The Holly chieftain., 1903-06-05
CHAPTER VII.

me very urgrateful.'
Il suppose you have the right to
throw away your opportunities if you
choose to. just as no one could pre-
vent you from throwing yourself over
board if you were so inclined; but, as
|. said to your uncle Phineas this
morning, l have done my best. Be-
fore you resolve on anything foolish.
however, should advise you to con-
suit with him. You may rest assur-
ed that your uncle Harold will not
consent to your leaving this house,
ard l cannot believe that Prof. Bald
lwin has SO little knowledge of the
tworld as to sanction anything of the
/ecrt. You spoke of paying him
visit: why don't you write to him and
tell him you will pass few days with
him?'
Il should like to immensely. l will
write to-day. l will talk matters over
with him. / have talked with him
already. he is sensible, Aunt Emma,
and would be the last person, | know,
to advise me to do anything that is
foolish. 1t is not he that suggested
my leaving you"
Il did not suppose it was" said
Emma, relieved, nevertheless, by the
announcement. She had been think
ing hard as to a plan for thwarting,
without seeming to thwart this vagary
of Eleanor's as she still chose to con-
slider it; and, on the whole, change
OF. scene seemed the most feasible.
The more Emma thought over this
project. the better it pleased her, and
she felt almost jubilant when Eleanor
announced that she had received a
letter from her uncle urging her to
come as soon as possible. She alb
stained from further discussions of
the points at issue, believing that to
ignore what had been said and trust
to Eleanor's common sense to re-
asert itself was the proper course to
pursue, and she sent her off, day or
two later with equanimity, although
Owen Pages yacht was in the offing;
for, as she said to herself the child
would be sure to be stiff and con-
. strained were she to meet him in her
present spirit, even if she were not
absolutely repellent.
Altogether Mrs. Stagg flattered her
self that the situation was not nearly
so serious as she had at one moment
feared, and she even did not feel that
it was necessary to complain to her
husband of Eleanor's threatened
exodus, so little did she doubt that
her niece's mental alteration was
merely temporary. He expressed
some surprise that she should visit
New York in the heat of summer, but
Emma pointed out in such eloquent
terms the loneliness of the professor,
and the undoubted need in which his
apartments stood of dust-discerning
feminine eye, that Harold made no
demur.
Prof. Baldwin's apartments were
indeed in need of female scrutiny; at
least any woman would have said so;
though it must be confessed that the
professor himself considered that he
was lodged very satisfactorily. The
first thing one noticed on entering his
living-room, or den, as he called it.
was a superabundant odor Of tobacco,
which, except when his pipe was out,
was supplemented by haze that pro-
duced the effect of a murky London
fog and impaired an air of greater
dinginess to the already dingy carpet
and curtains and furniture. Eleanor
came in upon the professor just as
he had finished breakfast and had set
tied down in an easy chair for his first
smoke. He bounded up from his seat
with so much heartiness that he jog
gled violently the centertable on
which the tray containing the remains
of his breakfast was resting in the
midst Of books, geological specimens,
maps. music-rolls and sundry smaller
paraphernalia, all lying in perfect con-
fusion and overfowing on to the
piano.
"Peach-blossom, is it you?"
Yes. Uncle Phin, here l am"
Wen, we'll, this is too much luck
for an Old bachelor like me! This
handbag isn't ALL is 1t? Where are
your other duds?"
"Oh, they're coming. I've brought
trunk nearly as big as this room, I'm
Gle Phin, so you must make up your
mind to put up with me for good
long visit This is your parlor, sup
pose"
Her eyes, as she spoke, made cir.
cult of the room and then rested for
moment inquiringly on tall, modest
Looking man who had risan at her