The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25

II hope we shan't get into opposite
camps and quarrel. Richard and l
have been such good friends lately.
And then, of Course She hesi-
:. tated a little. "Of course there may be
a slight awkwardness here and there. "
Caylesham understood the covert al
lusion; the marriage might make mat
ters difficult with the Imasons.
THE young folks will probably
make their own friends. Our old sets
other, isn't it? Not that 1 was ever
a full member of it,"
We've always been glad to see
you" she murmured absent1y
ION the whole 1 feel equal to en-
couraging you to a certain extent %
he said, standing before the fire.
Anna will be angry pretty often. but
/ don't think she will be, or need be,
unhappy. She doesn't take things to
heart too readily, does she?"
mo, she doesn't"
The. assent hardly sounded like
praise of her daughter.
We'll, that's a good thing. And
she's got lots of pluck and a will Of
her own"
"Oh, yes. she's got that!"
From time to time he'll think
himself in love with somebody. You're
prepared for that. of course? But
it's only his way. She'll have to in
dulge him a little-let the string out
little here and there: but she'll al
ways have him under control. Brains
do count, and she's got them all. And
she won't. expect romance all the
time"
You said you were going to be
encouraging"
Il am being encouraging" Gayle
sham insisted.
,"Oh, 1 shouldn't think 1t so bad If
we were talking about myself. But
when it's question of ones child"
"One is always unreasonable? Pre-
cisely. The nature of the business
isn't going to change in the next
generation. But 1 maintain that I'm
encouraging-for Anna. anyhow. 1
rather fancy Master Blake will miss
his liberty more than he thinks. But
that'll be Just what he needs. So
from a moral point OF view I'm en-
couraging there, too
"Of course you don't understand
the feeling of responsibility. the fear
that If she's the-the least bit hard,
it may be because of her bringing up"
Don't be rem morseful. Mrs. Selford-
It's the most improbable Of emotions.
He had preached the same doctrine
to Christine.
when it's too late to go back?"
And that's always" He looked
down at her with d cheerful smile.
That's for your private ear. Don't
tell the children. Walter Blake's quite
great on remorse."
Mrs. Selford laughed rather rue
fully.
II suppose it'll turn out as we'll as
most things. Do you know any
thoroughly happy couples?
VERY hard to say. One isn't be-
hind the scenes. But I'm inclined TO
think 1 do. Oh, ecstasies aren't for
this world. you know-not perma-
nent costa sizes. You might as we'll
have permanent hystericsl And, as
you're aware. there are no marriages
in heaven. So perhaps there's no
heaven in marriages, either. That
would seem to be plausible reasoning,
wouldn't it? But they'll be all right;
they'll learn one another's PAGES"
Il can't help wishing she seemed
more in love-"
perhaps she will be when he f1irts
with somebody else. Don't frown.
I'm not a pessimist. If / don't always
look for happiness by the ordinary
roads, I often discern it along quite
unexpected routes
It's pleasant to see people start by
being in love"
How eternally sentimental we are!
Well, yes, it is. But capacities olILer. l
daresay she doesn't know she's deficient
and she certainly won't imagine that
her mother has given her away.
II suppose / deserve tnat, but had
TO talk to somebody. And really it's
best to choose a man; sometimes 1t
stops there then"
why not your husband? No? All,
he has too many opportunities Of re-
rninding you of the indiscretion! You
were quite right TO talk to me. We
shall look on at what happens with
all the greater interest because we've
discussed it. And, as I've said, I'm
decidedly hopeful"
I'VE might have developed her affec-
tions when she was a child. I'm sure
we might"
''oh, / shall go! You send for a
clergyman!"
Mrs. Selford shook her head sadly,
even while she smiled. She could not
be beguiled from her idea, nor from
the rernorSe that it brought The pic
ture. the dogs, and sentimental squab-
bling with her husband had figured too
largely in the household; she connected
with this fact the disposition which
she found in Anna.
"B~ing q bit hard isn't a bad thing
for your happiness" Caylesham added
as a last consolation
Anna herself came in. No conscious
ness Of deficiency seemed to affiict her:
she felt no need of a development of
her affections or of being more In love
with Walter Blake. On the contrary,
she exhibited to Caylesham's shrewd
eyes remarkable picture of efficiency
and of contentment. She had known
what she wanted, she had discerned
what means to use in order to get II,
and she had achieved 1t. A perfect self
confidence assured her that she would
be successful in dealing with IT; her
serene air, her trim figure and decisive
movements gave the impression that
here at least was a mortal who If she
did not deserve success could command
it. Caylesham looked on her with ad-
miration-rather that than liking-as
he acknowledged her very considerable
qualities. The thing which was want
ing was what in a picture he would
have called atmosphere" But here
again her luck came in, or, rather, her
clear vision; il was not fair to call ii
luck. The man she had pitched upon
that was fair, and Caylesham de-
clined to withdraw the expression-at
the time when she pitched upon him,
was in panic about atmosphere" He
had found too much of il elsewhere and