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

"Grandfather," Said Cora,  As They Alighted And Went Into The House,  Rose

Leaning On Mr. Rockharrt's Arm--"Grandfather,  I Think,  Now That The Rush

Of Travelers Have Passed Northward,  You May Be Able To Get Me Another

Room. In Mrs. Stillwater's Nervous Condition It Cannot Be Agreeable To

Her To Have The Disturbance Of A Room-Mate."

"What Do You Say,  My Child?" Inquired Mr. Rockharrt Of His Guest.

"Sweet Cora Never Could Disturb Me Under Any Circumstances,  But It

Cannot Be Good For Her To Room With Such A Nervous Creature As I Am Just

At Present," Replied Rose.

"Umph! It Appears To Me That You Two Women Wish To Have Separate Rooms

Each Only For The Welfare Of The Other. Well,  You Shall Have Them. Take

Mrs. Stillwater Up Stairs,  Cora,  While I Step Into The Office," Said Mr.

Rockharrt.

Cora Drew The Convalescent's Arm Within Her Own,  And Helped Her To Climb

The Easy Flight Of Stairs,  And Took Her Into The Parlor,  Where They Were

Presently Joined By The Iron King.

"I Have Also Engaged A Private Sitting Room,  So That We Need Not Go Down

To The Public Table,  And Dinner Will Be Laid For Us There In A Few

Minutes. You Need Not Lay Off Your Wraps Until You Go There; And If

There Is Any Special Dish That You Would Particularly Like,  My Dear,  I

Hope You Will Order It At Once. Come." And He Offered His Arm To Mrs.

Stillwater,  To Whom,  Indeed,  He Had Addressed All His Remarks.

He Led Her From The Public Parlor,  Followed By His Granddaughter. The

Little Sitting Room Which Mr. Rockharrt Had Been Able To Engage Was Just

Across The Hall.

On Entering They Found The Table Laid For A Party Of Three.

Neither Mr. Rockharrt Nor Cora Had Broken Fast Since Their Early

Breakfast At West Point. The Old Gentleman Was Very Hungry.

Dinner Was Soon Served,  And Two Of The Party Did Full Justice To The

Good Things Set Before Them; But Rose Stillwater Could Touch Nothing.

She Had Not Recovered Her Appetite Since Her Overdose Of Morphia. In

Vain Her Host Recommended This Or That Dish,  For The More Appetizing The

Flavor,  The More She Detested Them.

At Last When Dinner Was Over,  Mr. Rockharrt Recommended Her To Retire To

Rest. She Readily Took His Advice And Bade Him Good Night.

Cora Volunteered To See Their Guest To Her Chamber.

"You Will Look At Both Rooms,  Mrs. Stillwater,  And Take Your Choice

Between Them," She Said,  As She Led The Guest Into The New Chamber

Engaged For One Of The Ladies.

"Oh,  My Dear Cora,  I Do Not Care Where I Drop Myself Down,  So That I Get

Rest And Sleep. Oh,  Cora! I Have Been So Frightened! Suppose I Had Died

In That Opium Sleep!" Exclaimed Mrs. Stillwater,  Speaking Frankly For At

Least Once In Her Life.

"You Should Not Have Tampered With Such A Dangerous Drug," Said Mrs.

Rothsay.

"Oh,  I Took It To Stop The Maddening Pain That Seemed To Be Killing Me,"

Exclaimed Rose Stillwater,  As She Let Herself Drop Into An Easy Chair;

Not Speaking Frankly This Time,  For She Had Taken The Morphia To Quiet

Her Nerves,  And Enable Her To Decide Upon Some Course By Which She Might

Avoid Meeting With The Dean Of Olivet Again,  And Some Excuse For

Withdrawing Herself So Suddenly From Her Traveling Party.

"So You Will Remain Here?" Inquired Cora.

"Oh,  Yes. I Would Remain Anywhere Sooner Than Move Another Step."

"Then I Will Help To Get You To Bed. Where Is Your Bag?"

"Bag? Bag? I--I Don't Know! I Have Not Seen It Since I Fell Into That

Stupor! It Must Be At The Depot Or At The Hospital."

"Then I Will Get You A Night Dress," Said Cora.

And Then She Ran Off To Her Own Room,  And Soon Returned With A White

Cambric Gown,  Richly Trimmed With Lace.

When She Had Prepared Her Guest For Bed,  And Put Her Into It,  She

Lowered The Gas And Left Her To Repose. Then She Went To Her Own Room,

Satisfied To Be Alone With Her Memories Once More. Soon After She Heard

The Slow And Heavy Steps Of Her Grandfather As He Passed Into His Room.

When The Party Met At A Late Breakfast The Next Morning,  Mrs. Stillwater

Seemed To Have Quite Recovered Her Health,  And What Was Still Better,  In

Her Opinion,  Her Complexion. She Was Once Again A Delicately Blooming

Rose. They Were Still At Breakfast When Sylvanus Haught Burst In Upon

Them,  Bowed To His Grandfather,  Bowed To Rose Stillwater,  And Seized

Cora Rothsay Around The Neck And Covered Her With Kisses,  All In A

Minute And Before He Spoke A Word. Old Aaron Rockharrt Glared At Him.

Rose Stillwater Smiled On Him. But Cora Rothsay Put Her Arms Around His

Neck And Kissed Him With Tears Of Pleased Affection.

"Well,  Sir! You Have Got Through," Said The Iron King With Dignified

Gravity.

"Yes,  Sir,  Got Through,  'By The Skin Of My Teeth,' As I Might Say! And

Got Leave Of Absence,  Waiting My Commission. Hurrah,  Cora! Hurrah,  The

Rose That All Admire! I Shall Be Your Cavalier For The Next Three Months

At Least,  And Until They Send Me Out To Fort Devil's Icy Peak,  To Be

Killed And Scalped By The Redskins!" Exclaimed The New Fledged Soldier,

Throwing Up His Cap.

