Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-12

then?- about finishing the story, 1
mean"
And of course l accepted the task.
1t would give me something to do, and,
besides, hadn't got over my old habit
Of obeying Claire.
But it wasn't until the IL o'clock
was halfway to San Francisco that l
remembered that Claire hadn't told
me the beginning of the story. 1
must make my own beginning, then,
as well as ending.
AS chance would have it, on the
very next afternoon an episode hap.
pened that helped me out good deal.
had opportunity to do trifiing ser.
vice for the elder of the two myster-
ious women, and after that the story
making was easy enough.
Mrs. Beebe was from the first such
an assistance to me. Indeed, she
very nearly took the entire task into
her own hands or on the tip of her
own loquacious tongue.
Mrs. Beebe was the older woman's
name-Mrs. Joseph McIlvaine Beebe.
Her daughters name was old-fash-
ioned end little startling-Mary Ann.
don't know why it was, but from
the beginning it pleased me that sho
did not shirr it into Marianne" or
slip an sic" into the Us place and
add an sc" to the name. liked the
old, ugly name. My mothers name
was Mary Ann.
'Its for her grandmother, you
know" Mrs. Beebe explained to me,
con her fathers side. She left Mar
Ann all her money, and Mar Ann will
stick to the name just as it is. Hor-
rible, isn't it? But slide over it as
fast as l can, and that helps out lit
tie bit. Poor Mar Ami"
Mrs Beebe invariably said "poor
Mar Ann" to close her remarks. And
she always drew long, quavery breath
and wiped her eyes.
The daughter / came to know very
slowly indeed. She was very quiet
and followed her mother about with q
gentle persistence that surprised me,
that is, until Mrs. Beebe enlightened
me.
"It's Of her--troube, she
said, mournfully. How well l grew
to know that little dash of hesitancy
before poor Mar AIMS trouble"
'It's the way it affects her. She
cant bear to have me out of her sight
an instant. She follows me about
and clings to me so. It's very wear
ing, but try to endure it-poor Mar
Ami"
poor Mar Ann" 1 echoed, inward
ly, glancing over at her as she sat a
little apart from us. Her sweet, sad
face was turned away, and her eyes,
looking listlessy ahead, seemed to
see nothing at all. There was very
little to see at Dunlop's, anyway.
Mrs. Beebe's plaintive voice ran on
in my ear uninterruptedly and un-
needed, for l was looking at Mar
Ann. 1 was noticing the soft, clear
tint of her face and how her fingers
had way of twining and untwining
almost constantly. another sign OF
her-trouble," I thought, pityingly.
Why did not her mother lower her
voice? Surely it hurt the poor girl to
sit there and listen, listen, unless
but l refused to finish out that
thought.
1t was impossible. / could not
look at her delicate, sensitive face and
make myself believe the--trouble
could mean that. The mind behind
that face must be sensitive, sane,
alert. A sudden fierce championship
of Mar Ann leaped into being. Poor
Mar Ann
"Hush," I murmured, "she will
hear you. 1t will hurt her"
The delicate color in the girls face,
| was sure, famed up for an instant.
But her mother laughed at my warn.
ing.
ooh, you needn't worry about that"
she said, her voice still unsoftened.
MAR Ann never notices word say.
She d. mt hear She's perfectly salts
fed just to have me close TO her.
That's why l don't feel as if / could
shut her up away from me-in an
asylum, you know"
"Mother!'
l started-the voice was 80 sweet
and pleading.
81 want to go back now, mother"
Mar Ann said, gently.
But when they had gone few
steps Mrs. Beebe slipped back to me
and prodded my arm sharply with her
finger. Her face was quite excited
and set.
II don't know but / shall do il,
though-soon," she said, in my ear.
Il don't know but I'll have to. It's
so wearing. you know-not being able