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

Some Pleasant House Before The Rush Of Winter Visitors. We Shall Not Be

Able To Go Into General Society,  But There Is A Great Plenty Of

Sightseeing In The National Capital With Which To Divert The Mind Of My

Poor Little Girl. Her Old Guardians,  The Pendletimes,  Are There Also,

And It Will Comfort Her To See Them. With Them She Will Be Able To Let

You Depart Without Breaking Her Poor Little Heart."

"Oh,  Uncle Fabian,  I Am So Glad You Have Thought Of This! It Will Be So

Good For Violet. She Has Had A Sad Time Since Her Home-Coming. She Needs

A Change," Said Corona,  Eagerly.

"I Think She Will Be Very Much Pleased With The Plan. Now,  Cora,  When Do

You Wish To Go?"

"As Soon As Possible; But Since You Are So Kind As To Accompany Me,  My

Wish Must Wait On Yours,  Uncle Fabian."

"Let Us Go And Consult Violet," Said Fabian Rockharrt,  Rising And

Leading The Way To The Nursery,  Which Had Been Hastily Fitted Up For The

Accommodation Of The Rockharrt Baby And Her Nurse,  And Where He Felt

Sure Of Finding The Young Mother,  Too.

Violet,  When Told Of The Scheme To Go Immediately To Washington And See

Her Old Friends,  Was More Than "Pleased;" She Was Delighted. To Show Her

Baby To Her More Than Mother,  As She Often Called Mrs. Pendletime,  Would

Fill Her Soul With Pride And Joy.

Very Early The Next Morning Mr. Fabian And His Party Left The City By

The Express Train En Route For The National Capital,  Leaving Mr.

Clarence To Go To North End And Take Charge Of The Works. They Reached

Baltimore At 11 P.M.,  And Remained Over Night. The Next Day They Went

On To Washington,  Where They Arrived About Noon,  And Went Directly To

The Hotel Where Captain And Mrs. Neville Were Staying.

Violet,  Very Much Fatigued,  Lay Down To Rest And To Get Her Baby To

Sleep At Her Bosom. Mr. Fabian,  As We Must Continue From Habit To Call

Him,  Though His Rightful Style Was Now Mr. Rockharrt,  Went Down To The

Reading Room To Send His Own And His Wife's Cards To Chief Justice And

Mrs. Pendletime,  And To Collect Washington Gossip.

Corona Changed Her Traveling Dress,  Went Down Into The Ladies' Parlor,

And Sent Her Card To The Rooms Of The Nevilles. And Presently There

Entered To Her A Very Handsome Middle-Aged Pair.

The Captain Was A Fine,  Tall,  Broad-Shouldered,  Soldierly-Looking Man,

With A Bald Head And A Gray Mustache. He Was Clothed In A Citizen's

Morning Suit. The Captain's Wife Was Also Rather Tall,  Slender,  Dark

Complexioned,  With A Thin Face,  Black Eyes,  And Black Hair Very Slightly

Touched With Gray,  Which She Wore In Ringlets Over Her Ears,  And In A

Braid Behind Her Neck. Her Dress Was A Plain,  Dark Cashmere,  With White

Cuffs And Collar.

"It Is Very Kind Of You To Take Charge Of Me," Said Corona To Mrs.

Neville,  As The Three Seated Themselves On A Group Of Chairs Near

Together.

"My Dear,  I Am Very Glad To Have Your Company,  As Well On The Long And

Dreary Journey Over The Plains As At That Distant Frontier Fort. You

Will Find Life At The Fort With Your Brother A Severe Test To Your

Affection For Him," Said Mrs. Neville,  With Her Rather Doubtful Smile.

"You Have Some Experience Of Life At Fort Farthermost?" Remarked Corona

Pleasantly.

"No; Not At That Particular Fort. We Have Never Been Quite So Far As

That Yet. It Is A New Fort--An Outpost Really On The Extreme

Southwestern Frontier,  As I Understand. We Shall Have To Cross What Used

To Be Called The Great American Desert To Reach It. We Go First To

Leavenworth,  And,  Of Course,  The Journey To Leavenworth Is Easy Enough.

