The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-23

l.
/ Pretty Mrs Cloverdale had put her foot
i down II was very dainty little foot IN
cssess in 8 white eonvss hottsne. But the
fact that II was small ard atrracrtyely sho1
/ made little difference I'm the force with
/ which n emphasized decision. Mrs Gfox
4 eriaIe was reclining IN a brentwood rocker.
and her tiny foot scarcely reached tire
/ floor bs1t al that moment She had rocked
( far forward and had brought down narrow
/ toe and high heel simultaneously upon the
/ cool japanese mating that half hid the
parqnetry Of her library.
Once and for ali Molly dear" she had
/ said. No. under no circumstances will
/ ever give my consent TO your marriage
/ with mat nefer-do-weli."
Although Molly knew her mistress well
enough 70 understand that IL was quite
| useless for her TO plead further. her i'm
/ portunities did not cease with the coming
/ down of the little foot. With panied ex-
preston upon her rose-ieaf face. and tears
| ia her voice. she defended her adcred
| Andrew 10 the best of her power
20. no Mrs. Cioserdale,F she exclaimed,
| mot that. Andrew is not a ne er-do-veil.
| He is honest. and ne IS willing 10 work.
| but he has been unfortunate / am sure
that together we could get along admir-
| ably. There is a vacancy. You know. IN the
stable, since Barney. the second groom,
| left. and"
Nonsense. girl" cried Mrs. Cioverdale.
taking up fan from the table at her side,
and beginning TO sway II with some ener-
gy. DO you think would permit you 10
marry stable boy2 There is young Alex
amber the son OF Capt. Sylvester farmer.
for instance. He would be a much more
suitable husband for you"
But I do not love him." objected the
girl. in all innocence. just as though love
were necessary adjunct to marriage In
n ard
of Andrew and he simply worships me.
We were piaymates as children, you know.
and / can never forget when Andrew
risked his own life TO save mine. the time
that fell into the river and was being
carried by the current down to the rapids.
He Is waiting for his answer now. and do
so want II to be Yes.
The girls mistress continued to fan her
self unmoved by these entreaties.
Il know what Is best for you. Molly.
she said. The answer that you will give
is Mo- Some day you will thank me for
insisting upon IT.
Then II was that the tears that had been
in the young womans voice began 10 fow.
and with a handkerchief pressed TO her
eyes. and her young. supple form shaking
with sobs she left the room.
The relation that Mrs. Cloverdale bore to
her maid and companion was. as may have
been inferred. not merely that of employ
err Servants are not in the habit of seek
ing either counsel consent from their
mistresses when they desire 10 take upon
their shoulders the connuhial yoke: and
had Molly's allegiance been measured sim
ply by the wages of CO a month that she
received she would. In all probability, have
sought the village parsonage with Andrew
| by her side, and have told Mrs. Cloverdale
( of the momentous step she had taken when
| II was all over.
| Molly was a native of the Berkshire hills.
| She had been born on the farm that had
| belonged 10 the Cloverdales for genera
f! tons. Her father had titled its soil. and
1 her mother had churned the cream of Its
| Attorney cows into yellow butter. And
| then both father and mother had gone the
/ way of all flesh. leaving Molly. budding
| little pink and white beauty of L. or there
| abouts.
1 That summer Mr.. David Cloverdale, of
4 the old-esta blished firm of Cloverdaie &
/ Lowry. leather merchants. brought to the
| farm his young wife. and the young wife,
| being told of how affairs stood. agreed
| with her somewhat elderly husband that
| Molly must be taken care OF. While II was
| not an adoption in the legal sense OF the
| word il amounted TO about the same thing
| Molly was given fair education. and then
/ she was taken into the household as some
| thing a little above high-class servant
with her beauty" said Mrs. Cloverdaie.
| as the girl left the room. she might marry
| a duke"
Then the pretty mistress of this charm
| ing old stone house in the very heart of the
| Berkshires put down her fan. distracted
| something from between the pages OF a
| book on the table by her side, rose from
her place In the deep bent wood rocker.
| and passing out into the hall. stopped for
| a moment to appropriate a parasoi and
| snatch up another object. which she deff'y
4 A. ~f 10
| white muslin gown that she had gathered
| up so as TO free those small feet of hers for
| walk across the lawn,
| Tripping lightly down the stone steps of
the mansion, she passed beneath an UNI
| brageous arbor that shaded the smooth.
close-cropped field that spread away down
| a gradual incline TO where row of grace
full. light green willows told of the pres
ence of stream OF water The walk was
not a long one. nor did she linger for any
time on the brink OF the gurgling miniature
river that there flowed through the Clover
dale domain. For an instant she STOPPED.
as IL to gather something from among the
reeds that line the shore. giving one a
picture similar 10 that of Pharaohs daugh-
ter rescuing the infant Moses. but when
she again stood upright there was nothing
left in her hands save her parasol On re-
entering the mansion the sound of a voice,
angrily raised. reached her ears.
| My Panama hati' the master OF the
manse was shouting. My Panama hiatt
That is the third / have lost In the last
eight days. John, Thomas. Henry, Ny
| hat, Where is 81
| Great heavens exclaimed Mrs. Clover
dale. coming In a. the moment What
are you making such commotion about.
my dear? Do YOU want to arouse the whole
| neighhorhoodf
My hat, want my hatt' cried the hus-
band, irFitahly.
| Surely. she went on. at is not because
| you can't find it-you, who are so absent
| minded? What does II natter The price
| you pay fer your hats Is not 80 great
| Mr.. Cioverdale paid no attention what
ever 70 this fling With all the servants In
| the house aiding him he continued his
search iu every corner. while Mrs. Clover
dale resumed her seat in her bent wood
rocker. her eyes fixed upon a Dresden
clock on a nearby cabinet.
II
| Adjoining the Cioveryiale estate was a
! farm belonging 20 Capt. Adrian Sylvester.
| a young Engiishman. who. having made a
| fortune for himself in cattle breeding In
| the West had for the las, three years been
! spending II recklessly. lie had purchased
this old homestead tn the Berkshires. and
/ each summer he spent few weeks there.