"SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI."
If old Aaron Rockharrt, the Iron King, had never been generally loved,
he was certainly very highly respected by the whole community. The news
of his sudden death fell like a shock upon the public. Preparations for
the obsequies were on the grandest scale.
They occupied two days. On the first day there were funeral services at
Rockhold, performed by the Rev. Luke Melville, pastor of the North End
Mission Church, and attended by all the neighboring families, as well as
by all the operatives of the works. After these were over, the whole
assembly, many in carriages and many more on foot, followed the hearse
that carried the remains to the North End railway depot, where the
coffin was placed in a special car prepared for its reception, and,
attended by the whole family, it was conveyed to the State capital and
deposited in the long drawing room of the Rockharrt mansion, where it
remained until the next day. On the second day funeral services were
held at the town house by the bishop of the diocese, assisted by the
rector of the church of the Lord's Peace, and attended by a host of the
city friends of the family.
After these services the long funeral procession moved from the house to
the cemetery of the Lord's Peace, where the body was laid in the
Rockharrt vault beside that of his old wife.
On the return of the family to the house they assembled in the library
to hear the reading of the will of Aaron Rockharrt, which had been
brought in by his solicitor, Mr. Benjamin Norris.
There were present, seated around the table, Fabian, Violet, and
Clarence Rockharrt, Cora Rothsay, the doctor and the lawyer. Standing
behind these were gathered the servants of the family.
Mr. Norris blew his nose, cleared his throat, put on his spectacles,
opened the will and proceeded to read it.
The testament may be briefly summed up as follows:
First there were handsome legacies left to each of the old servants. One
full half of the testator's vast estate was left to his elder son,
Fabian; one quarter to his younger son, Clarence; and one quarter to be
divided equally between his grandson, Sylvan Haught, and his
granddaughter, Corona Rothsay.
Fabian was appointed sole executor.
The lawyer folded up the document and handed it to Fabian Rockharrt.
"Clarence, old boy, I hardly think this is altogether fair to you," said
Fabian, good naturedly, and ready to deceive him into the delusion that
he had not schemed for this unequal division of the enormous wealth.
"It is all right, Fabian. Altogether right. You are the eldest son, and
now the head of the firm, and you have ten times over the business
brains that I have. I am perfectly satisfied, and even if I were not, I
would not dream of criticising my father's will," replied Clarence, with
perfect good humor and sincerity.
The legacies were promptly paid by Fabian Rockharrt. Mr. Clarence
decided to remain as his brother's junior partner in the firm that was
henceforth to be known as "Aaron Rockharrt's Sons," and to leave all his
share of the money invested in the works.
When Corona was asked when and how she would receive her own, she also
declared that she would leave it for the present where it was invested
in the works, and the firm might pay her legal interest for its use, or
make her a small silent partner in the business. Sylvan had yet to be
consulted in regard to the disposal of his capital.
The month of October was in its third week. It was high time for Corona
to go to Washington and make the acquaintance of the Nevilles, if she
wished to go to travel west under their protection. She had several
times spoken of this purpose in the presence of Violet, so as to
accustom that emotional young woman to the idea of their separation. But
Violet, absorbed in her grief for the dead, paid but little attention to
Corona's casual remarks.
At the end of a few days Fabian Rockharrt began to talk about going back
to Violet Banks, and invited Corona to accompany his wife and himself to
their, pleasant country home.
It was then that Corona spoke decisively. She thanked him for his
invitation and reminded him of her unalterable resolution to go out to
Fort Farthermost to join her brother.
When Fabian Rockharrt tried to combat her determination, she informed
him that she had during the funeral week received a joint letter from
Captain and Mrs. Neville, inviting her to join their party to the
frontier. This letter had been written at the suggestion of the colonel
of Captain Neville's regiment, and had not been mentioned or even
answered until after the funeral. She said that she had accepted this
kind invitation, and had forwarded all her baggage, which had been so
long stored at North End, to Washington to wait her arrival in that
city.
"Very well, then," said Fabian. "If you are set upon this expedition, I
cannot hinder you, and shall not try to do so. But I tell you what I
will do. I will take Violet to Washington with you, and get rooms at
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.