For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

And Must Do My Will. Do It,  And You Will Come To No Harm; But Live And

Die In A Luxurious Home."

While The Amiable Mr. Fabian Was Engaged In Soothing The Woman Whom He

Was Resolved To Make His Instrument In Gaining The Whole Of His Father's

Great Business Bequeathed To Him By Will,  Carriage Wheels Were Heard

Grating On The Gravel Of The Drive Leading Up To The Front Door Of The

House,  And A Few Minutes Afterward The Master's Knock Was Answered By

The Hall Waiter,  And Old Aaron Rockharrt Strode Into The Drawing Room.

"I Did Not Know That You Had Gone Out Again. I Left You On The Library

Sofa Asleep," Said Rose,  Deferentially,  As She Sprang Up To Meet Him.

"I Was Called Out On Business That Don't Concern You. Ah,  Fabian! How Is

It That I Find You Here To-Night?" Inquired The Iron King,  As He Threw

Himself Into A Chair.

"I Brought Cora Home From The Banks," Replied The Eldest Son.

"Ah! How Is Mrs. Fabian?"

"Still Delicate. I Can Scarcely Hope That She Will Be Stronger For Some

Weeks Yet."

"When Are You Going To Bring Her To Call On My Wife?" Demanded The Iron

King,  Bending His Gray Brows Somewhat Angrily And Looking Suspiciously

On His Son; For He Was Not Pleased That His Daughter-In-Law's Visit Of

Ceremony Had Been So Long Delayed.

"As Soon As She Is Able To Leave The House. Our Physician Has Forbidden

Her To Take Any Long Walk Or Ride For Some Time Yet."

"And How Long Is This Seclusion To Last?"

"Until After A Certain Event To Take Place At The End Of Three Months."

"Ah! And Then Another Month For Convalescence! So It Will Be Late In The

Autumn Before We Can Hope To See Mrs. Fabian Rockharrt At Rockhold!"

"I Fear So,  Indeed,  Sir!"

"I Do Not Approve Of This Petting,  Coddling,  And Indulging Women. It

Makes The Weak Creatures Weaker. If You Choose To Seclude Your Wife Or

Allow Her To Seclude Herself On Account Of A Purely Physiological

Condition,  I Will Not Allow Mrs. Rockharrt To Go Near Her Until She Goes

To Return Her Call."

When Cora Reached Her Chamber That Evening,  She Sat Down To Reflect On

All That Her Uncle Fabian Had Told Her Of The Past History Of Her

Grandfather's Young Wife,  And To Anticipate The Possible Movements Of

Her Brother. Her Own Life,  Since The Loss Of Her Husband--Now Loved So

Deeply,  Though Loved Too Late--She Felt Was Over. The Future Had Nothing

For Herself. What,  Therefore,  Could She Do With The Dull Years In Which

She Might Long Vegetate Through Life But To Give Them In Useful Service

To Those Who Needed Help? She Would Go With Her Brother To The Frontier,

And Find Some Field Of Labor Among The Indians. She Would Found A School

With Her Fortune,  And Devote Her Life To The Education Of Indian

Children. And She Would Call The School By Her Lost Husband's Name,  And

So Make Of It A Monument To His Memory.

Revolving These Plans In Her Mind,  Cora Rothsay Retired To Rest. The

Next Morning She Arose At Her Usual Hour,  Dressed,  And Went Down Stairs.

Old Aaron Rockharrt And His Young Wife Were Already In The Parlor,

Waiting For The Breakfast Bell To Ring.

She Had But Just Greeted Them When The Call Came,  And All Moved Toward

The Breakfast Room.

Just As The Three Had Seated Themselves At The Table,  And While Rose

Was Pouring Out The Coffee,  The Sound Of Carriage Wheels Was Heard

Approaching The House,  And A Few Minutes Later Mr. Clarence And Sylvan

Entered The Breakfast Room With Joyous Bustle.

"What--What--What Does This Unseemly Excitement Mean?" Sternly Demanded

The Iron King,  While Cora Arose To Shake Hands With Her Uncle And

Brother; And While Rose,  Fearful Of Doing Wrong,  Did Nothing At All.

"What Is The Matter? What Has Happened? Why Have You Left The Works At

This Hour Of The Morning,  Clarence?" He Requested Of His Son.

"I Came With Sylvan,  Sir,  For The Last Time Before He Leaves Us For

Distant And Dangerous Service,  And For An Unlimited Period."

"Ah! You Have Your Orders,  Then?" Said Mr. Rockharrt,  In A Somewhat

Mollified Tone.

"Yes,  Sir," Said The Young Lieutenant. "I Received My Commission By The

Earliest Mail This Morning,  With Orders To Report For Duty To Colonel

Glennin,  Of The Third Regiment Of Infantry,  Now At Governor's Island,

New York Harbor,  And Under Orders To Start For Fort Farthermost,  On The

Mexican Frontier. I Must Leave To-Night In Order To Report In Time."

Cora Looked At Him With The Deepest Interest.

Rose Thought Now She Might Venture On A Little Civility Without Giving

Offense To Her Despotic Lord.

