The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06

You Worry too much abou. Grace"
Isabel now said to him.
1t woilo oe SO horrible II she went as
her mother did" he mutteresi
Wait tili you see real signs OF dan
ger"
He looked Isabel fun in the eyes.
Il see them now" ne said; II see them
novr'
What do you mean" and Isabel start
| Cd 10 her feet
Stafford gnawed his moustaehe for a
moment
Haven't you seem Re said. huggsag
his knee with both hands and staring ct
the carpet Ny dear girl. she's desper-
| atefy fond OF Oliver Thurstcn."
/ Are You sure Of shisg'' Isabel said. fin
gersng one of the buttons al the front of
her dress. and speaking TN a mutfled,
| brooding voice
I'm as sure Of it," slowly answered
Stafford. "as I'm sure that you and
Thurston are already half in love with
ore another"
"Oh. you think that. do you?" respond
ed Isabel. She resumed her re-arranga-
ment OF the loose manuscr pt sheets. anil
| presently began to dust her guardians
| ink stand and the inner hedges Of his desk
| with little piece OF ehamols leather
All this was a region which she would
permit rome OF the servants 10 invade
Ing thus TO her task she regained IT. And
soon. very composedly she said as she
turned and faced Stafford. giving 10 an
angle or sedsment OF the desk faint side
touches with the tawny square OF skin:
Don't you think that studying the poll
ties and aynas'ies of Byzantium from BY
| zas to Constantine may make you a little
Obvious concerning affairs of your own
land and time?
Come. now. Belle no sarcasm her
guardian answered. with good humored
sadness. oliver does like you immense
~; I've seen il. And I've seen but too
clearly that George is interested In him
10 most marked degree. OF course he'd
be a nice match for either OF you girls
bat the hateful part of 1t is just this En-
happy tangle."
what tangle7' asked Isabel In cold STAG
cato. She appeared to have discovered
fresh flaw somewhere on the neat-wiped
walnut OF the desk. and had begun sud
den cleansing attack there.
why. my dear Belle that you've both OF
you lost your hearts. It's palmer than IL
you'd both confessed IL. Palmer than
''Hush.broke from Isabel with a lifted
hand OF warning. And Just then the half
closed door OF the library was pushed open
and Grace entered. She dropped into a
chair close at her fathers side, and took
one OF his hands caressingiy between her
own. Stafford asked her If the headache
of which she had complained little ear
Her was better now, but she evaded his
soiicitnde with laugh. and chided him
! for thinking she was in the least ILL.,
His coIlaborative work with Isabel went
on. Their intimacy had now grown closer
, in a purely perfunctory sense than ever
before. The history had reached kind o.
difficult and test-like crisis which fasci-
mated them both. II may have been that
they did not pause to consider the cues
ton OF how tremendously and fruitfuily
| they worked together. Eager to render
aid. Isabel was perhaps unconscious of her
rare and vital qualities "a secretary. Ac-
customed to this aid Stafford very posi-
bly, accepted IL with business-like acqui-
essence in which were hues OF seeming
ingratitude that he himself would have
been the first TO condemn.
Still. no doubt his increasing worrmeut
as 10 Grace's condition largely accounted
for this apparent apathy. BY midsummer
the girl had begun distinctly to decline
Oliver Thurston, who spent three or four
hours at Top-o-the-Tiiii every day. was
forced 10 admit the veracity OF Stafford
murmurcd misgiyings.
1T Is true" he said with gloomy sym
PATTY. "A hah-hour OF tennis on tn
lawn tires Miss Grace now And she's s.
fond OF the game
Ponder Of IL than Isabel" said Stat
ford. with Il yelled sarcasm. whose random
raneour he himself might i'll have cx-
| planned
Oliver, who was always the nonparen OF
| a well-groomed young man without even
| family passing the bounds CT foppery
| stared down AT one OF his bright vanished
! boots. Suddenly he lifted his eyes fun OF
such lirnpld amahility. and VOLUNTEERED
| advice about consultations with certain
famous doctors.
"oh. yes" replied Stafford. shortly. Il
! not curtly "aii that mast come soon" h
was out Of humor with himself with poo
| Oliver with all the world. and his erosivc
anxiety lay at the root OF this unhabl,ual
! spleen.
| But chiefly did he feel annoyance at lisa
| bel Had she not heard him tell her that
| she cared greatly Tor oliver ThUrSton .
| And yet she had given him no answer
/ Did she mean that this sentiment on her
1 own part WAS no concern OF his? or did
/ she mean stafford most desrised himself
! FOR his unwarranted bitterness. rs he PAT
/ the query to his own thoughtsi that
| Grace = covert passion must work out It's
natural course whether the secret throe4
| ana struggles 1t cost meant jeopardy. ever
I ruiu. 10 her already failing health2
Isabel is selfish he # length sulleuis
/ determined she secs the whole ruelan-
/ cauStic nominations re paused. ccntlnu
tnS thus: An. we'll love II always selfish
+ She loves Thurston and with all the girls
good points she would not give him up
[ though Grace's NE was spared by thu
sacrifice.
! Meanwhile there was never more
sweet and <esiuious nurse than Isabel now
! proved 10 Grace before the autumn ply
slcians Of noIv had met at Top-o -theHlN
and talked together about Gracs's cough
and her fading Bssh ami her sugmenting
weakness. Thgir tinal verdict VAS q sick
+ eniHg horror 10 Stafford. IL mean; no
( hogs.s-fs0me whatever. There might. -
course be prolongati0u of hfe by change
~ climate. But tuberculosis had already
! wrought raxages % frightfui suddenness
/ II stood Slight chance OF even being ar
rested row.
! Doctor" said stafford in the calm of
IA DESPAIR 10 one IF Tire renowned prac-
! tisscners. - read not hong ago. n some
! medical volume that cases Of acute Put
lnonsry disease have been known 70 cease
{ abruptly from their evil developments ana
/ tae gas8ent has recovered soon atterward.