Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-21
CHAPTER XIV.

thump heavily against his ribs.
Overawing Seth by an assumption of
reckless indifference was one thing
Seth was slow and receptive. Satisfying
Mamie Colyer in the matter Of his own
dubious inertia quite another. Mamie
was both fiery and exacting.
His cheeks famed hotly, but his lips
refused to frame the inadequate apollo
gies which he knew would bring that
laughing scorn into her bright eyes
which had once been the terror of the
whole college crew, His sullen silence
irritated her. She had been alone with
him now for nearly two hours. Viney's
grabbed hospitality had eliminated in
preparing the n bedroom Of Neck OF
Nothing for the white faced, peevish
young mother and her tempestuous off
spring.
Annabel and the boy were sleeping,
intwined SO closely in each others arms
that their pretty slumber flushed cheeks
touched, blending their soft roundness
into one curving profile.
Seth had long ago climbed the cliff
and gone home, promising to fetch
sissy over first thing in the morning"
He had been an open mouthed sharer
with Strong in Miss Colyer's explana-
ton of her errand. The recital had
been, to his simple, direct nature a rev.
citation Of astounding iniquity. Strong
received it with contemrtuous creduli-
ty To him nothing that wen to prove
the darling of Sans Souci a fraud was
difficult Of acceptance.
In her own graphic style Mamie had
told them OF Adrien's marriage during
his -eellege term to a daughter Of the
woman from whom he rented a room.
Good people. Just a good as gold.
Annabel is a fool about him. Most wo-
men are fools about somebody, l sup
pose. The silliest part of the whole per-
Torrance was their giving their con.
sent to keep this marriage a secret I'M
til Adrien took the helm at home. l
fancy he moderated his grandfather's
constitution. BAH But that poor little
simpleton, = nodding vigorously toward
the sleeping apartment, "cared for moth
ing in life so long as Adrien Strong
came to see her tolerably regularly and
was decent to her and the boy Now,
however, that this rumpus has separat-
ed them things have come to an awful
pass, and l just forced Annabel to as
sert herself and claim her rights.
"You know she only has her mothers
business for o support, and nov the
bonnet business don't amount to much
Her brother, little Fred Welsh, is in
the army Only l6 years old. Think Of
It'll Father is III it, too, fighting in Vir-
ginia." This with a proud uplifting of
her head, Dear me, l hope he isn't
faring any worse than we are at home
nc flour, no coffee, no sugar, lots Of
patriotism, sweetened with glorious an.
ticipation. Dry diet. though. And, as l
tell Annabel, when she has got to a
pass when she cart even keep her boy
properly shod, it is time she was put
ting him where he belonged, in the af-
fections OF his grandmother and his
great grandfather am going to leave
them in that grand house we passed
this afternoon. l really did not have
the courage to stop with Annabel look
ing SO frouzy and the boy acting like a
young Comanche.
She summarized the situation crisply
with practical acceptance of the inevi.
table.
"Of course we must expect a scene,
but | prefer daylight for a pitched bat.
tie always"
1t was then that Seth suggested Liza.
Liza was the saving clause i'll the Mar.
tin family. No affair involving tact or
could be carried to an effect
i've climax without her supervision.
Both Of the men regarded the resolute
face OF Annahel's little champion NIX
She looked supremely self reli-
ant and adequate, but would she prove
adequate to ''the madam"
II think I'll fetch u Liza. She's
got a headpiece worth havin, and if
there is anybody on this green foecDall
that can stand up to the madam when
she mounts her high horse it is our girl
Liza.
In union there is strength. Fetch
our Liza, by all means, Mamie had
said with tragic eagerness, and Seth
had gone away, promising faithfully to
be back promptly in the morning with
that potent damsel.
It was with a n Of infinite graft.
to destiny. which SO rarely played
him Q kind trick, that Strong had mend
cd the fire, surreptitiously blown the
dust of the wooden m~antelpiece with
6ne blast from his powerful lungs and
essayed a general betterment Of his
sitting room while Mamie took
, peep" at her sleeping charges in the
shabbier bedroom
What q Qualification the world had
magically~ undergone for himi Even the
dismal pattering Of the rain on the
grassless dooryard had suddenly grown
musical The monotonous thud Of the
branches against the closed wood.
IN shutters had lost their power to irri.
late. The sparks danced upward in the
black throated chimney with f~ascinat-
Ing scintillations. Neck or Nothing had
been glorifed by the unexpected coming
II . girl
He scared In temporary superiority
y al that waa raaping and homogeneous
biz daily lifs. The oliver lining TO
- cloud ~ hesiuning - show. Ross
tntsd pogsibilitie1 began TO aoat Il das-