The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25

her slim, slippered foot upon the low fem
der, drawing with a quick hand the whole
width of her skirt behind her until it cling
ingly accented the long, graceful curve
from her hip to her feet. All this was so
unlike her usual fastldiousness and repose
that he was struck by it. With her eyes
on the glowing embers of the hearth, and
tentatively advancing her toe to its warmth
and drawing 1t away, she said:
OF course you must please yourself
am afraid have no right except that of
habit and custom to keep you here. and
withheld bitterness, "that they are not al
ways very effective with young people who
prefer to have the ordering Of their own
lives. But have something still to tell
you before you finally decide. have, as
you know. been looking over my-over
MI. Peyton's papers very carefully. Well.
~ result, find. Mr.. Brant, that there is
providential purchase of the Sisters title
from you; that he never entered into any
written agreement with you and never
paid you q cent, and that, furthermore,
his papers show me that he never even
contemplated it, nor indeed even knew Of
your owning the title when he died. Yes.
Mr.: Brant, it was all to your foresight
and prudence, and your generosity alone
that We owe our present possession of the
rancho. When you helped US into that
awful window-it was your house we were
entering. and lift had been you, and not
those wretches who had chosen to shut
the doors on Us after the funeral, we could
never have entered here again. Don't
deny it, Mr.. Brantl / have suspected it q
long time, and when you spoke Of chang
ing your position determined to find out
if it wasn't who had to leave the
house rather than you. One moment,
pleased And ! did find out-and
it was i Don't speak. please, yeti
And now" she said, with /. quick return
ing this, as you did. and KNOWN g too that
! would know it when / examined the
papers-don't speak, I'm not through yet
don't you think that il was just a little
cruel for you to try to hurry me and make
me come here. instead of your coming to
leave for that purpose?"
but Mrs. Peyton," gasped Clarence.
''Piease don't interrupt mel said the
lady with touch of her old imperious-
ness, "for in moment l must Join nv
guests. When found YOU wouldn't tell
me, and left it to me to find out. could
only go away as did and really leave YOU
to control what believed was your own
property. And l thought too that I un-
derstood your motives, and, to be frank
with you, that worried me: for I believed
knew the disposition and feelings ola
certain person-better than yourself"
''One moment" broke out Clarence, "you
must hear me nowl Foolish and mis-
guided as that purchase may have been. I
swear TO you l had only one motive in
making Ito save the homestead for Won
and your husband, who had been my first
and earliest benefactors. What the result
OF 1t you as business woman know, YOUR
friends know-your lawyer will tell You
the same. You owe me nothing-I have
given you nothing but the repossession of
this property which any other man could
have done. and perhaps less stupidity than
l did. l would net have forced You to
come here to hear this If had dreamed of
your suspicious or even if had simply
understood that you would see me in San
Francisco as passed through"
Passed through Where were you 60
ing" she said quickly.
TO Sacramento"
The abrupt change in her manner startled
MN to recollection of Susy and he
bsushed. She bit her lips and moved to-
ward the window.
Then You saw her ?" she said. turning
suddenly toward him. The inquiry of
ner beautiful eyes was more imperative
than her speech.
Clarence recognized quickly what he
thought was his cruel blunder in touching
the half-healed wound of separation. But
re had gone too far to be other than per-
fecsly truthful now. Eyes, l saw heron
the stage" he said with q return of his
eoyish earnestness, 'and l learned some
thing which wanted you to first hear
nom me. She is married, and TO Mr..
Hooker, who is in the same theatrical
company with her. But I want Won Ia
think, as l honestly do. that il is the best
Tor her. She has married in her profession
which is great protection and help To
her success, and she has married q man
who can look lightly upon certain quail
ties in her that Others might not be so
ienient TO. His worst faults are on the
surface and viii wear away in con.