The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-13
CHAPTER xxI.-CosrrsuEp.

~ vAN
invitation to her the waiting did no good,
and ths household presently won't to the
meal without her. Poor old Sellers tried
everything his hospitabls soul could devise
to make tbs occasion an enjoyable ono for
the guest. and the guest tried his honest
best TO be chssry and ohatty and happy for
the old gsntlsman's sake; in fact all hands
worked hard In ths inherent of a mutual
good tims, but the thing was ! failure from
the start. Traoy's heart was lead in his
bosom, there seemed to bs only ono prom
inent feature IN the landscape, and that
was a. vacant chair; he couldn't drag his
mind away from Gwendolen and his hard
luck; consequently his distractions a.
lowed deadly pauses to slip in now and
then when it was his turn to say some
thing, and Of course this disease spread to
the rest Of the conversation, wherefore, in
stead Of having q breezy sail in sunny
waters as anticipated, everybody was bail
ing ont and prayingf for land. What could
the matter be? Tracy alone could have
told, ths others couldn't even invent a
theory. #r
Meanwhile they were having a similarly
dismal time at the Thompson house; in
fact. n twin experience. Gwendolen was
ashamed Of herself for allowing her disap-
pointment to so depress her spirits and
49,. - : = lAlpel anu pto,ounaiy us.
cradle QUE 1eeiine ashaned OF herself
didn't improve the matter any; it only
seemed to aggravate the suffering. She ex-
planned that she was not feeling yerv we'll.
80 ouo,.haa. aa,,a 49,. 49, ~. -,
ano 0S'isDoAy eoui" NV snas enis was
'rae; so sne got sincere ynpatny com
miseration; but that didn't help the case.
NOTHING belps that kind If a case. II ia
best to lust stand off and lot II foster. Tha
moment the dinner was over the girl err
cuaed herself. and abe hurried home feel
ing unspeakably grateful to get awav from
that house and that intolerable captivity
and suffering.
Will he be gone? The thought arose in
her brain. but took effect in her heals. Sha
slipped into the house. threw off her things
and MAIDS strsicht for tne dining room,
She stopped and listened. Her fathsr's
yoica-with no life in IS: presently her
mother's-no life in that; a considerable
vacancy, then q sterile remark from Wash
inRton Hawkins. Another silence: then.
not Tracy'a, but her fathers voice again.
"Us's pone.,' she said to herself. despair-
ingly. and listlessly opened the door and
stepped within. @
''Why, my child, p eried the mother. sshow
white you are. Are, vou-has anythinp-,
"White?' exclaimed Sellers. tits zone
like a flash; 'twasn't serious. Already she's
as red us the soul of a watermelon. Sit
down, dear, sit d~own-goodness knows
you're welcome. Did youshave a good time?
We've had great timea here-immenac
Why didn't Miss Belle come? Mr.. Trnov il
not feeling we'll, and she'd have made him
forget it,"
hhe was content now; and out from her
happy eyes there went q light that told a
secret to another pair of Dyes there, and
" -. -.
hnitely small fraction OF a second those
two great confessions were made, received
and perfectly understood. All anxiety. an.
prehension, uncertainty, vanished out of
these young peoples hearts, and left Thorn
filled with a great peace.
Sellers had had the most confident faith
that with the now reinforcement victory
would be st this last moment snatched
from tho laws of defeat, but il was an error.
The talk was as stubborn ' disjointsd as
ever. He was proud of Gwendolen, and
liked to show her off, even against Miss
Belle THOMPSON, and here had been q great
opportunity, and what had she made of Il? |
He felt a good deal put out. 1t vexed him /
to think that this English man. with the |
travelling Briton's everlasting disposition |
to generalize whole mountain ranges from
single sample grains of sand, would jump |
to the conclusion that American girls we're
as dumb as himsclf-generalizing the whole
tribe from this singls sample, and sho at
her poorest, there Being nothing at that
table to inspire her, give her a start. keen
her from going 10 sleep. He mads nm his |
mind that, for the honor of the company. he |
would bring thess two together again over
the social board before long.
There would be q different result another !
time. hx Judged. He said to himsalf. with |
4 drep sense of injury. Hell put in hia
diarv-thsv all keen diaries-hs'u mt in |
his diary that sho was m%iraculons1 = min
terastinr-dsar. dear. but wasn't she-y
never saw tho like-and vet Iookin0 M
beautiful AZ Satan, oo-.and ouldn saen |
to do ANYTHING INIT nav hr.ad crnrnbs md
pick flowers to pieces. and look fdcety.
And it isn't auy better here in thu Hail Of
Audience, I've had enough: Il haui down
nv flag: the others may fight it out if they
want to-
He shook hauds all around and want off
to do scme work which he said WAS nress-
jnr. The idolaters were tho width Of the
room apart, and apparently unconscious of
each Others presence, The distance cot !
shortened a little now. Verv soon rhe |
mother Withdraw. The distance narrow.d
again, Tracy stood beforaa chrome If snma
Ohio poIitician which had ha.n ratonchad |
and chaiu-mnilad for n ernsxdino Ross.
moro. md Iswando1sn w,s %sitt;nn an tha
sofa not far from his elbow artifc;.lIy Az
sofbsd in examining a photournnh nIbum
that hadn't sny photoprnnh. in it..
The SENATOR still linoarad Fla Was
sorry for the Young neonle. Il had ha.n y
dull evening for thon' in Tho oondnas. ~
his heart he tried to make It nle,sans for