The Elbert County tribune., 1903-07-23
CHAPTER XIX.

ny no means enlightened TO MS own
satisfaction as to the exact meaning
OF the dialogue which had taken place
in his niece's parlor. was. neyerthe-
less, very well pleased at her deter
mination to accept the presidency.
Nevertheless, he had not been able to
explain to himself how he or Emma
had been of assistance to Eleanor in
making up her mind or why 1t had
been necessary for them to visit her.
There was. obviously. some mystery
which Emma appeared to understand.
the solution of which was for some
reason withheld from him. Moreover,
his wife. contrary to expectation. had
seemed eager to avoid further discus
sion of the matter when they were
alone together; so much so that she
had neglected to call his attention
to the fact that she had prophesied
that there was man at the bottom
of 1t. The only further reference
made to 1t by Eleanor had been
promise made by her on the way to
the station. whittier she accompanied
them, to write full particulars of the
Inauguration ceremonies, the date for
which would be fixed as soon as her
letter of acceptance OF the office had
been sent to the trustees.
Five minutes after the train was
under way. however. Emma, who had
been sitting lost in. contemplation.
sighed, and with a sympathizing shake
of the head, said:
Poor ehildl am sorry for her"
As she spoke she cast an interroga-
tive glance at Harold. who answered.
somewhat doggedly. What is the mat
ter now. Cherub?"
Nothing is the matter; but when a
girl is in love with a man it is always
hard to give him up. For once in her
life Eleanor, however. seems to have
acted with discretion"
DO you mean that she was in love
with that man she mentioned. Prof.
Struthers?'
Why. certainly dear"
why. didn't she say so, then?"
she did, as plainly as it was pos
sible for her to do, considering that
she was not going to marry him"
Il suppose that she decided not to
accept aim because she did not love
him." Harold said. TO tell the truth.
though, was pretty well in the dark
all through"
Il saw that you were. dear. and |
was rather thankful. for word of the
wrong sort from your lips might have
spoiled everything?"
How do you mean?'
IF you had given her any encour-
agement | am afraid she would have
married him.
Il thought you were anxious to have
her married"
so | was-to the right man. But
this would never do"
why not? This Prof. Struthers is
very decent fellow, and a very able
one from all accounts. His invention
is already very successful. and he is
sure to be rich, and | understand that
he has taken out patents for the intro
duction of electricity as motive
power in moving railroad trains. He
is a rising man, should say, and if
Eleanor is in love with him, think
she had better have married him, even
if she were obliged to give up her
presidency in order to do So"
1T is little late now" said Emma,
majestically. you should have said
so at the time"
But tell you had no idea she was
in love with him."
That was not my fault"
"Pshaw! It's an outrage. Cherub.
You oughtnt to have let her do it
Emma coughed uneasily.
81 don't mean that she was desper-
10.
she had been she would have accepted
him very likely, without asking us any
thing about it. What | mean is that
she liked him just well enough, so
that. others things being equal. she
would have married him. But they
weren't equal and she knew it. He
wanted her to give up her position"
"of course he did. Any man would;
and If he had given up his own in
order to marry her he would have
been a fool. Well. as | said at the
time, women are beyond me. Appar-
entity. | am in the position of having
advised her to accept the presidency
at the cost of her affections"
Emma pursed her fps disdainfully
AS / said before. if she were to
marry him, and they were to live out
here. 1t might not have been such
very bad idea if Eleanor had been
seriously bent on It; out II she had
come to live in New York, he would
have been a white elephant on our
hands. He knows nobody; in fact.
they neither of them know anybody
now. What would they have done2"
"Died from sheer lack OF companion
ship in city of over a million inhabi-
tants. Cherub. you are superb"
Laugh II you like. Harold am
right. She is very much better of
as she is. People have got used to