John Winthrop's defeat, a novel

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Chapter I. At Fire Island

The things we do

We do ; we’ll wear no mask as if we blushed.

— Aurora Leigh.

HE Banjo slid over the beach water and up to the pier-steps, the young man at the prow bringing her “ to ” like some sensate thing that knew her duty. A few idlers down from the hotel stood by, awaiting the arrival of the afternoon steamer bringing the mail and such guests as fate might send. These turned to watch the disembarking

John Win t hr op' s Defeat.

of the sailing-party, anything being idly interesting upon such an exquisite day, with the sapphire sky and the amber and green and gold of the ocean.

“ By George !” murmured Harry Dillingham to his companion, removing the cigar from his lips in surprised admiration. “ I say, old boy, who is that magnificent woman in the gray boating-suit, with the gold anchor on her sleeve and the pennon around her cap ? Phew ! You have a beauty here, Bensonhurst !”

His companion shrugged his shoulders significantly, knocking the ashes from his cigar against the pier-railing.

“ Your ignorance proclaims your sojourn in the wilderness, Dillingham,” was the lazy rejoinder. “ Every one who is any one or has been anywhere this season knows Mrs. Graham. She carries a fortune in her finger-rings and a nabob’s ransom in her necklace. None of your milk-andwater beauties, either. There is a power of wisdom in that little dark head, let me tell you. You are bound to be at your best in her society. Her husband adores her.”

“ She has a husband, then ? Is he here ?”

“ Of course. One of the lavish sort, you know. Spends cash like water. Their house on the Avenue is magnificent. No shoddy ; blue blood straight through. Surely, you have heard of the great house of Graham? They have been abroad, he and his wife. They just returned this summer, and have spent the months at this island. But that’s enough for now. She’s coming up.”

He turned toward the woman in question, as she was assisted to the pier, a tall, high-bred gentleman standing before her bare-headed, his cigar consigned to Neptune, as he added, smiling :

“ No need to ask if you have enjoyed the sail, Mrs. Graham. Your face tells its story.”

She smiled dazzlingly. Her lifted eyes, even in that clear light, were the even color of violets. She dangled a bunch of sea-weed in one hand, careful that the water should not drip upon her dress. The sunset struck gold through the brown of her hair, under the pretty cap.

“ We have had such a delightful sail,” she said, “ that my face would be a craven not to

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show it, Mr. Bensonhurst. The Banjo is well named.. It is the music of motion.”

“ Priestly handles the ropes as deftly as the literal banjo strings,” added Bensonhurst. “ May I have the pleasure of making my friend known to you? Mr. Harry Dillingham, Mrs. Graham. Dillingham’s been tramping through the forests of Maine this summer, and only now comes to Fire Island, so he says, from pure friendship for me, which — I doubt. To descend from the killing of deer to the killing of dolphin for some other fellow’s sake isn’t the nineteenth century code. Here comes the steamer. The Zingara, by Jove ! Wonder what’s happened to the other? Are you expecting any one out, Mrs. Graham ?”

“ No one,” said Mrs. Graham, with supreme conviction. “ Most of my friends are at Mount Desert or the Thousand Islands or — Europe. My husband and I came here to watch the sailing of ships, instead of spending the summer where dress is set by Fashion’s decree. One needs rest after the winter, not fashion. So the surf here and the light-house— and the coast-guard — and sands — ”

The brilliant smile that came and went instan-

At Fire Is lari d.

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taneously, but was like sunlight upon her face, finished the sentence eloquently.

“ And sailing!” added Bensonhurst, with his significant uplifting of the eye-brows. “ Especially the arrival of the Zingara y with her passengers, Mrs. Graham !”

“ Yes,” replied Mrs. Graham, absently, her eyes on the approaching steamer, slowly swinging the sea-weed to and fro, yet never splashing her gown. “ Everything here is very restful and charming, Mr. Bensonhurst !”