But From Leavenworth The Long,  Tedious Traveling By Army Wagons Over The

Plains And Through The Wilderness To The Southwestern Forts Will Try

Your Endurance,  My Dear."

"Come,  Come!" Said The Captain,  Heartily; "It Is Not All Unmitigated

Dreadfulness. To Be Sure We Have No Railroads Through The Wilderness,  No

Fine City Hotels To Stay At; But,  Then,  There Are Some Few Forts Along

The Line Of Travel,  Where We Can Stop A Day Or Two To Rest,  And Have

Good Sport. And When We Have No Fort At The End Of A Day's Journey,  It

Is Not Very Awful To Bivouac Under The Shelter Of Some Friendly Rock Or

In The Thicket Of Some Forest. The Wagons By Day Make Good Couches By

Night; And As For The Bill Of Fare,  A Haunch Of Venison From A Deer Shot

By Some Soldier On The Road,  And Cooked On A Fire In The Open Air,  Has A

Very Particularly Fine Flavor. All Civilized Condiments We Carry With

Us. As For Amusements,  Though We Have No Theaters Or Concerts,  Yet There

Is Always Sure To Be Some Fellow Along Who Can Sing A Good Song,  And

Some Other Fellow Who Can Tell A Good Story. I Rather Think You Will

Enjoy The Trip As A Novelty,  Mrs. Rothsay. I Observe That Most Young

People Do."

"I Really Think I Shall Enjoy It," Assented Corona.

"I Hope That You Will Be Able To Endure It,  My Dear," Added Mrs.

Neville.

"You See The Journey Is No Novelty To My Wife,  Mrs. Rothsay. She Has

Spent All Her Married Life On The Frontier. Thirty Years Ago,  My Dear

Lady,  I Received My First Commission As Second Lieutenant In The Third

Infantry,  And Was Ordered To Okononak,  Oregon. I Married My Sweetheart

Here,  And Took Her With Me,  And She Has Been With Me Ever Since; For We

Both Agreed That Anything Was Better Than Separation. We Have Raised

Children,  And They Have Married And Left Us,  And We Have Never Been

Parted For A Week. We Have Lived On The Frontier,  And Know Every Fort

From The Confines Of Canada To Those Of Mexico. We Have Lived Among

Soldiers,  Savages,  Pioneers,  Scouts,  Border Ruffians,  Wild Beasts,  And

Venomous Reptiles All The Days Of Our Married Life. What Do You Think Of

Us?"

"I Think It Is Unjust That Some Military Officers Have To Vegetate All

Their Days In Those Wilds Of The West,  While Others Live For All That

Life Is Worth In The Eastern Centers Of Civilization."

"Bless You,  My Dear,  We Don't Vegetate. If Nothing Else Should Rouse Our

Souls The Indians Would,  And Make It Lively For Us,  Too! It Is Not An

Unpleasant Life,  Upon The Whole,  Mrs. Rothsay; But You See We Are

Growing Old,  And My Wife Is Tired Of It,  That Is All."

"How Soon Shall We Leave For The West?" Inquired Corona.

"How Soon Can You Be Ready,  My Dear Young Lady?"

"I Am Quite Ready Now."

"Then On Monday,  I Think. What Do You Say,  Mrs. Neville?" Inquired The

Captain.

"Monday Will Do," Replied The Wife.

"Now Here Are Some People Coming In To Interrupt Us," Said The Captain

In A Vexed Tone.

Corona Looked Up And Said:

"They Are Chief Justice And Mrs. Pendletime,  Come To Call On Their Late

Ward,  Mrs. Fabian Rockharrt. You Know Them?"

"Not A Bit Of It. So If You Please,  My Dear,  We Will Retire At Once And

Leave You To Receive Them,  Especially As We Are Both Engaged To Dine At

The Arsenal This Afternoon," Said The Captain; And He Arose,  And With

His Wife Withdrew From The Parlor.

