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

Going To Wash My Face And Hands,  And Then I'll Join You."

Mr. Fabian Went Up Stairs,  And Cora Followed Violet Into The Parlor.

"Here Are The English Magazines,  My Dear,  Come This Morning. Will You

Look Over Them,  While I Go And See To The Dinner Table? I Will Not Be

Gone More Than Ten Minutes," Said Violet,  Lifting A Pile Of Pamphlets

From A Side Table And Placing Them On A Little Stand Near The Easy Chair

Into Which Corona Had Thrown Herself.

"Certainly,  Violet,  Love. Don't Mind Me. Go."

Violet Kissed Her Forehead And Left The Room.

Cora Never Touched The Magazines,  But Sat With Her Elbow On The Stand

And Her Forehead Resting On Her Hand.

She Sat Motionless,  Buried In Painful Thought Until Her Uncle Fabian

Entered The Room.

Then She Looked Up.

He Came And Sat Down Near Her; Looked At Her Inquiringly For A Few

Moments; And Then,  As She Did Not Break The Silence,  He Said:

"Well,  Cora?"

"Well,  Uncle Fabian?"

"What Is Up,  My Dear?"

"I Would Rather Defer All Explanations Until After Dinner,  If You

Please."

"Very Well,  My Dear Cora."

And Indeed There Was No Time For Further Talk Just Then,  For Violet Came

Hurrying Into The Room Laughing And Exclaiming:

"I Am The Pink Of Punctuality,  Cora,  Dear. Here I Am Back Again In Just

Ten Minutes."

The Next Moment The Dinner Bell Rang,  And They All Went Into The Dining

Room.

Violet--Trained By Mrs. Chief Justice Pendletime,  Who Was A Great

Domestic Manager--Excelled In Every Housekeeping Department,  Especially,

Perhaps,  In The Culinary Art; So The Little Dinner Was An Exquisite One,

And Thoroughly Enjoyed By The Master And Mistress Of The House,  And

Might Have Been Equally Appreciated By Their Visitor If Her Sad Thoughts

Had Not Destroyed Her Appetite.

After Dinner,  When They Adjourned To The Parlor,  Violet Said:

"Again I Must Beg You To Excuse Me,  Cora,  Dear,  While I Go Up And Put

Baby To Sleep. It Is A Little Weakness Of Mine,  But I Always Like To Put

Her To Sleep Myself,  Though I Have The Most Faithful Of All Nurses. You

Will Excuse Me?"

"Why,  Of Course,  Darling!" Corona Heartily Replied; And The Happy Little

Mother Ran Off.

"Now Then,  Cora,  What Is It? You Said You Would Explain After Dinner. Do

So Now,  My Dear; For If It Is Anything Very Painful I Would Rather Not

Have My Wood Violet Grieved By Hearing It," Said Mr. Fabian,  Drawing His

Chair Nearer To That Of Corona.

"It Is Very Painful,  Uncle Fabian,  And I Also Would Like To Shield

Violet As Much As Possible From The Grief Of Knowing It. But--Is It

Possible That You Do Not Know What Has Happened At Rockhold?" Gravely

Inquired Corona.

"I Know This Much: That The Announcement Of An Engagement Between

Yourself And The Englishman Was Premature And Unauthorized; That You

Have Finally Rejected The Suitor--Who Has Since Left Rockhold--And By So

Doing You Have Greatly Enraged Our Iron King. I Know No More Than That,

Cora."

"What! Has Not My Grandfather Told You Anything To Day?"

"Not One Word."

"Then I Must Tell You. He Has Cast Me Off Forever."

"Cora! Cora!"

"It Is True,  Indeed. This Morning He Ordered Me To Quit His House; Not

To Let Him Find Me Still There On His Return; Never To Let Him See Or

Hear From Me Again Unless It Was With My Consent To Recall And Marry My

English Suitor."

"But,  Cora,  My Dear,  Why Can You Not Come Into His Conditions? Why Can

You Not Marry Cumbervale? He Is A Splendid Fellow Every Way,  And He

Loves You As Hard As A Horse Can Kick. He Is Awfully In Love With You,

My Dear. Now,  Why Not Marry Him And Make Everybody Happy And All

Serene?"

"Because,  Uncle Fabian,  I Don't Happen To Be In Love With Him," Replied

Corona,  With Just A Shade Of Disdain In Her Manner.

"Well,  My Dear,  I Will Not Undertake To Persuade You To Change Your

Mind. If You Have Inherited Nothing Else From The Iron King,  You Have

His Strength Of Will. What Are You Going To Do,  Cora?"

"I Am Going To Carry Out My Purpose Of Going To The Indian Reserve As

Missionary To The Indian Tribes,  To Devote All My Time And All My

Fortune To Their Welfare."

"A Mad Scheme,  My Dear Cora. How Are You,  A Young Woman,  Going To Manage

To Do This? Under The Auspices Of What Church Do You Act?"

"Under That Of The Broad Church Of Christian Charity--No Other."

"But How Are You Going To Reach The Field Of Your Labors? How Are You

Going To Cross Those Vast Tracts,  Destitute Of All Inhabitants Except

Tribes Of Savages,  Destitute Of All Roads Except The Government

'Trails'?"

"You Know,  If You Have Not Forgotten,  That It Was My Purpose To Join My

Brother At His Post,  And To Establish My School Near His Fort And Under

Its Protection."

"Well,  Yes; I Remember Hearing Something Of The Sort; But Really,  Cora,

I Thought It Was All Talk Since Sylvan Went Away."