The party from the sail-boat were gathered about them, having alighted, and were also awaiting the arrival of the Fire Island steamer. Mrs. Graham was conspicuous among them for her beauty and grace.

“ Unless I am mistaken,” Ninette Bradley said turning to Mrs. Graham, “ your husband is on the steamer, Alecia. There is scarcely ever any mistaking him, is there ? He is such a magnificent man !”

Alecia Graham shook her head and turned her face with one of those swift, transfiguring smiles, upon her friend. She appreciated praise of her husband.

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“You are not mistaken, Ninette. Harold is upon the steamer. He went to the city this morning on business. Do you think that I would have gone without him — even in the Banjo — this afternoon, had he been here ?”

Ninette laughed. She moved a trifle away from Alecia’s swinging sea-weed. She abhorred a soiled toilet or a speck upon her gown.

The Zingara , making more fuss and splatter than an ocean steamer, was dashing and splashing through the amber and green and blue water-lights, fringing her bow with foam and leaving a wide wake of seething bubbles as she neared the pier where the hotel guests were standing. Those who recognized friends on the little steamer fluttered handkerchiefs in welcome, or waved white hands in the sunset glow, laughing and chatting, waiting for them to come.

The blue eyes of Mrs. Graham were penetrating, and they were steadily regarding the noisy Zingara as she ploughed the golden water-lights. She recognized her husband among those on deck just forward of the cabin, but, her eyes being keen with love, she also recognized that he was unusually excited and pale.

At Fire Island.

The man whom this woman was watching, saw her as quickly as she saw him. He never failed to single out this one woman in any crowd where she might be. He lifted his hat as ^hey came nearer, and he perceived that she saw him. There was not a trace of color in his face, and his black eyes burned like coals from its pallor, restlessly, as though he were haunted by some dread.

Alecia stepped a little back from her friends. She was at one side of the gang-plank where the steamer stopped, and waited for her husband to come to her. The color came and went in her face ; her eyes, too, were burning with nervous excitement.

Mr. Graham sprang lightly on the pier, ere the plank was thrown out, and again lifting his hat courteously to her and her companions, greeting them with a word or smile, here and there, turned with her up the pier toward the hotel.

“ Was it warm in the city, Harold ?”

“ Very warm, Alecia — suffocating. It is like champagne to breathe this air from the ocean.

H

John Winthrop' s Defeat.

Let us go down to the beach, if you are not fatigued.”

“ I am not fatigued, Harold. Shall we go to the pavilion or along the sands — ”

“ Oh, along the sands,” he said, restlessly, keeping his eyes resolutely from meeting hers. “ A long distance on the sands, Alecia, where I can have you to myself. Then — ah ! — ” he broke off suddenly. “ How can I tell you, Alecia?”

She was startled, but commanded her face and voice. Was it not her duty to help him and not hinder when need should come ? Still idly swinging the sea-weed, remembering that many eyes were upon them, she paused to rearrange a fold of her dress, and in that one instant, conquered the trembling of her lips.

“ If there is anything that you should tell me, Harold,” she said, steadily and sweetly, “ you need not fear. Nothing can hurt me — much — while I have you !”

That wonderful smile of hers was on her face as she lifted it to his as they passed along the covered walk, around the hotel piazza and out on the other side toward the beach. There were groups here and there on the piazza, reading or talking or idly watching the light of the fading sunset upon the water and the glimmer of sails in the distance against the heavens. These the two must greet or exchange with them light words of compliment.

“ There have so many ships passed to-day,” she said, mechanically, not to allow silence to fall upon them. “ So many ships, Harold — but they all go by ; they never stop or stay.”

“ Yes,” he said bitterly, commanding his voice by a powerful effort. “ Everything passes, Alecia, like the ships.”

She shook her head, forcing herself to smile ; but the old light would not come with the parting lips.

“Not everything, Harold. Love never drifts by when once it finds harbor. The winds and the currents cannot move it ! Its anchor sinks so deeply in the heart, Harold, that only a dead heart yields it up.”

