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

Greetings.

The News Of The Iron King's Marriage Was Told By Sylvan. Had A Bombshell

Fallen And Exploded Among The Servants,  They Could Not Have Been More

Shocked. There Was A Simultaneous Exclamation Of Surprise And Dismay,

And Then Total Silence.

At The End Of The Third Day All Was Ready For The Reception Of Mr. And

Mrs. Rockharrt.

The Next Day Was The First Of July. As Soon As Mr. Clarence Reached His

Private Office At The Works He Found A Telegram Waiting Him. He Opened

It,  And Read The Following:

    Capon Springs,  July 1,  18--

    Shall Reach North End By The 6 P.M. Train. Send The Carriage To

    Meet That Train. Shall Go Directly To Rockhold. Order Dinner There

    For 8 P.M.

    Aaron Rockharrt.

Mr. Clarence Put A Boy On Horseback And Sent Him On To Cora,  With This

Message Inclosed In A Note From Himself. And Then He Gave His Attention

To The Duties Of His Office. He Was Still Busy At His Desk When Mr.

Fabian Strolled In.

"Well,  Old Man,  Good Morning. I Return To Duty To-Day,  Because It Is The

First Of The Month,  You Know."

"And Also The First Of The Financial Year. There Has Been So Much To Do

Within The Last Few Days,  I Am Glad You Have Returned To Your Post. I

Would Like The Pater To Find All Right When He Comes To Inspect. By The

Way,  I Have Just Got A Telegram From Him. I Have Just Sent It Off To

Cora,  So That She May Know When To Send The Carriage,  And For What Hour

To Order Dinner. You Know It Would Never Do To Have Anything 'Gang

Aglee' In Which The Pater Is Interested."

"No. Well,  You And I Must Go To Meet Him. We Must Not Fail In Any

Attention To The Old Gentleman."

"Of Course Not. Oh! What Will The People Say When They Hear The News? I

Do Not Think That The Slightest Rumor Of The Mad Marriage Has Got Out I

Know That I Have Not Breathed It."

"Nor I. But Of Course It Will Be Generally Known Within Twenty-Four

Hours; And Then I Hope The Pater Will Do The Handsome Thing And Give His

Workmen A General Holiday And Jollification."

"I Doubt It,  Since He Has Not Even Refurnished The Shabby Old Drawing

Room At Rockhold In Honor Of The Occasion," Said Mr. Clarence.

Then The Brothers Separated For The Day.

Whenever The Family Traveling Carriage Happened To Be Sent From Rockhold

To The North End Railway Depot,  It Always Stopped At The North End

Hotel To Rest And Water The Horses. So When The Afternoon Waned,  As

Messrs. Fabian And Clarence Rockharrt Had To Remain Busy In Their

Respective Offices Up To The Last Possible Minute,  Sylvan Was Stationed

On The Front Porch Of The Hotel,  With The Day's Newspapers And A Case Of

Cigars To Solace Him While Watching For The Carriage.

It Came At A Quarter To Five O'clock,  And While The Horses Were Resting

And Feeding,  Sylvan Sent A Messenger To Summon His Two Uncles. By The

Time The Two Horses Were Ready To Start Again,  The Two Men Came Up And

Entered The Carriage. Sylvan Followed Them In.

"See Here,  My Boy," Said Mr. Fabian,  "You Can't Go,  You Know. There Will

Be No Room For You Coming Back. Clarence And Myself Fill Two Seats,  And

Your Grandfather And--"

"Grandmother Fill Up The Other," Added Sylvan. "But Never Mind; In

Coming Back I Can Ride On The Box With The Coachman; But Go I Will To

Meet My Venerable Grandparents! Bless My Wig! Didn't I Give Away My

Grandmother At The Altar,  And Shall I Not Pay Them The Attention Of

Going To Meet Them On Their Return From Their Wedding Tour?"

The Horses Started At A Good Pace,  Passed Through The Village Street,

Entered The Main Road Running Miles Between The Great Works,  And Rolled

On Into The Silent Forest Road That Led To The Railway Depot In The

Valley.

Here The Carriage Drew Up Before The Solitary Station House.

Soon The Train Ran In And Stopped. Old Aaron Rockharrt Got Out And

Handed Down His Wife,  Before Turning To Face His Sons. A Man And Maid

Servant,  Loaded Down With Handbags,  Umbrellas,  Waterproofs,  And Shawls,

Got Out Of Another Car.

"Fabian,  Put Mrs. Rockharrt Into The Carriage. I Shall Step Into The

Waiting Room To Speak To The Ticket Agent," Said Old Aaron Rockharrt,  As

He Strode Off To The Building.

Fabian Rockharrt Gave His Arm To The Lady,  Who During All This Time Had

Remained Closely Veiled. He Led Her Off,  Leaving Clarence And Sylvan On

The Platform To Wait For The Return Of Mr. Rockharrt. As Soon As Fabian

And His Companion Were Out Of Hearing Of The Rest Of Their Party,  He

Turned To Her,  And Bending His Head Close To Her Ear,  Said:

"Well,  Ann White,  What Have You To Say For Yourself,  Eh,  Ann White?"

