The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-11


| chapel. and meiiowed by distanse seemed
| to Clarence to lend that repose to the
wind-swept landscape that 1t h4d always
lacked. Suddenly his quick eaz detected
| the sound of wheels In the RUGS of the
carriage way. Usually his visitors to the
casa came on horseback, and earts and
wagons used only the lower Soad. As
the sound approached nearer an odd
| fancy filled his heart with uaaccount-
able pleasure. Could 1t be Mrs. Peyton
making an unexpected visit to the
Rancho? He held his breath. The We
hicle was now rolling on into Ese patio.
The CHATTER of hoofs and halt we're fol-
lowed by the accents of womenY voices.
One seemed familiar. He rose Gsiickly as
light footsteps ran along the corf5dor. and
then the door opened impetuousls to the
laughing face of Susy.
He came toward her hastily, get with
only the simple impulse of astorashment.
He had no thought of kissing her but as
he approached the threw her charming
head archly to one side with snischiev-
Gus knitting of her brows and significant
gesture toward the passage that Endicated
the proximity of a stranger and sae posi-
bility of interruption.
Hush! Mrs. McClosky's here," she
whispered.
"McClosky? ?" repeated CIarenceevaguely.
Aunt Jane. Silly! We just cat away
down here to surprise you. Aunty's
never seen the place, and here ws,s good
chance"
"And your mother - Mrs. Payton?-
has she-dOeS she?-" stammesed Ciar-
ence.
HAS she? Does she ?" mimicEed Susy
with increasing Impotence. 'sWhy. Of
course, she doesn't know anything about
it! She thinks I'm visiting MARI Rogers
at Oakland-and am-afterwar6s." She
laughed. II just wrote to Aune Jane to
meet me at Alameda and We cook the
stage to Santa Inez and drove on fsere in a
buggy. Wasn't it real fun? Fell Inc,
Clarence you don't say anything. Tell
me; wasn't it real fun!"
This was all so like her old, cf,ildlike,
charming irresponsible self, that clarence,
troubled and bewildered as he was. took
her hands and drew her like chile toward
him. ''Of course" she went on, yet stop
ping to smell a rosebud in his bu.Eon-hole.
81 have perfect right to come to my own
house. goodness knows! and if ksing my
own aunt-a married woman-wtsh me;
although loftily. there may be 3 young.
unmarried gentleman alone there, still l
fail to see any improperly in it !''z
He was still holding her, butzin that
instant her manner had completely
changed again. The old Susy seemed to
have slipped away and evaded him, and
his arms. "Release me. Mr.. Brant,
please" she said with a languid affected
glance behind her. 1--WE are not alone"
Then. as the rustling of skirt sounded
nearer in the passage. she seemed to
change back into her old self once more,
and with lightning flash of signs iicance,
whispered: "She knows everything!"
To add to Clarence's confusion, the
woman who entered cast quick glance of
playful meaning on the separating youth
full pair. She was an Ineffective blonde
with certain beauty that seeme3 to be
l.
paint and powder; her dress appeared to
have suffered from an equally unw wise ex-
cess of ornamentation and trimming, and
she gave the general impression of having
been intended for exhibition in almost
any other light than the one in which she
happened to be. There were two or three
mud stains on the laces of her sleeve and
underskirt that were obtrusively incon-
gruous. Her voice, which had hOwever a
ring of honest intention in it. was some
what overstrained, and evidently had not
yet adjusted itself to the low pitched, con-
ventual-ike building.
"There children, don't mind mel I
know I'm not on in this scene, but 1 got
nervous waiting there in what you call the
SALON. with only those greaser servants
| staring round me in a circle like regular
| chorus! My! but it's anteek here-@reg'lar
Clarence, ESQ this is Clarence Brans-your
Clarence? Interduce me, Susy!"
In his confusion of indignation, pain and
| even a certain conception of the grim
righteousness of the situation. Clarence
graspe3 despairingly at single sentence
| of Susy's. "In my own house." surely,
at least, it was her own home, ana as he
| was only the business agent of her adopted
| mother he had no right to dictate to her
under what circumstances she shesild re-
| turn to it. or whom she should introduce
| there. In her independence and caprice
vt,t
where with this astounding relative.
and would Mrs. Peyton like it Better?
| Clinging to this idea his instinct Of hos
| pitality asserted itself; he welcomed Mrs.
McClosky with nervous effusion. II am
only Mrs. Peyton's major-domo here, but
| any guest Of her daughters is welcome"
Yes" said Mrs. McClosky, with osten-
tatious archness, 81 reckon Susy anss un-
| derstand your position here. and you've
| got good berth of it. But We won't
| trouble you much on Mrs. Peytofa's ac-
count, will We, SusyP And now size and
me will just take a look eroun' the shanty
1T is real old Spanish anteek, amt it?
| And sorter take stock of it, and you young
| folks will have to tear yourselves apart for
awhile and play prOpriety before me.
| You've got to be on your good behavior
while I'm here, 1 can tell you'll I'm a
| heavy old 'doo-annap Amt I, Susy?
| School MAINS and mother SUPERIOR amt
| in the game with me-for discipline
She threw her arm around the Young
| girls waist and drew her towards her af-
| fectionately, an action that slightly pre-
| cipitated some powder upon the black
| dress of her niece Susy glanced mis-
| chievously at Clarence, but withdrew her
| eyes presently to let them rest WIN I'M
| mstakable appreciation and ADMIRATION
| on her relative. A pang shot through
| Clarence's breast. He had never Seen her
| look in that way at Mrs. Peytois Yet
| here was this stranger-provincial; over
| dressed and extravaganza; whose vu.garity
| was only made tolerable through hes good
temper-who had awakened that issterest
which the refined Mrs. Peyton, whose in
herent delicacy triumphed over eveE the
material influences of maturity, climate
and surroundings, had never vet been
able to touch. AS Mrs. McCiosky swept
out of the room with SuSy, he Earned
away with a sinking heart.
Yet it was necessary that the SPANISH
house servants should not suspect this
treason to their mistress, and Clarence
stopped their childish curiosity aboal the
stranger with a careless and easy accent
ance of Susy's sudden visit in the light of
an ordinary occurrence, and wsth
familiarity toward Mrs. McClosky shich
became the more distastetul to h{fn in
proportion as he saw that il was evisfantiy
agreeable to her. But, easily responsive.
she became speedily confidential With
out single question from himself or
contributing remark from Susy, in half an
hour she had told him her whole history.
How, az Jane Sisbee, an elder Sitter of
susy's mother, she had early eloped from
the pate-nal home Kansas with