"Will You Have The Goodness To Remember Where You Are,  Sir,  And Endeavor

To Conduct Yourself With Some Manner Approximating Toward Propriety?"

Demanded Mr. Rockharrt,  With Solemn Dignity.

"I Beg Your Pardon,  Grandfather! I Beg Your Pardon,  Ladies," Said

Sylvanus,  Assuming So Sudden And Profound A Gravity As To Inspire A

Suspicion Of Irony In The Minds Of The Two Women.

But Old Aaron Rockharrt Understood Only An Humble And Suitable Apology.

"Have You Breakfasted?" He Inquired In A Modified Tone.

"No,  Sir; And I Am As Hungry As A Wolf--I Mean I Took The First Train

Down This Morning Without Waiting For Breakfast."

The Iron King,  Whose Glare Had Cut Short The First Half Of The Young

Man's Reply,  Now Rang,  And When The Waiter Appeared,  Gave The Necessary

Orders.

And Soon Sylvanus Was Seated At The Table,  Sharing The Morning Meal Of

His Family.

"Now That My Brother Has Joined Us Shall We Leave For North End To-Day,

Grandfather?" Inquired Cora,  As They All Arose From Breakfast.

"No; Nor Need You Make Any Suggestions Of The Sort. When I Am Ready To

Go Home,  I Will Tell You. I Have Business To Transact Before I Leave New

York," Gruffly Replied The Family Bear.

Rose Stillwater Took Up One Of The Morning Papers And Ran Her Eyes Down

Column After Column,  Over Page After Page. Presently She Came To The

Item She Was So Anxiously Looking For:

"The Very Reverend The Dean Of Olivet Left The City Last Evening By The

Steamer Nighthawk For Boston."

With A Sigh Of Relief She Laid The Paper Down.

Mr. Rockharrt Came And Sat Down Beside Her On The Sofa,  And Began To

Speak To Her In A Low Voice.

Sylvan,  Sitting By Cora At The Other End Of The Apartment,  Began To Tell

All About The Exercises At West Point Which She Had Missed. His Voice,

Though Not Loud,  Was Clear And Lively,  And Quite Drowned The Sound Of

Mr. Rockharrt And Mrs. Stillwater's Words,  Which Cora Could See Were

Earnest And Important. At Last Rose Got Up In Some Agitation And Hurried

Out Of The Room. Then Old Aaron Rockharrt Came Up To The Young People

And Stood Before Them. There Was Something So Ominous In His Attitude

And Expression That His Two Grandchildren Looked Dismayed Even Before He

Spoke.

"Sir And Madam," He Said,  Addressing The Young Creatures As If They Were

Dignitaries Of The Church Or State,  "I Have To Inform You That I Am

About To Marry Mrs. Stillwater. The Ceremony Will Be Performed At The

Church To-Morrow Noon. I Shall Expect You Both To Attend Us There As

Witnesses."

Saying Which The Iron King Arose And Strode Out Of The Room.

The Sister And Brother Lifted Their Eyes,  And Might Have Stared Each

Other Out Of Countenance In Their Silent,  Unutterable Consternation.

Sylvan Was The First To Find His Voice.

"Cora! It Is An Outrage! It Is Worse! It Is An Infamy!" He Exclaimed,  As

The Blood Rushed To His Face And Crimsoned It.

Cora Said Never A Word,  But Burst Into Tears And Sobbed Aloud.

"Cora! Don't Cry! You Have Me Now! Oh! The Old Man Is Certainly Mad,  And

Ought To Be Looked After. Cora,  Darling,  Don't Take It So To Heart! At

His Age,  Too; Seventy-Seven! He'll Make Himself The Laughing Stock Of

The World! Oh,  Cora,  Don't Grieve So! It Does Not Matter After All! Such

A Disgrace To The Family! Oh,  Come Now,  You Know,  Cora! This Is Not The

Way To Welcome A Fellow Home! For Any Old Man To Make Such A--Oh,  I Say,

Cora! Come Out Of That Now! If You Don't,  I Swear I Will Take My Hat And

Go Out To Get A Drink!"

"Oh,  Don't! Don't!" Gasped His Sister; "Don't You Lend A Hand To

Breaking My Heart."

"Well,  I Won't,  Darling,  If You'll Only Come Out Of That! It Is Not

Worth So Much Grief."

"I Will--Stop--As Soon As--I Can!" Sobbed The Young Woman,  "But When I

Think--Of His Reverent Gray Hairs--Brought To Such Dishonor--By A Mere

Adventuress--And We--So Powerless--To Prevent It,  I Feel As If--I Should

Die."

"Oh,  Nonsense; You Look At It Too Gravely. Besides,  Old Men Have Married

Beautiful Young Women Before Now!" Said Sylvan,  Troubled By His Sister's

Grief,  And Tacking Around In His Opinions As Deftly As Ever Did Any

Other Politician.

"Yes,  And Got Themselves Laughed At And Ridiculed For Their Folly!"

Sighed Cora,  Who Had Ceased To Sob.

"Behind Their Backs,  And That Did Not Hurt Them One Bit."

"Oh,  If Uncle Fabian Were Only Here!"

"Why,  What Could He Do To Prevent The Marriage?"

"I Do Not Know. But I Know This,  That If Any Man Could Prevent This

Degradation,  He Would Be Uncle Fabian! It Would Be No Use,  I Fear,  To

Telegraph To Clarence!"

"Clarence!" Said Sylvanus With A Laugh,  "Why He Has No More Influence

With The Iron King Than I Have. His Father Calls Him An Idiot--And He

Certainly Is Weakly Amiable. He Would Back His Father