The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-11-18
CHAPTER XIX.

satisfaction as to the exact meaning
of the dialogue which had taken place
in his niece's parlor. was. neverthe.
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 q
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 sympathizing shake
Of the head, said:
"Poor child! 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 man 1t 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 1t was pos
sible for her to do, considering that
she was not going to marry him."
Il suppose that she decided not to
accept MIN because she did not love
him." Harold said. ITO 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 | waste the right man. But
this would never do"
"Why not? This Prof. Struthers Is
very decent fellow, and 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 II
Eleanor Is in love with him, think
she had better have married him, even
II 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
50 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 oughtn't to have let her do It,"
Emma coughed uneasily.
Il don't mean that she was desper-
ately in love with him. OF course If
she had been she would have accepted
him very likely, without asking us any
thing about it. What mean Is tina.
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 1t. 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 fool. Well, as I said at the
time, women are beyond me. Appar-
emily, am in the position of having
auvised her to accept the presidency
at the cost of her affections"
Emma pursed her lips disdainfully.
"-.s l said before. II she were to
marry him, and they were to live out
here, 1t might not have been such
very had idea If Eleanor had been
seuJ Justly bent on 1t: 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,
t',Ay neither Of them know anybody
4 wv. What wo,ll they have done?"
"Diei from sheer lack OF companion
ship in city Of over million inhabi-
tants. Cherub, you are superb"
: Laugh Il you like, Harold. i am
right. Sae is very much better off |
as she Is. People have got used to
thinking of her as blue stocking and
.~.aY1 T. - u