"Have You Had Breakfast,  You Two?" She Inquired.

"No,  Indeed. We Started Immediately After Receiving The Orders," Said

Sylvan. "And We Are As Hungry As Two Bears."

"Bring Chairs To The Table,  Mark,  For The Gentlemen," Said Young Mrs.

Rockharrt,  Who Then Rang For Two More Covers And Hot Coffee.

"Cora," Whispered Sylvan,  As Soon As He Got A Chance To Speak To His

Sister,  "You Can Never Get Ready To Go With Me On So Short A Notice.

Women Have So Much To Do."

"Sylvan," She Replied,  "I Have Been Ready For A Month."

The Day Succeeding That On Which Sylvanus Haught Had Received His

Commission As Second Lieutenant In The 3d Regiment Of Infantry,  Then On

Governor's Island,  New York Harbor,  And Under Orders For Fort

Farthermost,  On The Southwestern Frontier,  Was A Very Busy One For Cora

Rothsay; For,  However Well She Had Been Prepared For A Sudden Journey,

There Were Many Little Final Details To Be Attended To Which Would

Require All The Time She Had Left At Her Disposal.

A Farewell Visit Must Be Paid To Violet Rockharrt,  And--Worse Than

All--An Explanatory Interview Must Be Held With Her Grandfather In

Relation To Her Departure With Sylvanus Haught,  And That Interview Must

Be Held Before The Iron King Should Leave Rockhold That Morning For His

Daily Visit To The Works.

Cora Had Often,  During The Last Year,  And Oftener Since Her

Grandfather's Second Marriage,  Taken Occasion To Allude To Her Intention

Of Accompanying Her Brother To His Post Of Duty,  However Distant And

Dangerous That Post Might Be. She Had Done This With The Fixed Purpose

Of Preparing This Autocratic Old Gentleman's Mind For The Event.

Now,  The Day Of Her Intended Departure Had Arrived; She Was To Leave

Rockhold With Her Brother That Afternoon To Take The Evening Express To

New York. And As She Could Not Go Without Taking Leave Of Her

Grandfather,  It Was Necessary That She Should Announce Her Intention To

Him Before He Should Start On His Daily Visit To North End.

Therefore Cora Had Risen Very Early That Morning And Had Gone Down Into

The Little Office Or Library Of The Iron King,  That Was Situated At The

Rear Of The Middle Hall,  There To Wait For Him,  As It Was His Custom To

Rise Early And Go Into His Study,  To Look Over The Papers Before

Breakfast. These Papers Were Brought By A Special Messenger From North

End,  Who Started From The Depot As Soon As The Earliest Train Arrived

With The Morning's Mail And Reached Rockhold By Seven O'clock.

She Had Not Sat There Many Minutes Before Mr. Rockharrt Entered The

Study.

"I Am Going Away With My Brother," Cora Said,  Without Any Preface

Whatever,  "To Fort Farthermost,  On The Southwestern Indian Frontier."

"I Think You Must Be Crazy."

"Dear Grandpa,  This Is No Impulsive Purpose Of Mine. I Have Thought Of

It Ever Since--Ever Since--The Death Of My Dear Husband," Said Cora,  In

A Broken Voice.

"Oh! The Death Of Your Dear Husband!" He Exclaimed,  Rudely Interrupting

Her. "Much You Cared For The Death Of Your Dear Husband! If You Had,  You

Would Never Have Driven Him Forth To His Death!--For That Is What You

Did! You Cannot Deceive Me Now. As Long As The Fate Of Rule Rothsay Was

A Mystery,  I Was Myself At Somewhat Of A Loss To Account For His

Disappearance--Though I Suspected You Even Then--But When The News Came

That He Had Been Killed By The Comanches Near The Boundaries Of Mexico,

And I Had Time To Reflect On It All,  I Knew That He Had Been Driven Away

By You--You! And All For The Sake Of A Titled English Dandy! You Need

Not Deny It,  Cora Rothsay!"

"It Would Be Quite Useless To Deny Anything That You Choose To Assert,

Sir," Replied The Young Lady,  Coldly But Respectfully. "Yet I Must Say

This,  That I Loved And Honored My Husband More Than I Ever Did Or Ever

Can Love And Honor Any Other Human Being. His Departure Broke My Spirit,

And His Death Has Nearly Broken My Heart--Certainly It Has Blasted My

Future. My Life Is Worth Nothing,  Nothing To Me,  Except As I Make It

Useful To Those Who Need My Help."

"Rubbish!" Exclaimed Old Aaron Rockharrt,  Turning Over The Leaves Of His

Paper And Looking For The Financial Column.

"Grandfather,  Please Hear Me Patiently For A Few Minutes,  For After

To-Day I Do Not Know That We May Ever Meet Again," Pleaded Cora.

The Old Man Laid His Open Paper On His Knees,  Set His Spectacles Up On

His Head,  And Looked At Her.

"What The Devil Do You Mean?" He Slowly Inquired.

"Sir,  I Am To Leave Rockhold With My Brother This Afternoon,  To Go With

Him,  First To Governor's Island,  And Within