Chapter XIII: Straws That Showed the Wind

[TO ROGER FROM HIS COUSIN SARAH]

BOSTON, Sept. 7th, 188--

MY DEAR ROGER:

Your mother, I am sorry to say, is not physically able to
answer your surprising and most disturbing letter, and has
laid upon me the unpleasant task of doing so. It is, as you
somewhat brusquely say, unnecessary to discuss at any length
what you have done, since it is irrevocable. We can but
feel, however, that a thing so hastily entered upon can be
productive of no good (if, indeed, the matter has been as
sudden as you lead us to suppose).

To a woman of your mother's deep family pride this alliance
with a nameless girl from the streets, practically, if I am
to read your letter aright, can be nothing short of
humiliating. She instructs me to tell you that she can take
no cognisance of any such connection with any justice to the
family interests, and that although you will always be
welcome here, she cannot undertake to extend the welcome
further with any sincerity of heart.

I sent, following your suggestions, for Winfred Jerrolds,
but I cannot say that his evidently unwilling admissions
made the affair any the more palatable--how could they? Some
of the inferences I was forced to draw I cannot bring myself
to discuss, even with your mother. Winfred's French bringing
up and the influence of a weakly affectionate mother have
singularly warped his moral perception. It is impossible for
us not to feel that had you followed Aunt Miriam's advice
and established yourself in Boston, these dreadful results
would have been avoided. I try to believe that with the
altered standards of the city you have chosen your very
fibre has so weakened that you cannot grasp the extent of
the mistake you have made.

Winfred Jerrolds may, as you say, have been your best
friend, in one sense, but I fear that sense is a very narrow
one. He has certainly succeeded beyond anything he could
have hoped in his connection with our family. I always
thought his attentions to Uncle Winthrop unnatural in so
young a boy, but he was always politic. I am informed by
Uncle Searsy's partner that nothing can be done about it;
you will be pleased, probably.

You will realise, I hope, that living as I do with Aunt
Miriam, I cannot with propriety take any course counter to
hers in the matter of your marriage. It may be that she will
be more reconciled with time--I hope so, for it must be a
terrible thought for you that she might die with such
feelings as she now has for her only son!

Your affectionate cousin,

SARAH THAYER BRADLEY.

[FROM MY MOTHER]

STRATFORD, CONN.,

Sept. 7th, 188--

MY DARLING BOY:

This is a hasty note to tell you that I am afraid I cannot
come to you and help dear Roger's bride (how interesting and
beautiful she must be!) for I must stay and nurse poor old
Jeanne, who has had a bad fall putting up the new curtains
and nearly fractured her hip. She is in a great deal of pain
and cannot bear anyone but me about her. I should enjoy
helping Roger's wife with her trousseau--how did he happen
to go to the island she lives on? Is she one of the
Devonshire Prynnes? Your father knew a Colonel
Prynne--cavalry, I think. How you will miss Roger--for it
will be different, now, Winfred--it must be, you know. Oh,
my dear boy, if only I could help _your_ wife! If only I
could see you with children of your own! Don't wait too
long. Your father and I had but four years together, but I
would live my whole life over again with no change, for
those four. I must go to Jeanne, now.

Your loving MOTHER.

[FROM ROGER'S SISTER]

NEWTON, MASS.,

Sept. 10th, 188--

DEAR JERRY:

I hope you and Roger will not think me unkind, but Walter
will not hear of my looking up Roger's wife, as you ask me.
You see Mother has just begun to to be nice to him, and we
can't afford to lose her good-will, Winfred--we simply
can't. I think Roger has a perfect right to marry whom he
chooses and I don't believe a word of the horrid things
Sarah says. They are not true, are they? But of course
they're not. But why did Roger do it so suddenly? Why not
let us meet her first? What will people think? She will hate
me, I suppose, but Roger knows what we have suffered from
Mother and I hope he will understand. Walter's eyes have
been very bad, lately, and Mother is going to get Cousin
Wolcott Sears to send him on some confidential business to
Germany, the voyage will do him so much good! Do explain to
Roger--he will understand. And ask him to write to me, if he
will.

Yours always,

ALICE BRADLEY-CARTER.

[FROM ROGER'S UNCLE]

3---- COMMONWEALTH AVE.,

Boston, Mass., Sept. 12th, 188--

MY DEAR ROGER:

Your mother has communicated to me the facts of your
marriage, and while I cannot pretend that I feel the haste
and apparent mystery surrounding it are entirely
satisfactory to your aunt and myself, I have hastened to
point out to your mother that a man of your age and known
character is beyond question competent to use his judgment
in such a matter and that I cannot believe you so unworthy
of the family traditions as she feels you to have shown
yourself. In any case, I disapprove heartily of any public
break or scandal, and in the event of her failing to reverse
her decision, which I believe to be too severe and
unjustifiable in view of your consistently clean record in
all your family relations, I am writing to offer you, in
your aunt's name as well as my own, the hospitality of our
house as long as you and Mrs. Bradley care to avail
yourselves of it.

With every hope that this distressing situation may be
quietly and privately adjusted, and regards to Mrs. Bradley
from your aunt and myself, believe me,

Yours faithfully,

WOLCOTT SEARS.