He turned upon her in sudden fierceness. His burning eyes flamed into hers, but she would not falter.

“You have never been tried,” he said, hoarsely.

“Try me,” she said.

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But he made no answer, and she could not speak further with the growing fear in her heart; and so in silence they descended the steps of the pavilion and struck out upon the sands, where the surf hissed and seethed with the lifting and falling of the breakers.

The sand was heavy, and they moved slowly along, she with the dangling sea-weed, he with his clenched hands, the soft lights upon them, the ocean and the ships just beyond. They turned the bend in the beach and were alone, so far as curious eyes could see or curious ears catch any word not meant for them. Then Harold Graham stopped and faced his wife. He placed some marvelous restraint upon himself — for he was a passionate man — and when he disengaged the sea-weed from her fingers, letting it fall unheeded upon the sands, his touch was very gentle. Both her hands he held in his, and drawing her to him so, he laid them upon his breast, his eyes upon hers.

“ Alecia !”

“ Harold !”

“ My darling, you believe that I love you ?”

“ Perfectly.”

YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TRIED!” HE SAID, HOARSELY . — See Pd(je 15.

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“ You told me back there to try you. I shall try you infinitely/'

Terror was growing upon her. Her startled eyes would not retain the brave spirit she sought to hold. Her lips would tremble, do as she would, as she answered, softly :

“ Yes, Harold."

“ Alecia!" he cried, letting her hands fall and turning despairingly from her toward the one or two sails far down on the horizon. “ Alecia ! You cannot dream what it is ! How can I tell you ?"

He was frightening her more than he realized. But she crowded down her fear and responded :

“ Harold, my dearest, you may safely trust in me. What have you to tell?"

He looked down upon her as she clung to him, and smiled with a bitterness deeper than words. She did not know what it was she said. Some men might affirm that the blow fallen upon him was not so bad after all with this exquisite face and steady eyes and musical voice his own. Some men! To him it was infinitely worse because the blow must also fall upon her. Nevertheless it was sweet to have her clinging i8

John Winthrop' s Defeat.

to him and assuring him that he could trust her — very sweet.

“Alecia,” he said; his voice was perfectly steady now, for his manhood demanded that he should be brave and strong and true to her, “ You have been the sweetest of women always. You are brave, too; and you love me. So far, in our married life, 1 have given you everything you could desire that money could buy. Now — I cannot. 1 have not one penny in all the world that is mine !”

She sighed. The tense lines of her face relaxed ; her hands upon his arm were quite steady. She had feared something so much worse — something unknown, but something so different, that this was a relief.

“ Is that all, Harold?”

He fell back from her, letting her hands fall from his arm. Amazement was upon every feature of his face. Then he recovered himself, believing that she did not understand.

“ All, Alecia ? Is it not quite enough ? Do you comprehend that I say that we have not one penny in the world to live upon — or die upon ; not one penny ! Is not that enough ? Beggars —

At Fire Island.

l 9 cast upon the world with nothing but creditors clamoring about me — and you ! Is this all ?”

“ But my money, Harold ?” How calm she was ! Surely she did not realize what it meant to be penniless. “ Can we not manage upon that until better times are for us? You will retrieve yourself; you could not stay crushed. Your brave heart would never admit that, dearest/’

He groaned, again turning his face from her eyes.

“ Your money, Alecia? Your money was in with mine, and has gone, too. I believed it perfectly safe, this last investment, and put every penny into it — every one ! The house closed to-day, though no one outside is aware of it ; and as I shall give up everything, I cannot meet the demand. I shall be weighed to the earth with liabilities. I shall drag you down as well. But, of it all, the bitterest is that your money is gone through me. The house is yours, Alecia. it was bought and made over to you when there was no hint of failure. And your jewels are yours. Were you not accustomed to the luxuries of our home you might call this a fortune ;

John Winthrop' s Defeat.

nevertheless it is not half equal to the fortune 1 lost for you.”

She smiled very softly, taking his hand in both of hers and leaning her cheek against it.

