Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-05-22
CHAPTER vi.


aLother gay spell; then came the
spring, and people began to make
their summer plans. The Stages were
to go to their house at Beverly. as
usual. and Eleanor openly expressed
her pleasure at the prospect oil return
ing TO the seaside. There had beeh
no further developments In the court
ship-or more properly. no cuimina'
ton of 1t. for MIR. Pages devotion was
not n whit less marked. indeed its
persistency was q constant source OF
announcement to Mrs. Stage. whose
yieilant scrutiny had failed to detect
any signs Of filtration on his part.
Ho continued TO send TO Eleanor
from time to time. beautiful flowers.
he rode with her In the park. he
walked with her on Sunday AFTER
Moons, and what was even more sig
nificant. he had ceased to pay SINH
lar attention to other girls. Still. no
had not proposed. But, rs Emma
sagely reflected. II ever an impatient
thought seized her. presumably he
was OF the deliberate kind. and In so
serious matter as matrimony. pre-
ferred TO move circumspectly. Nor
reed their departure from town prove
an interruption, inasmuch as he had
declared his intention OF frequentlng
the Beverly shore with his yacht.
ostensibly for racing purposes. but
there could be little doubt as to what
magnet really attracted him thither.
more haunting uncertainty In
Emma's mind at this time was ns TO
her nIecc's feelings. regarding which.
strangely enough. In her own cs,ima'
tion, she was considerably In the
dark: so much so that she was begin
ming to deem II her duty to have
definite talk with Eleanor on the sub
feet. And yet she realized the danger
of an ili.considcrcd Interference. II
might well be that the child was
Bhyly In love. In which case an Inop-
perfume or rieddicBomc word might
freeze her into bccretiyc coidneHs
toward her lover and induce dcplor'
able consequences. Sh. had believed
u wiser thus far to invite confidence
by indirect illusions rather than 10
demand Il. but Ter forbcarancc had
borne no fruit in the way OF discovery.
Could Il possibly be that Eleanor was
unaware that owen Pasc was Hcrl'
deduction Emma sometimes drew
from her placid. uncohecrncd way OF
accepting his attentions. Eleanor
seemed to enjoy being with him. and
always admired his roses. and was
ready to accept his courtcHlcH. but her
enjoyment and readiness were Of such
n rational. uncmharraEscd kind that
Emma could not help feeling uneasy.
Could any one In love appear so un'
conscious. so fro. from coyncHH and
eoauctryT Not unless she we're cx.
ccptiouaiiy deep. surely. which seem.
ell very unlikely in this instance.
Moreover. Emma could not help -c-
fcc,Ing that the iuucniocs she had
made use Of from time to time With
dciicacy. and yet HurgcHtiScly Aa u
appeared 10 her. ought 10 have set the
child thinking. to say the least. Moth.
irE had been left unsaid which could
present Sir. PAGE In n favorable llght
or arccntuaic the good fortune OF any
giri to who's. society he vas partial.
ougit she to 60 further than this and
point out the fact that he was cvi.
IDENTIFY fascinated By her. and that u
shc we're not suitably encouraging she
making n brilliant match ,ha, shc
would ever have in all probability
The necessary words had several
times trumbicd on her lips. and yet
she had Tcfraincd from u,tcring them.
One day, some weeks after they had
moved to Beverly. while Emma was
Etill In the throcs Of this dilemma.
Harold Stage tcicEraphcd tha, he was
bringing Professor Phincas Baldwin
home to pass Sunday. This Sss an
elder and only brother OF Eleanor's
father. a EcoioEist. who had just bcan
called to an important educational
position connected with his speciality.
ir New York He was bachelor. and
had lived nomadic Kind Of life in the
iutcrcst- OF science. residing in vari.
ous portions OF the West. and. though
he vas intimate with his brother.
with whom he oorrcsponded vigorous
~. Eleanor. who was very fond of
him. had seen him but little. At the
umc Of Siias Baldwin's death he was
abroad with an exploring expedition
under the auspices Of the govern.
mcnt. but ON receipt Of the news he
had promptly offered to give the child.
rrn a home before being apprised that
they had been adopted by the Stages.
Emma. as II happened. had invited
select party OF fashionable people to
dinner that evening, and II did not
altogether please her TO have TO make
room at her table for a professor who
might be very learned. but was almost
certain to be queer; accordingly her
flame OF mind was by no means Inn
proved when Eleanor. in response to
n casual question as TO what sort OF
person her uncle was, said:
"Oh. he's the funnicst.lookinE little
man you ever saw. very short and
round. with face that reminds one
Of an owl; he blinbs at you out of
his great eyes just like one: but he's
kind as can be. and II you get him
talking on n subject in which he is
Interested he can be immensely agree
able"
Really" said Emma. family. with
something like little sigh in spite
Of her habitual aplomb: and as she
Eazed out over the sea she saw
accurately in her minds eye a blink