[FROM TIP ELDER]

UNIVERSITY CLUB,

NEW YORK, Sept. 13th, 188--

DEAR JERRY:

I can't resist sending you a line to tell you of my
encounter with Russell Dodge, just now. You might drop Roger
a hint of it if you like, not going into details, of course.
I hope it will be for the best. I was so hot at the fellow's
impertinence I let myself get caught into a lie, I'm afraid,
but like Tom Sawyer's aunt, I can't help feeling "it was a
good lie!"

He was dining here with a set of pretty well-known New York
men and I had my back to his table. Suddenly I heard Roger's
name and a great deal of laughing and in a moment I found
myself overhearing (unavoidably) a disgusting and scandalous
piece of gossip. In some strange way a garbled account of
his marriage has come in from Boston, and Dodge, with that
infernally suggestive way of his, was cackling about Roger's
"jumping over the broomstick" with a "handsome gypsy" and
letting his relatives believe the thing was serious in order
to tease his stiff-necked family.

I tell you, it made me hot! I jumped up and looked that
fellow Dodge as straight in the eye as anyone can look him,
and said, "I beg your pardon for this interruption, Dodge,
but you happen to be making more of a fool of yourself than
usual. As regards the lady you are speaking of, I married
her myself at her father's country place, last week, with
Winfred Jerrolds as best man."

He mumbled something or other, but I forced him to apologise
plainly, and they all heard him. Then he said that he had
understood that no one in Boston even knew what her name
was, and I said almost (I hope!) before I thought, "she was
a Miss Prynne."

Then I left for the writing-room. My only excuse is that
Roger himself did not correct that fellow from the station
when he called her that, and, honestly, I couldn't turn on
my heel and leave that last remark open. I'm ready to eat
dirt, if need be, but for a fire-eating parson I still think
I did pretty well! To think of my running against Dodge
again after all these years--you remember our famous duel?

What a strange day we had out there! Let me know how Roger
feels about it. It's sure to be in the papers now, I
suppose. The name, I mean--I've quashed the other part, of
course.

Yours faithfully,

TYLER FESSENDEN ELDER.

[FROM SUE PAYNTER]

3--WASHINGTON SQUARE,

Sept. 14th, 188--

JERRY DEAR:

It occurred to me in the middle of the night that you might
be excused for thinking me cold and uninterested in your
request apropos of Roger's wife, and I can't bear you to
think so for a moment. Shall I be quite frank (and how
foolish to be anything else with you, dear Win!) and admit
that I was just a little hurt that Roger had not told me? It
was stupid of me, I know, and I hereby forgive him--before
he asks me, _par exemple!_ I do it thus quickly, I am
afraid, because of an unusually nasty letter from Sarah.
How can a woman be so good and yet so horrid? If Roger has
been unwise, all the more reason for us to stand by him!

But apparently he has not, and you are under the same spell
that bewitched him--don't attempt to deny it. Madam Bradley
threatens us all with excommunication, it seems, but
_n'importe_--she has been kind to me, in her alabaster way,
but it is incredible that I should desert Roger after his
unspeakable goodness to me.

I will meet you whenever and wherever you say and give the
new Mrs. Roger the benefit of whatever good taste Providence
has blessed me with--I am a past mistress of the art of a
hasty trousseau, I assure you! And I pray she may wear hers
more happily than I did mine.

Be sure to let me know the moment I am wanted. Let Roger
know how glad I am--if he asks. What friends you two are! I
wonder if you know what you are losing? Probably not--men
don't foresee, I suppose.

Your friend always,

SUE PAYNTER.

[FROM MY ATTORNEYS]

SEARS, BRADLEY AND SEARS

Attorneys and Counsellors-at-Law

_Cable Address, Vellashta_

2--COURT STREET, BOSTON, MASS.

Sept. 12th, 188--

WINFRED JERROLDS, ESQ.,

University Club,

New York, N. Y.

DEAR SIR:

We are instructed by the heirs and next-of-kin of the late
Mr. Winthrop Bradley and by Mr. Sears Bradley, as his
administrator appointed by the Probate Court, to advise you
that the will of Mr. Winthrop Bradley, of the existence of
which we have so long felt confident, has finally been
discovered in an unexpected way and that you are the
principal legatee thereunder.

We are further instructed to advise you that its genuineness
is unquestioned. We are already taking steps to probate the
will here and in North Carolina.

You will see by the will, of which we enclose you copy, that
Mr. Winthrop Bradley bequeathed to you $100,000--in bonds of
the ---- Co., which bear 4-1/2 per cent. interest, and in
addition his lands in ---- and ---- Counties, North
Carolina, which aggregate about 12,000 acres, and of which a
part has been farmed on shares for a number of years past,
bringing in an annual income varying between $75 and $250
above the taxes on the whole tract.

We shall be pleased to receive any instructions you desire
to give us in the premises. We remain,

Yours very respectfully,

SEARS, BRADLEY AND SEARS.

[ROGER'S TELEGRAM TO ME]

News of will forwarded in packet from office. More glad than
can say, deserve it all. Cold wave here and shall take noon
express Thursday. Sail Saturday.

R. B.