The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25
: u 3 Z
The Story of a Wait.
NJ sEEr HAErE.
Copyright, 1872, BY Bret RartA
CHAPTER XII.

Nowhere had the long season Of flowers
brought such glory - to the broad plains
and slopes Of Robles rancho By some
f0rtuitous chance Of soil or food or drift
ing pollen the three terraces had each
taken distinct and separate blossom and
tint Of color. The struggling line Of corral,
the crumbiing wall of the old garden, the
outlying chapel and even the brown walls
Of the CASE itself were half sunken in the
tall racemss Of crowding lupines until
from distance they seemed to be slowly
eettiing In the profundity of dark blue
Sea The second terrace was . league-long
dow Of gray and gold daisies, in which the
cattle daxedly wandered mid-leg deep. A
perpetual sunshine Of yellow dandelions
lay upon the third. The gentle slope to
the dark green canada was broad cata-
ract Of crimson peoples. Everywhere
where water had stood great patches of
color had taken its place. It seemed ~ If
the rains had ceased only that the broken
heavens might drop flowers.
Never before had its beauty-a beauty
that seemed built upon . cruel, youthful,
Obliterating forgetfulness Of the past
struck Clarence - keenly ~ when he had
made up his mind that he must leave the
place forever. For the tale Of his mis-
chance and ill-fortune as told by Hopkins
WAS unfortunately true. When he discov-
cred that in his desire to save Peyton's
house by the purchase of tho Sisters title,
he himself had been the victim Of gigan-
tic fraud, he accepted tho loss of the
greater part Of his fortune with resigna.
tion, and was even satisfied by the thought
that he had ct least effected the possession
~ n <oH n.~&
when he found that those of his tenants
who had bought under him had acquired
only dubious possession of their lands
and no title, he had unhesitatingly REIN.
burssd them for their improvements
With the last Of his capital. Only the
lawless Gilroy had spontaneously de-
clined. The quiet acceptance of the others
did not, unfortunately, preclude their
settled belief that Clarence had partici-
pated In the fraud, and that even now his
restitution was making . dangerous pre-
csdsnt. subversivs of the best interests of
the state. and discouraging to immigra-
tion. Some doubted his sanity. Only
one, struck with the sincerity Of his mo-
tive, hesitatsd to take the money with
look Of COMMUNICATION on his face. "Are
you not satisfied Z" asked Clarence, smil-
ing. Eyes, but" "But whatf"
.sNothin', only was thinkin' that man
Ike you must feel awful lonesome in Cali
fornyp
Lonely he was, indeed, but his loneli-
ness was not the loss Of fortune nor what
Il might bring. Perhaps he had never
fully realized his wealth. 1t had been an
accident rather than custom of his life.
and when IL had failed in the only test he
had made of its power IL is to be feared
that he only sentimentally regretted it
il was too early yet for him to compre-
bend the yelled blessings of catastrophe
In its merciful disruption of habits and
ways of life; his loneliness was still the
hopeless solitude left by vanished ideas
and oyerthrown idols. He was satisfied
that he had never cared for Susy, but he
still cared for the belief that he hadi
After the discovery of Pedro's body that
fatal morning brief but emphatic inter-
view between himself and Mrs. McClosky
had followed. He had insisted upon her
Immediately accompanying Susv and him.
self to Mrs. Peyton in San Francisco.
Horror-stricken and terrified at the ca
tastrophe, and frightened by tho strange
looks Of the excited servants. they did not
dare to disobey him. He had left them
with Mrs. Peyton in the briefest prelimi-
nary interview. during which he spoke