"But It Is More Than That. Some Time Late In This Month I Shall Go Out

To Fort Farthermost Under The Protection Of Captain And Mrs. Neville.

They Are Now In Washington,  Where I Am Going Immediately To Join Them.

When You Read This Letter,  Which I Received After My Grandfather Had

Left Me In Anger This Morning,  You Will Understand All About It," Said

Corona,  Drawing Her Brother's Last Letter From Her Pocket And Handing It

To Her Uncle.

Mr. Fabian Took It And Read It Carefully Through; Then Returned It To

Her,  Saying:

"Well,  My Dear,  It Does Seem As If There Were A Fate In All This. But

What A Journey Is Before You! At This Season Of The Year,  Too! But,

Cora,  Do Not Let Violet Know That The Grandfather Has Discarded You. It

Would Grieve Her Tender Heart Too Much. Just Tell Her That You Are Going

Out To Your Brother. Do Not Even Tell Her So Much As That To-Night. It

Would Keep Her From Sleep."

"I Will Not Hint The Subject This Evening,  Uncle Fabian. I Love Violet

Too Much To Distress Her."

"You Will Have To Explain That Your Engagement With The Englishman Is At

An End."

"Or,  Rather,  That It Has Never Had A Beginning," Said Corona.

"Very Well," Assented Mr. Fabian. "And Now I Must Go And Dispatch A

Messenger To North End To Fetch Clarence Here To Spend The Night. A

Hasty Leave-Taking At The Railway Depot Would Hardly Satisfy Clarence,

Cora."

"I Know! And I Thank You Very Much,  Uncle Fabian," Replied Corona.

"Ah,  Violet! Here You Are,  Just In Time To Take My Place. I Am Going Out

To Send For Clarence To Spend The Evening With Us," Said Mr. Fabian,  As

He Passed His Young Wife,  Who Entered The Room As He Left It.

Instead Of Sending A Messenger,  Fabian Put His Fastest Horse Into His

Lightest Wagon,  And Set Off At His Best Speed Himself. He Reached North

End Hotel In Twenty Minutes,  And Burst In Upon Clarence,  Finding That

Gentleman Seated In An Arm Chair Before A Coal Fire.

"Anything The Matter,  Fabian?" He Inquired,  Looking Up In Surprise.

"Yes! The Devil's To Pay! The Monarch Has Driven His Granddaughter From

Court!" Exclaimed The Elder Brother,  Throwing His Hat Upon The Floor,

And Dropping Into A Chair.

"You Don't Mean To Say--"

"Yes,  I Do! Father Has Turned Cora Out Of Doors Because She Refused To

Marry The Englishman."

"Good Heaven!"

"Come! There Is No Time To Talk! Cora Is At My House. She Leaves For

Washington To Join Captain And Mrs. Neville,  And Go Out With Them To

Fort Farthermost."

"But,  Look Here,  Fabian. Why Do You Let Her Do That?"

"Don't Be A Fool! Who Is To Stop Her If She Is Bound To Go? Come,  Hurry

Up; Put On Your Overcoat And Get Into My Trap,  And I Will Take You Back

With Me,  See Cora,  And Stay All Night With Us."

Mr. Clarence Started Up,  Rang For A Waiter To See To His Rooms,  Then Put

On His Overcoat,  And In Five Minutes More He Was Seated Beside His

Brother In The Light Wagon,  Behind The Fastest Horse In Mr. Fabian's

Stables,  Bowling Out Of The Village At A Rate Of Speed That I Would Not

Dare To State. It Was Not Nine O'clock When They Reached Violet Banks.

Mr. Fabian Drove Around To The Stables,  Gave His Team Up To The Groom,

And Walked Back To The House With Clarence.

"You Must Not Drop A Word To Violet About Cora's Intended Journey. She

Thinks That Cora Has Only Come To Spend The Night With Her. If She Knew

Otherwise She Would Be Too Distressed To Sleep. Not Until After

Breakfast To-Morrow Is She To Be Told That Cora Is Going Away; And Never

Is She To Know That Our Niece Has Been Driven Away."

"I Understand,  Fabian. Who Is Going To Washington With Cora?"

"No One That I Know Of; But She Is Quite Able To Take Care Of Herself,

So Far."

"I Will Not Have It So,  Fabian. I Will Go With Our Niece!" Said Mr.

Clarence.

"Are You Mad? The Monarch Would Never Forgive Such Misprision Of

Treason. He Would Discard You,  Clarence!" Exclaimed Mr. Fabian,  In

Consternation.

"I Do Not Think So. Our Father Is Too Just For That. And In Any Case I

Shall Take The Risk."

"The Iron King Is Just In All His Business Relations; He Would Not Be

Otherwise To Save Himself From Bankruptcy. But Has He Been Just To

Cora?"

"From His Point Of View. He Has Not Been Kind; That Is All. I Must Be

Kind To Our Niece At All Costs."

This Brought Them To The Door Of The House,  Which Mr. Fabian Opened With

His Latch Key,  And The Two Men Entered The Parlor Together.

"Why,  How Soon You Have Come! I Am So Glad!" Exclaimed Violet,  Rising To

Welcome The New Visitor.

"That Is Because,  Instead Of Sending,  I Went For Him," Explained Mr.

Fabian.

"So I Suspected When I Found That You Did Not Return Immediately To The

Parlor," Said Violet.

Mr. Clarence Meanwhile Went To His Niece,  Took Her Hand And Kissed Her

In Silence. He Could Not Trust His Voice To Speak. She Understood Him,

And Returned The Pressure Of His Hand. If It Had Not Been For