense b'long dead man。  I'sh

your chile? no! whose chile then?  Chile b'long to 'ts mother。

Unnerstan?〃



〃Where is she?〃 said Mrs。 Starbottle; with a very white face and a

very low voice。



〃I'll splain all。  Chile b'long to 'ts mother。  Thash law。  I'm

lawyer; leshlator; and American sis'n。  Ish my duty as lawyer; as

leshlator; and 'merikan sis'n to reshtore chile to suff'rin mother

at any cossany coss。〃



〃Where is she?〃 repeated Mrs。 Starbottle; with her eyes still fixed

on the colonel's face。



〃Gone to 'ts m'o'r。  Gone East on shteamer; yesserday。  Waffed by

fav'rin gales to suff'rin p'rent。  Thash so!〃



Mrs。 Starbottle did not move。  The colonel felt his chest slowly

collapsing; but steadied himself against a chair; and endeavored to

beam with chivalrous gallantry not unmixed with magisterial

firmness upon her as she sat。



〃Your feelin's; m'm; do honor to yer sex; but conshider situashun。

Conshider m'or's feelingsconshider MY feelin's。〃  The colonel

paused; and flourishing a white handkerchief; placed it negligently

in his breast; and then smiled tenderly above it; as over laces and

ruffles; on the woman before him。  〃Why should dark shed…der cass

bligh on two sholes with single beat?  Chile's fine chile; good

chile; but summonelse chile!  Chile's gone; Clar'; but all ish'n't

gone; Clar'。  Conshider dearesht; you all's have me!〃



Mrs。 Starbottle started to her feet。  〃YOU!〃 she cried; bringing

out a chest note that made the chandeliers ring〃You that I

married to give my darling food and clothesYOU! a dog that I

whistled to my side to keep the men off meYOU!〃



She choked up; and then dashed past him into the inner room; which

had been Carry's; then she swept by him again into her own bedroom;

and then suddenly reappeared before him; erect; menacing; with a

burning fire over her cheekbones; a quick straightening of her

arched brows and mouth; a squaring of jaw; and ophidian flattening

of the head。



〃Listen!〃 she said in a hoarse; half…grown boy's voice。  〃Hear me!

If you ever expect to set eyes on me again; you must find the

child。  If you ever expect to speak to me again; to touch me; you

must bring her back。  For where she goes; I go; you hear me!  Where

she has gone; look for me。〃



She struck out past him again with a quick feminine throwing…out of

her arms from the elbows down; as if freeing herself from some

imaginary bonds; and dashing into her chamber; slammed and locked

the door。  Colonel Starbottle; although no coward; stood in

superstitious fear of an angry woman; and; recoiling as she swept

by; lost his unsteady foothold and rolled helplessly on the sofa。

Here; after one or two unsuccessful attempts to regain his

foothold; he remained; uttering from time to time profane but not

entirely coherent or intelligible protests; until at last he

succumbed to the exhausting quality of his emotions; and the

narcotic quantity of his potations。



Meantime; within; Mrs。 Starbottle was excitedly gathering her

valuables and packing her trunk; even as she had done once before

in the course of this remarkable history。  Perhaps some

recollection of this was in her mind; for she stopped to lean her

burning cheeks upon her hand; as if she saw again the figure of the

child standing in the doorway; and heard once more a childish voice

asking; 〃Is it Mamma?〃  But the epithet now stung her to the quick;

and with a quick; passionate gesture she dashed it away with a tear

that had gathered in her eye。  And then it chanced that; in turning

over some clothes; she came upon the child's slipper with a broken

sandal string。  She uttered a great cry herethe first she had

utteredand caught it to her breast; kissing it passionately again

and again; and rocking from side to side with a motion peculiar to

her sex。  And then she took it to the window; the better to see it

through her now streaming eyes。  Here she was taken with a sudden

fit of coughing that she could not stifle with the handkerchief she

put to her feverish lips。  And then she suddenly grew very faint。

The window seemed to recede before her; the floor to sink beneath

her feet; and staggering to the bed; she fell prone upon it with

the sandal and handkerchief pressed to her breast。  Her face was

quite pale; the orbit of her eyes dark; and there was a spot upon

her lip; another on her handkerchief; and still another on the

white counterpane of the bed。



The wind had risen; rattling the window sashes and swaying the

white curtains in a ghostly way。  Later; a gray fog stole softly

over the roofs; soothing the wind…roughened surfaces; and in…

wrapping all things in an uncertain light and a measureless peace。

She lay there very quietfor all her troubles; still a very pretty

bride。  And on the other side of the bolted door the gallant

bridegroom; from his temporary couch; snored peacefully。





A week before Christmas Day; 1870; the little town of Genoa; in the

State of New York; exhibited; perhaps more strongly than at any

other time; the bitter irony of its founders and sponsors。  A

driving snowstorm that had whitened every windward hedge; bush;

wall; and telegraph pole; played around this soft Italian Capital;

whirled in and out of the great staring wooden Doric columns of its

post office and hotel; beat upon the cold green shutters of its

best houses; and powdered the angular; stiff; dark figures in its

streets。  From the level of the street; the four principal churches

of the town stood out starkly; even while their misshapen spires

were kindly hidden in the low; driving storm。  Near the railroad

station; the new Methodist chapel; whose resemblance to an enormous

locomotive was further heightened by the addition of a pyramidal

row of front steps; like a cowcatcher; stood as if waiting for a

few more houses to be hitched on to proceed to a pleasanter

location。  But the pride of Genoathe great Crammer Institute for

Young Ladiesstretched its bare brick length and reared its cupola

plainly from the bleak Parnassian hill above the principal avenue。

There was no evasion in the Crammer Institute of the fact that it

was a public institution。  A visitor upon its doorsteps; a pretty

face at its window; were clearly visible all over the township。



The shriek of the engine of the four…o'clock Northern express

brought but few of the usual loungers to the depot。  Only a single

passenger alighted; and was driven away in the solitary waiting

sleigh toward the Genoa Hotel。  And then the train sped away again;

with

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