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


with her myself; Ibid not 90 these to SEQ
her. Bnt q I expected to 30 leaNng you
soon thought it only right that = was
tho humble means Of first Bringing her
into your life, / should bring you This last
news, which suppose takes her cat Of it
forever. Only I want you to belize that
you ,t have nothing e regret and thst she il
THAT means, I suppose, Mr.. Brant,
that you no longer care for her The
smile had passed. yet she spoke new with
half real, half affected archness tlat was
also unlike her.
ut means," said Clarence, with . white
face but steady voice, ''that | care for
her now - much as ever cared fer her
NO matter to what folly it once might have
led me. But i means also that there was
no time when was not able to TED it to
you 40 frankly - I do now"
One moment. please" she interrupted,
and turned quickly towards ting door.
She opened It and looked out. II Fought
must go now, Mr.. Brant. And without
finishing my business either-or saying
half had intended TO say. But gait
she put her hand to her head in pretty
plexity-sit's moonlight highland
Ill propose after dinner . stroll IN the
gardens, and you can manage TO 19alk .
turned, and said: ut was very lind Of
you to think of mo at Sacramento held
out her hand. allowed it to remais: for an
instant. cool but acquiscent in his GARNER
grasp. and with the same odd youthful
ness OF movement and gesture slipped ont
of the door,
An hour later she was at the head of her
dinner table. serene, beautiful and calm,
in her elegant mourning, provokingly in
accessible in the sweet deliberations of her
widowed years. Padre Esteban was at her
side with local magnate who had gnown
Peyton and his wife, while Donna Rosita
and pair Of Handicapped, chpd-!ike
Senoritas were near Clarence and sander
son. To the priest Mrs. Peyton spike adj
mirably OF the changes in the ranclo and
the restoration of the mission chapel, and
they had together commended Csarence
from the level of their superior passion
less reserve and years. Clarence felt hope
iessly young and hopelsssly lonety; the
naive prattle of the young girls besiie him
appeared infantine. In his abstraction he
heard Mrs. Peyton allude to the beauty OF
the night, and propose that after Scoffee
and chocolate the ladies should sut on
their wraps and go with her to the osd gar
den. Clarence raised his eyes sSe was
not looking at him, but there was e>slight
consciousness in her face that was not
there before, and the faintest color IN her
cheek, still lingering. no doubt, FROM the
excitement of conversation.
1t was q cool. tranquil, dewlesynight
whom they at last struggled out,Sc mere
black and white patches in the cof.Orless
moonlight. The brilliancy of the fower-
hued landscape was subdued unosr its
passive, pale austerity; even the greg and
gold OF the second terrace seemed Snlled
and confused. At any other tiineS Clar-
ence might have fingered over the Es:ange
effect, but his eyes followed only = tall
figure in long striped bournOus. that
moved gracefully beside the so,taned
priest; As he approached it turned to-
ward him.
.Ah! here you are! have told l<ather
Esteban that you had talked of leavsqg to-
morrow, and that he must excuse ms for q
few moments while you showed mAwhat
you had done to the old garden.,S She
moved beside him, and with q hesitation
that was not unlike more youthful tim
idity, slipped her hand through hiS arm.
It was for the first time, and wsshout
thinking he pressed it impulsively y his
ence's reserve was at times qualifisI by
singular directness.
A few steps carried them out of he1ting:
q few more and they seemed alone "a the
world. The long adobe wall glanced away
emptily beside them and was lost; the
black SHADOWS of the kpotted peaktrees
were beneath their feet. They began to
walk with the slight affectation of Iread-
ing the shadows as If they were patterns
on q carpet; Clarence was voicelesA. and
yet he seemed to be moving beside aSpirit
that must be first addressed. <
But it was flesh and blood nevertheless.
II interrupted you in something you
were saying when / left the ofiiceA' she
said quietly.
II was speaking Of susy." retsrned
Clarence, eagerly, "and-"
"Then you needn't 90 on" interrApted
Mrs Peyton quickly. ri u1derstanN YOU
and believe you. would rather tx Of
something else. We have not w ar
ranged how can make restitution T. you
for the capital you sank in savinG this
place. You will be reasonable, Mr.. can't,
and not leave me with the shame antE pain
OF knowing that you ruined yourseT for
the sake of your old friends. For itsh no
more sentimental idea of mine to 4 in
this way than it 10 q fair and sensiblS one
for you TO imply that . mere quibts, of
construction absolves me from resi- nsi-
bility. Mr.. Sanderson himself a. !hits
that the repossession you gave rs is a fair
and legal basis for any arrangemikt of
sharing or division of the property with
You that might enable you to remain here
and continue the work you have SC well
begun. Have you no sugeestion-or snust
1t come from me, Mr.. Brant?"
Neither. Let Us not talk of that
now"
''Then suppose we speak of the Misses
Hernandez, with whom you scarcelg ex-
changed q word at dinner and whom in
vited for you and your fluent Spanish
They are charming girls, even if they are
little stupid, but what can I dot? If
am to live here must have a few y,ung
people around me if only to make the
place cheerful for others Do you know
have taken great fancy to Miss Rogers
and have asked her to visit met b4ink
she is good friend Of yours. al.heugh,
perhaps. she is little shy. What the
matterP You have nothing againstAher,
have your"
Clarence had stopped short. The! had
reached the end of the pear tree shassows.
A few more steps would bring them e. the
fallen south wall OF the garden and. the
open moonlight beyond, but to the Hght
an olive alley of deeper shadow diveAeed.
NO" he said with slow delibera. sson
II have to thank Mary Rogers for h. ing
been blindly,. fooilshly and hope: Asly
struggling with"
"And pray what was thatf" said IRIS.
Peyton sharply.
That love YOU"
Mrs. Peyton was fairly startled. The
embarrassment of any truth is apt to Se in
its eternal abruptness, which no devEaus-
ness OF tact or circumlocution of d:olo-
macy has ever yet surmouuted. Whataver
had been in her heart or mind she was un-
prepared for this directness The bolt~had
dropped from the sky; they were alsne:
there was nothing between the stars and
the earth but herself and this man and
this truth 1t could not be overlooked, sur
mounted Or escaped from. A step Oh. two
further would take her out of the gasden
into the moonlight, but always into shis