“ I love beautiful things,” she said. “ What woman does not ? But, after all, I can be happy without them, Harold. Having each other and our health and brave hearts, should we not feel that we are blest ? Whatever you did with my money you did for the best, I am assured. The one thing that I regret is that every demand cannot be met. Of course we will give up the house ; that will surely realize a good deal and may help you. The jewels I will keep because — you gave them to me, and because — ” how steadily she spoke — “ because there is no reason why I should give them up. You think that I do not comprehend this, Harold. I may not know all that this means, but I am certain that I have you, and have no fear. I can be happy in but one room at a time. Our home is beautiful, but 1 felt always that I could be myself just as well in a less luxurious place. You must not despair. 1 shall not let you despair.”

Twilight was settling over the water. The

At Fire Island.

dinner hour was almost at hand and they must return to the hotel and to their friends, to the light chit-chat and laughter and songs and careless hearts and bright eyes, and hide this blow for the one night at least.

“You must not despair, Harold, dearest,” added Alecia presently, they two standing alone upon the sands with the purples and lilac and pink of twilight falling around them and the hoarse murmnr of the sea at their feet ; afar off, against the lifting rose of moonrise, a white sail glimmered. Her face, lifted steadfastly to his, was touched with some indescribable softness of light and shadow from the world around them. The golden anchor on her sleeve caught reflection from the moonrise and glowed against the soft gray of her gown like an emblem of hope. “We will face the future and — conquer it, Harold !”

It was a question as well as a comforting assurance, for she knew how much this fashionable world was to him, and how he demanded luxury where she would force herself to be happy without it.

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“We will agree to be true to each other, dearest/’ he made answer, very gravely.

They turned back toward the hotel, feeling that they were beginning a new life — an unknown life — from that time. Alecia, pausing a moment in the pavilion, her hand resting lightly upon her husband’s arm, gazed across the purple black of the ocean, along the line of silver heralding moonrise, to where the distant ships seemed stationary so far away against the lighting heaven.

“ And are they laden with hopes, too,’’ she thought, wistfully, “ and sailing away ?”

CHPTER II.

GATHERING STORM.

Then the bitter sea Inexorably pushed between us both,

And sweeping up the ship with my despair Threw us out as a pasture to the stars.

— Aurora Ltigh .

“ Any news, Leland ?”

Gregory Bensonhurst and his friend Harry Dillingham were greeting one of the Zingaras passengers, a tall, fair-haired young man with a delightfully good-humored face, who was enthusiastically shaking hands with Dillingham, protesting his pleasure at seeing him safe returned from his camping excursion.

Lane Leland shook his head, shrugging his shoulders, and laughed.

“ There’s never any news at this season,” he said, lightly. “ Everything’s dead in the city — crowded out to breathe, you know. Deuced unpleasant on the street. I went down to get a whiff of business and found it asleep. Suffocated !

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Money too heavy to lift even for the having. By the way, though — ” he paused suddenly with a mysterious face. “ There is news, Gregory, though I’ll not vouch for the truth. A bad piece of news, too, if it is true. I’m inclined to doubt it, though, because common sense prompts me to doubt. Nevertheless, I heard ” — he spoke in a cautious tone — “ I heard in Wall ‘street to-day that there’s a big failure on the carpet. The last one, too, that you would guess.”

“ Whose ?”

Lane Leland shrugged his shoulders again and raised his eyebrows.

“ I hope it isn’t true,” he said, gravely. “ I don’t believe it is — I simply won t believe it until it is proved beyond doubt — but I heard that Graham’s gone under.”

“ Impossible !” Gregory Bensonhurst fell back a pace or two, pushing his cap up from his face blank with amazement. “ Somebody lied to you, Leland. Graham’s sound as a brick ; no flaws in that firm ! At the head, you know — worth millions. His wife’s diamonds alone are worth a fortune.”

