The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-07-22

III y Nie lnarEeT, mace up q merry
and exhilarating scene. To see their
sons and daughters so flushed and
healthy and happy gave them also a
reflected glow, and ii was hard to saw
who had most pleasure from the game.
those who played or those who watched.
Mrs. Westmacott had just finished a
set when she caught a glimpse of Clara
Walker sitting alone at the farther end
of the ground. She ran down the court.
cleared the net TO the amaZement Of the
visitors, and seated herself beside her.
Clara's reserved and refined nature
shrank from the boisterous frankness
and strange of the widow, and
yet her feminine instinct told her that
beneath all her peculiarities there Law
much that was good and noble. She
smiled up at her, therefore, and nodd-
ed a greeting.
why aren't you playing. then? Don't
Tor goodness sake. begin to be languid
and young ladyish. When you give UP
active. sports you give up youth"
Il ave played a set, Mrs. Westma-
colt"
That's right. my dear" She sat down
beside her. and tapped her upon the
$500 'tNh iN ~ L Ilht NOu,
my dear, and / am going TO call you
Clara. You are not as aggressive as |
should wish, Clara, but still like YOU
very much. Self-sacrifce is all very
well, you know, but we have had rath-
er too much of 1t on our side. and
should like to see a little on the other.
What 40 you think Of my nephew,
Charles"
The question was so sudden and I'M
expected that Clara gave quite a jump
In her chair. I'LL hardly ever have
thought of your nephew Charles"
NO? Oh. you must think him well
over. for l want to speak to you about
him"
ITO me? But why?"
1T seemed to me most delicate. You
see, Clara, the matter stands in this
way. 1t is quite possible that / may soon
find myself in a completely new sphere
Of life. which will involve fresh duties
and make ii impossible for me TO keep
up a household which Charles can
share"
Clara stared. Did this mean that she
was about to marry again? What else
could it point to?
Therefore Charles must have a
household of his own That is obvious.
Now, l don't approve Of bachelor es-
Establishments. Do you?"
Really, Mrs. Westmacott. l have
never thought Of the matter"
"Oh, you little sly puss. Was there
ever a girl who never thought Of the
matter? think that a young man of
six-and-twenty ought to be married"
Clara felt very uncomfortable. The
awful thought had come upon her that
this ambassadress had come to her as
a proxy with a proposal of marriage.
But how could that be? She had not
spoken more than three or four times
with her nephew. and knew nothing
more Of him than he had told her on the
evening before. 1t was impossible, then.
And yet what could his aunt mean by
this discussion of his private affairs?
DO you not think yoSrself," she per-
sisted, that a young man Of siX-and-
twenty is better married."
Il should think that he is old enough
to decide for himself"
Yes, yes. He has lone so. But Charles
is just a little shy, just a little slow in
expressing himself. l thought that l
would pave the way for him. Two wom-
en- can arrange these things so much
better. Men sometimes have a difficulty
in making themselves clear"
Il really hardly follow YOU, Mrs.
Westmacott," cried Clara in despair.
He has no profession. But he has
nice tastes. He reads Browning every
night. And he is most amazingly strong.
When he vas younger we used TO put
on the gloves together, but / canno
persuade him to now. for ne says he
cannot play light enough. I should al
low him five hundred, which should be
enough at first"
MY dear Mrs. Westmacott." cried
Clara, Il assure you that | have not
the least idea what it is that you are
talking of"
do you think your sister Ida would
ave my nephew Charles?"
Her sister Ida? Quite n little thrill
Of relief and of pleasure ran through
her at the thought. Ida and Charles
Westmacott. She had never thought of
it. And yet they had been a good deal
together. They had played tennis They
nae shared the tandem tricycle.. Again
came the thrill Of joy, and close at its
heels the cold questionings of con-
science. Why this joy? What was the
real source of it? Was it that deep
down, somewhere pushed back in the
black recesses of the soul, there was
the thought lurking that If Charles
prospered in his woOing then Harold
Denver would still be free? How mean,
how unmaidenly, how unsisterly the
thought! She crushed 1t down and
thrust 1t aside. but still 1T would push
up its wicked little head. She crimsoned
with shame at her own baseness, as
she turned once more to her companion.
II really do not know" she said.
"She is not engaged?