Cora Went Forward To Receive The New Visitors. They Both Greeted Her

Very Warmly,  And Then Expressed The Deepest Sympathy With Her In Her

Sorrow At The Loss Of Her Grandfather,  And Made Many Inquiries For The

Particulars Of His Illness.

When Corona Had Answered All Their Questions,  And They Had Again

Expressed Their Sympathy,  She Inquired:

"Have You Sent For Violet? Does She Know You Are Here? If Not,  I Will Go

And Call Her."

"Oh,  Yes; The Servant Took Up Our Card. And Here She Comes! And The Baby

In Her Arms,  By All That Is Beautiful!" Said Mrs. Pendletime,  As She

Arose To Meet Her Favorite,  And Took The Infant From The Fond Mother And

Covered Both With Caresses.

"To Think Of My Child Coming To A Hotel Instead Of Directly To My

House!" Said The Elder Lady,  Reproachfully.

"But I Wished To Stay A Day Or Two With Corona Before She Leaves For The

West. And After I Meant To Go To You And Stay As Long As You Would Let

Me," Violet Replied.

"Mrs. Rothsay Going West!" Exclaimed The Old Lady.

"Yes; She Is," Said Violet,  Emphatically And Impatiently. And Then There

Ensued More Explanations,  And Exclamations,  And Remonstrances.

And Finally Mrs. Pendletime Inquired:

"And When Do You Leave On This Fearful Expedition,  My Dear?"

"On Monday Next I Go,  With Captain And Mrs. Neville," Replied Corona.

"Well,  I Am Truly Sorry For It; But,  Of Course,  I Cannot Help It. On

Monday,  Therefore,  After Your Friend Has Taken Leave Of You,  You Will

Remove To My House,  Violet?"

"Oh,  Yes; The Thought Of Going To You Is The Only Comfort I Have In

Parting From Corona," Replied Mrs. Fabian Rockharrt.

On The Sunday Following Her Arrival In Washington,  The Last Day Of Her

Sojourn In The Capital,  The Day Before Her Departure For The Frontier,

Corona Rothsay Rose Early In The Morning,  And Soon As She Was Dressed

Went Down To The Ladies' Parlor. Neither Her Uncle Nor His Young Wife

Had Yet Left Their Rooms. In Fact,  So Early Was It That None Of The

Ladies Staying In The House Had Yet Come Down To The Parlor. The Place

Was Vacant.

Corona Went Up The Long Room And Sat Down By One Of The Front Windows,

To Look Down On The Passing Life Of The Avenue Below.

While She Sat Looking Out Of The Window She Heard A Movement At The

Lower End Of The Room. Some One Entered And Sat Down To Wait. And Some

One Else Went Out Again. Corona Never Turned Round To See Who Was There.

She Continued To Look Through The Window. She Was Not Interested In The

Comers And Goers Into And Out Of The Hotel.

Presently Some One Came In Again And Said:

"Mrs. Rothsay Is Not In Her Room,  Sir."

"Then I Will Wait Here Until She Can Be Found," Replied The New Comer In

A Familiar Voice.

But Then Corona Started Up And Rushed Down The Length Of The Room,

Crying Eagerly:

"Uncle Clarence! Oh,  Uncle Clarence! Is This You? Is This Indeed You? I

Am So Glad To See You Once More Before I Go! I Had Thought Never To See

You Again! Or,  At Least,  Not For Many Years! And Here You Are!"

He Caught The Hands She Held Out As She Reached Him,  Drew Her To His

Bosom And Kissed Her As He Answered:

"Yes,  My Dear,  It Is I,  Your Old Bachelor Uncle,  Who Was Not Satisfied

With The Leave Taking On Last Thursday,  But Longed To See You Again

Before Your Departure."

"You Dear Uncle Clarence!"

"So Yesterday Afternoon I Telegraphed To Fabian To Ask Him When You Were

To Start For The West. He Telegraphed Back That You Expected To Leave

Washington On Monday Morning. I Got This Answer About Five O'clock In

The Afternoon. And,