“ Well,” again Lane Leland lifted his brows

Gathering Storm.

and shrugged his shoulders, with a gesture of one hand, as though he would set aside any responsibility in the matter ; “ I can’t say, Bensonhurst ! It was only a rumor, but, I tell you, it gave me the shakes. If such a house as that goes under, who will be safe ? I, for one, am utterly unable to earn my living, and I’d fight tooth and nail for what I possess. No poverty for me, thank you ! I like 1 the good things of life’ in full morocco, gold edges!”

Gregory Bensonhurst scarcely heeded him ; he stood as though rooted to the spot, his eyes upon him in dazed surprise, unable to speak, the consequences of such a failure flashing electric lines through his mind. Graham, the proud, aristocratic, luxuriously generous man — his friend — gone down in a crash ! Graham, the head of one of the wealthiest firms in the city, with a million at the scratch of a pen. Graham, the favorite in society, at the club, on Wall Street — everywhere — Graham — could he realize it ? — failed !

He would not believe it; it was some hoax of Leland’s ; Leland was always up to some joke.

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He shook his head resolutely, and a flash dawned in his lazy eyes. #

“ Come, now, Leland,” he said, rather sternly, turning away, “ I’ll take a good deal from you> but I will not believe this. It is out of all probability. Graham is as sound to-day as he was last year, you know. He could not fail. Why, he has millions of dollars, man ! Every creditor would be down upon him like tigers, if this were true. It is not so, I am satisfied. I tell you, Dillingham, he has one of the shrewdest business heads on his shoulders of any man in the city !”

Leland’s eyes flashed wrathfully.

“ I don’t blame you for taking it roughly, Bensonhurst,” he said. “ I couldn’t believe it, either, at first, but you needn’t come down on me for it. I didn’t originate the talk. If it is true, we will know it soon enough ; if it isn’t — well,” that suggestive lifting of his shoulders and settingaside movement of the hands, as he also turned from them to the group of chatting ladies at the end of the pier, “ all that I can say is that I hope to the deuce it isn't true.”

“ But, whatever you do, Leland,” Bensonhurst

Gathering Storm .

laid his hand detainingly upon his friend’s arm, as he was passing him, “ whatever you do, don’t tell this to any one else, until we know. Graham and his wife are here, you know, and it would not be pleasant to arouse such a suspicion.”

Lane Leland's indignant face interrupted whatever else Bensonhurst might have said in his zealous defense of his friend. Lane Leland’s flashing eyes were not particularly good-natured now, as he looked into the opposite lazy eyes of brown.

“Whatever I may be, Bensonhurst,” he said swiftly, withdrawing his arm from under the detaining hand with new hauteur, “ I am not a fool ! I was born with ordinary common sense, I believe. If Graham is never hurt worse than I hurt him, he will live and die pretty free from harm.”

“ Don’t be angry with me, Lane,” said Gregory Bensonhurst, quietly. “ I would only save them unpleasantness.”

“ Well, you need not bite my head off defending them, anyway,” retorted Leland, somewhat mollified. He was too good-natured to long

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remain angry with any one. “ It isn’t my way to walk meekly into the lion’s mouth if I know it, Bensonhurst !”

“ Leland is one of the best-hearted of fellows,” said Dillingham, as he and Gregory Bensonhurst walked up to the hotel piazza. “ He meant no harm. If this Graham is the man you say, it isn’t probable that this report is true, although the financial world is shaky just at present. His wife is a remarkably handsome woman !”

“ But I cannot help thinking,” said Bensonhurst uneasily, “ that Graham did look pretty well done up when he came out to-night. I am afraid to believe either way. What a blow his failure would be to his wife ; but she has a fortune in her own right. Graham would never lose that for her. Undoubtedly that is solid, and could carry them over even deeper sloughs than could come to him with the worst of failures.”

Considerably cheered by this conclusion, the two passed out upon the oce^n side of the piazza.

Just then, pretty Miss Bess Catherwood was querying as she leaned beside one of the posts of the pier, her black eyes wicked with the merry heart beneath :

Gathering Storm.

