Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-06-05
CHAPTER VII.

Emma fOEc anu hau6utiiy ptptcNnSA
to lower one of the awnings little.
Il am so sorry: can see you think
me very ursratefui."
Il suppose you have the right to
throw away your opportunities u you
choose 70. just as no one could pre-
vent you from throwing yourself over
board II you were 50 Inclined: but. as
] said to your uncle PhiReas this
morning. I have done my best he
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 I cannot believe that Prof. Bald
win has so little kno~ieds. OF the
world as to sanction anything OF the
kort. You spoke OF paying him a
visit: why don't you write To him and
tell him you will pass few days with
him.
II should like to immensely. ! will
write today. will talk matters over
with him. I 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. Il ia not he that suggested
my leaving you"
II did not suppose II was said
Emma. relieved. nevertheless. by the
announcement. Che had been think
Ing hard as to plan for thwartins.
without seeming to thwnrt this rasnry
of Eicanor's as she still chose To con-
slider Il: and. on tho whole. . change
of scene seemed the most feasible.
The more Emma thought over this
project. tho better Il pleased her. and
she felt almost Jubiiant when Eleanor
announced that she had received a
letter from her uncle urging her TO
come ns soon M possible. She nb'
stained from further discussions of
the points at issue. believing that to
ignore what had been said and trust
TO Eicanor's common sense to re-
aScrt itself was the proper course to
pursue. and she sent her OF. q day or
two later. with cquanimity. although
Owen Pages yacht was In the ofIlns:
for. As she said to herself. tho child
would be sure to be stin and con.
strained were she to meet him In her
present spirit. even II sho were nc:
absolutely repcilcnt.
Altogether Mrs. Stage nattcred her.
self that tho situation was not nearly
80 serious as shc had at one moment
feared. and she even did not feel that
Il was necessary to complain TO her
husband OF Eicanor's threatened
exodus. so little did she doubt that
~ -lA nj n
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 undoubtcd need in which his
apartments stood OF n 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 1t 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 1t.
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
zba 10 aH 10
with SO much heartiness that he jog
gled violently the comfortable 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 overnowing on to the
piano.
"Peach-blossom, is 1t you?"
Yes, Uncle Phin, here am"
well, well, 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 a
trunk nearly as big as this room. Un-
Gle Phin, SO you must make UP your
mind to put up with me for good
long visit. This is your parlor. l sup
pose"
Her eyes, as she spoke, made cir
cult of the room and then rested for a
moment inquiringly on a tall. modest
looking man who had risen at her
entrance and was standing In the
background with his pipe in his hand.
"Yes, this is my parlor, also my
breakfast room, my study, my library
in fact, everything except my bed
room, which is there" and the profess
sor nodded toward a door on his right.
ALLOW me to introduce William
Struthers, rising electrician and de-
yotee of science"
The stranger bowed respectfully.
Eleanor saw that he had large dark
eyes and pale, rather thin face, full
of quiet determination. He wore
short fustian jacket which had seen
great deal of service, and which
seemed rather small for his muscular
looking figure. He bowed again and
walked to the door.
Now do not work too hard" cried
Uncle Phineas. There Is the rock
that will bring you to grief If you do
II,