The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-28

Is that | am ready to do anything you
want, ali You want. to be on your side and
at your side now and foreveri"
lie WAS SO earnest and hearty, and
above all so appallingiy and blissfully
happy in his relief of his feelings, smii-
ing as if it were the most natural thing
IN the world, and So absurdly unconscious
OF his 22 years, his little brown curling
mustache, the fire in his wistful, yearn-
ing eyes, and above all OF his clasped
hands and loyer-like attitude, tina. Mrs.
Peyton, at first rigid as stone. then suf-
fused TO the eyes, cast a hasty glance
round the apartment, put her handker-
chief TO her face and laughed like girl.
At which Clarence, by no means discom-
posed but rather accepting her emotion as
perfectly natural, Joined her heartily and
added: ''It's so. Mrs. Peyton! I'm glad
told you. You don't mind lido you"
But Mrs. Pey,on had resumed her grav
ity and perhaps touch of her previous
misgivings. Il should certainly be very
sorry" she said. looking at him critically,
Ito object to your sharing your old friend
ship for your little playmate with her
parents and guardians, or to your express
ing it to them as frankly as to her."
She saw the quick change in his mobile
face and the momentary arrest of its happy
expression. She was frightened and yet
puzzled. 1t was not the sensitiveness of
lover ut the mention of the loved ones
name and yet it suggested an uneasy con-
seriousness. Ifhis previous impulsive out
burst had been prompted honestly or even
artfully by his passion for Susy why had
he looked so shocked when she spoke of
her?
But Clarence, whose emotion had been
caused by the sudden recall of his knowl-
edge of Susy's own disloyaty to the
woman whose searching eyes were upon
him, in his revulsion against the deceit,
a IN, Iy1ot mt fhn nrv.t Nf Il
vulging all. Perhaps If Mrs. Peyton had
shown more confidence he would have
done so, and materially altered the evolu-
ton Of this story. But happily it is upon
these slight human weaknesses that the
romance depends. and Ciarence-with no
other reason than the instructive sympa-
thy of youth with youth in its opposition
to wisdom and experience-let the oppor-
tunity pass and took the responsibility Of
it out of the hands of the chronicer.
Howbeit, to cover his confusion, he
seized upon the second idea that was in
his mind and stammered: 'Susy! Yes.
| wanted to speak to you about her. ".Mrs.
Peyton held her breath. but the young
man went on. although hesitatingly. with
evident sincerity: Have you heard from
any of her relations since--since-you
adopted her?''
1t seemed natural enough question,
although not the sequitur she had ex-
pected. NO" she said. carelessly. lit
was well understood, after the nearest re-
latiOn-an aunt by marriage-had signed
her consent to Susys adoption. that there
should be no further intercourse with the
family. There seemed to Us no necessity
for reopening the past and Susy herself ex-
pressed no desire" She stopped, and
again fixing her handsome eyes on CIar-
ence, said: "Do you know any of them 20
But Clarence by this time had recovered
himself and was able to answer carelessly
and truthfully that he did not. Mrs. Pey-
ton, still regarding him closely, added
somewhat deliberately: sit matters little
now what relations she has; Mr.. Peyton
and have complete legal control over her
until she is of age, and We can easily pro-
tect her from any folly of her own or 9TH
ers, or from any of the foolish fancies that
sometimes overtake girls of her age and
inexperience."
To her utter surprise, however, Clarence
uttered a faint sigh of relief and his face
again recovered its expression of boyish
happiness. Pm glad of it, Mrs. Peyton."
he said heartily. ono one could under
stand better what is for her interest in all
things than yourself. Not" he said with
hasty and equally hearty loyalty to his
old playmate, "that I think she would
go against your wishes or do anything
that she knows to be wrong-but she is
very young and innocent. AS much of
81.
Peyton?'
1t was amusing yet nevertheless puz-
Zling, to hear this bOyiSh young man COM
ment upon Susy's girlishness. And
Clarence was serious, for he had quite for
gotten, in Mrs. Peyton's presence, the i'm
preston of superiority which Susy had
lately made upon him. But Mrs. Peyton
returned to the charge-or rather to an
attack upon what she conceived to be
Clarence's old position.
81 suppose she does seem girlish COM
pared to Mary Rogers, who is a much
more reserved and quiet nature. But
Mary is very charming, Mr.. Brant, and I
Susy. She has such lovely dark eyes and
such good manners. She has been we'll
brought up, and it is easy to see that her
friends are superior people. must write
to them to thank them for her visit and
beg them to let her stay longer. I think
you said you didn't know them?"
But Clarence, whose eyes had been
over every characteristic detail of the
charming department., here raised them to
its handsome mistress with an apologize
air and mo" of such unaffected and
complete abstraction that she was again
dumfounded. Certainly it could not be
Mary in whom he was interestedi
Abandoning any further inquisition for
the present, the talk naturally fell upon
the books scattered about the tables. The
young man knew them all far better than
she did, with cogent knowledge of others
whom she had never heard of. She found
herself In the attitude of receiving infor-
nation from this boy, whose boyishness.
however, seemed 10 have evaporated.
whose tone had changed with the
subject, and who now spoke with
the conscious reserve of knowl-
edge. Decidly she must have
grown rusty in her seclusion! This
came. she thought bitterly, of living alone:
of her husbands preoccupation with the
property; of Susy's frivolous caprices At
the end OF eight years to be outstripped by
former cattle hoy of her husbands. and
to have her French corrected in matter
of-fact way by this recent pupil of the
priests-was really too bad! Perhaps he
even looked down upon Susy, She smiled
dangerously and suavely.
You must have worked SO hard to edu-
cate yourself from nothing, Mr.. Branr.
You couldn't read think, when you first
came to u.s., No? Could you really? L
know it has been very difficult for Susy to
get on with her studies in proportion: we
had SO much to first eradicate in the way
OF manners, style and habits of thought.
which the poor child had picked up from
her companions, and for which she was
not responsible. OF course with a bow
that does not signify" she added with
feeling gentleneSs.
But the barbed speech glanced from the
young mans smoothly smiling abstrac-
ton. "Ah! Yes, but those were happy
days, Mrs. Peyton," he answered with an
exasperating return of his previous boy
ignorance. l don't think that Susy and I
are any HAMMER for KNOWING tho. tho