He Felt Her Tremble As She Answered Defiantly:

"Mrs. Rockharrt,  If You Please."

"No; By My Life I Will Never Give To Such As You My Honored Mother's

Name!"

"And Yet I Have It With All The Rights And Privileges It Bestows,  And I

Defy You,  Fabian Rockharrt!"

"You Know Very Little Of The Laws Relating To Marriage If You Think That

You Have Legal Right To The Name And Position You Have Seized,  Or That I

Have Not Power To Thrust You Out Of My Father's House And Into A Cell."

"You Are Insolent! I Shall Report Your Words To Mr. Rockharrt,  And Then

We Shall See Who Will Be Thrust Out Of His House!"

"I Think That You Had Better Not. Listen,  And I Will Tell You Something

That You Do Not Know,  Perhaps."

She Turned Quickly,  Inquiringly,  Toward Him. He Stooped And Whispered A

Few Words. He Felt Her Thrill From Head To Foot,  Felt Her Rock And Sway

For A Moment,  And Then--He Had Just Time To Catch Her Before She Fell A

Dead Weight In His Arms.

"Well! What's All This?" Abruptly Demanded Old Aaron Rockharrt,  As He

Came Up,  Followed By Clarence And Sylvan,  Just As Fabian Was Lifting The

Unconscious Woman Into The Carriage.

"Mrs. Rockharrt Has Been Over-Fatigued,  I Think,  Sir,  For She Has

Fainted. But Don't Be Alarmed; She Is Recovering," Said Mr. Fabian,  As

He Settled The Lady In An Easy Position In A Corner Of The Carriage,  And

Found A Smelling Salts Bottle And Put It To Her Nose.

"'Alarmed?' Why Should I Be?"

"No Reason Why,  Sir," Answered Mr. Fabian,  Who Then Stooped To The Woman

And Whispered: "Nor Need You Be So. You Are Safe For The Present."

"Will You Get Out Of My Way And Let Me Come To My Place?" Demanded The

Iron King.

"Pardon Me,  Sir," Said Fabian,  Stepping Backward From The Carriage.

"Fainting?" Said The Old Man,  In A Tone Of Annoyance,  As He Took His

Seat Beside His New Wife--"Fainting? The First Mrs. Rockharrt Never

Fainted In Her Life; Nor Ever Gave Any Sort Of Trouble. What's The

Matter With You,  Rose? Don't Be A Consummate Fool And Turn Nervous. I

Won't Stand Any Nonsense," He Said Roughly,  As He Peered Into The Pale

Face Of His New Slave.

"Oh,  It Is Nothing," She Faltered--"Nothing. I Was Overcome By Heat. It

Is A Very Hot Day."

"Why,  It Is A Very Cool Afternoon. What Do You Mean?" He Demanded.

"It Has Been A Very Hot Day,  And The Heat And Fatigue--"

"Rubbish!" He Interrupted. "If I Were To Give Any Attention To Your

Faints,  You Would Be Fainting Every Day Just To Have A Fuss Made Over

You. Now This Fainting Business Has Got To Be Stopped. Do You Hear? If

You Are Out Of Order,  I Will Send For My Family Physician And Have You

Examined. If You Are Really Ill,  You Shall Be Put Under Medical

Treatment; If You Are Not,  I Will Have No Fine Lady Airs And

Affectations. The First Mrs. Rockharrt Was Perfectly Free From Them."

"I Would Not Have Given Way To The Weakness If I Could Have Helped

It--Indeed I Would Not!" Said The Poor Woman,  Very Sincerely.

"We'll See To That!" Retorted The Iron King.

Ah,  Poor Rose! She Was Not The Old Man's Darling And Sovereign,  As She

Had Hoped And Planned To Be. She Was The Tyrant's Slave And Victim.

A Man Of Aaron Rockharrt's Temperament Seldom,  At The Age Of

Seventy-Seven,  Becomes A Lover; And Never,  At Any Age,  A Woman's Slave.

Mr. Fabian Now Got Into The Carriage,  And Sat Down On The Front Cushion

Opposite His Father And Step-Mother. Mr. Clarence Was Following Him In,

When Mr. Rockharrt Roughly Interfered.

"What Are You About Here,  Clarence? What Are You Going To Do?"

"Take My Seat In The Carriage,  Of Course,  Sir," Answered The Young Man,

With A Surprised Look.

"You Are Going To Do Nothing Of The Sort! I Don't Choose To Have The

Horses Overtasked In This Manner. I Myself,  With Fabian And My Coachman,

To Say Nothing Of Mrs. Rockharrt,  Are Weight Enough For One Pair Of

Horses,  And You Can't Come In Here. Where's Sylvan?"

"On The Box Seat Beside The Driver."

"Really?" Demanded The Iron King,  In A Sarcastic Tone,  "How Many More Of

You Desire To Be Drawn By One Pair Of Horses? Tell Sylvan To Come Down

Off That."

"But,  Sir,  There Is Not A Single Conveyance Of Any Description At The

Station," Urged Clarence.

"Indeed! And Pray What Do You Call Your Own