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“You look so wrathful, Mr. Leiand. What was the matter in the city, that you came out with such an air?”

She was one of the sailing-party, and was tarrying to watch the sunset effects upon the water, and the flashing out of the light-house lamps ere she went in to dress for dinner. Pretty Miss Catherwood was inclined to be late and never in a hurry ; but what could one urge against this element of character, when she declared that life was altogether too short, anyway.

“ And you are so cool and charming, that I am already rested,” said Leiand, smiling.

She was such a charming woman, and so pretty in her dainty buff-and-blue boating-dress, with the blue anchor upon her breast and her tip-tilted cap atop of the curly black hair, her yellow ties with their blue ribbons, one white hand twirling the buff parasol with its great blue bow of ribbon, round and round just over one spot in the boards of the pier.

“Oh, dear! Always pretty words! Why don’t you say right out that you are mad as mad can be, Mr. Leiand ? I’ll let you.”

John Winthrop' s Defeat.

He laughed, taking the restless parasol from her hand as tenderly as though it were worth its weight in gold. He was in love with wicked little Bess Catherwood, as that young lady knew quite well. She used this knowledge to his dire disadvantage, too, very often.

“ Because,” he made reply, “ I am not mad any longer. I am very happy, Miss Catherwood.”

“Well,” she eyed him critically, not flinching from his eloquent eyes. “ I believe you do look better-natured, Mr. Leland ! You came out with Mr. Graham, didn’t you? What a handsome man he is ! I don’t wonder that his wife adores him. And the lovely, lovely things he lavishes on her — the dresses and diamonds — such dresses and such hats ? I don’t see why he didn’t fall in love with me instead of Alecia Field. I’d have been so dreadfully glad to marry him — for his money.”

Leland frowned. If he were happy, as he had just protested, his looks belied it. He possessed considerable of this world’s good things, but it would not be possible for him to lavish “ such dresses and such hats ” upon his wife, when he

Ga thering Storm .

should marry, as Harold Graham showered upon Alecia. Tormenting Miss Catherwood was forever declaring she would never, never, never marry without unlimited wealth.

“ But suppose that you should happen to marry a man who lost his money — every cent — afterward. What, then, Miss Catherwood?”

She puckered up her brows and opened wide her eyes bewilderingly. She screwed her pretty red mouth into an emphatic protest.

“ Oh, but he wouldn’t, you know, Mr. Leland ! He never could. I’d make him solemnly promise that he wouldn’t. Because ” — she uttered the words with very pretty deliberation — “ if he should, I would simply hate him. Why, of course I’d hate him. I couldn’t help it,” she added, as though the enormity of other conclusion were beyond her power of comprehension. “ And in the meantime, as the sunset is gone and it is late, I must go in and dress for dinner. I’ll get not a morsel if I am too late.”

Lane Leland smiled, in spite of his anger. He was always either very happy or very miserable with this girl. He loitered beside her as they walked up the pier, still carrying the furled

John Winthrop' s Defeat.

parasol, with its knot of broad ribbon. They were the last of the idlers upon the pier, for it wanted but a few minutes of the dinner-hour, and the light was revolving in the tower out to westward, and only the tenderness of twilight touched the sand and sea and sky beyond that line of sullen cloud. The world was so peaceful, how could one’s heart retain tumult?

“ After dinner, will you go with me to watch the moonrise upon the sands, Miss Catherwood ? I have something that I wish to tell you — something that I must say to-night,” said Lane, as they paused at the foot of the staircase.

A slight flush was upon his face. Miss Catherwood knew quite well what it was he would say ; and it would be a pleasant story for her to hear — she knew that, too ; but wicked Miss Catherwood could not live without teasing even those whom she loved, and she could not refrain from tormenting this man.

“ After dinner ?” How slow and soft her voice was, and what a charming pucker came between the level black, eyebrows ! “ Why,

after dinner— let me see — I am almost afraid

Gathering Storm .