Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-23
A DEVISOR.

/ A DEVISOR.
When her husband, Major ELVES, diet
out in India, Clara Elves best friends
knowing that her circumstances wer,
straitened, besought her to stay with then
until "she had had time to look round,
which phrase, 1t must be admitted, wa
translated by some Of these ladies into tn
securing Of a substitute for the departed
major In the shape of a second and mort
loyable husband.
The looking round process was, how
ever, unattended by any great success, no
on account Of any lack of applicants fol-
the position lately occupied by the major
but because of Mrs. Elves. At this juno
ture In her affairs the very timely death Of
a relative relieved the young widow Of any
anxiety with regard to the future, from
monetary point of view, and also Obliged
her to leave India for home at a moment
notice. Among the many offerings which
she bore away In remembrance of those
friends she was leaving behind, was the
address Of a really honest, faithful, truth.
full servant, who had been in Charlie Day.
OA0AAV 2 A0An1Ay Nv lo1 V0uVuElGH, 6v dll
events decades.
1t was the only gift Of D~avenant's that
she had accepted, although he pressed upon
her his heart and a considerable fortune.
When Mrs. ELVES arrived in London, she
interviewed the prodigy of domestic vir.
tues, and, having secured her services,
utilized her first as maid and then when
she took the fat in which we now, on a
dark January afternoon in this year 1898
of grace, find her, installed her as house.
maid and domestic tyrant.
The door opened and Susan in tones Of
conscious pride announced "Master
Captain Davenant," exclaimed Mrs.
ELVES rising. "this Isl
"Most unexpected, Of course, " said the
visitor. "You see, when I had sufficiently
recovered to travel, the surgeon was nat
urally more anxious to have my room than
my company, and as an Afridi and the
fates brought my military career to a
premature close, I saw no particular in
ducement in India to remain there as an
onlooker, and 30 here I am. How we'll you
are lookingi'
I'VE were dreadfully s~orry-Susan and
Ito hear Of your wound and the loss of
your arm. You will tell me all about it,
won't your"
well, no-the wal correspondents re-
ported the incident in a manner rejecting
most highly on their good natured appre-
citation Of me, and l would rather not spoil
the impression they may have created in
the minds Of my friends. You should have
been at production Of The Geisha, the
colonel as''-
eat first they reported you as killed. and
Susan
GOOD old soul, Susan, how have you
found herP"
"A domestic treasure, but in the even
ing papers the report was o~ontradioted.
1t seems that with your usual impetuosity
YOU
"You rounded or ME once before, Mrs.
ELVES, on that score, but / can assure you
that l am now the most methodical Of In.
dividuals. I have planned out an existence
that precludes OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, the
disadvantage under which l now labor
places an effeotual bar to It,"
But 1t is In your nature to be impetu-
ous. It was that that made you''-
II have never ceased to regret it,"
And yet some men would give both
arms to obtain 1t, and''-
II would have given everything I had
in the world, but I did not obtain it. II
I had only waited instead of being In such
q hurry to show you''-
"Me-what have I to do with your v.
or"
ooh. I was talking Of something else
the night Of the Gillespie's BALL" A 81.
lence.
but besides pleasure I am here on
business, Mrs. Elves"
"Indeedi What Ia the nature Of itf"
"Well, I hope you won't be very angry,
but l want to beg Susan back. I think of
going home to Heathermere, qualifying as
a local magistrate, and ending my days as
a country squire, and. of course, / shall
want Susan as housekeeper. With a little
shooting and hunting, some fishing and
crioket-I suppose a fraction of a man can
umpire, at all events-I hope to pass the
Of my days in quiet content
ment when l get accustomed to it,"
Must you really take Susan? l don't
know how I shall got on without her. l
have no right to keep her from you, how
~ must have somebody I can trust as
and Susan
eyes, I know, but when you marry, as
] suppose you will, let me warn you that
your wife won't want an old family serv-
ant such as Susan to patronize her. Then
perhaps you will let her return to me-"
II am afraid there IL but little chance of
Susan returning to you, Mrs. Elwes-at
least, not for the reason you suggest. I
may have had q certain amount Of cheek
In the past, %but-well, I hardly think I
shall ever have the impertinenoe to offer
the remnant Of my former self for any
acceptance In the future"
"Captain Davenant9"
"Mrs. Elwes9"
"Does I 60 into 1871"
Fourier I believe four goes four
times and
THANK you 80 much, I thought 1t did.
And-well-Susan 10 such a treasure and
invaluable-indee6, I don't know how
| could get on without her. So you're sure
goes into 1872"
Certainly, four times and
well, | think, II you insist ON taking
Susan, that I shall have to come too"
"And when / heard the awful news that
you were killed, dear, T.
Painted, poor darling. I heard all
about It,"
"All about itP"
"Yes, everything-Susan wrote regular.
every week."
"Oh, the deceitful. horrid, dear old
hing, Ill never for
WHAT"
Forget her share in securing me my
happiness, though II 1t had not been leap
leap year,"
"Why, Of course, you dear old goose.
Four into 10 goes I times, into Q twice and
larry l, and into 10 1 ~tipes-you said so
and II 1t had not been leap year I
should never have dared to h~ave-dared. :"