The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09

In the folds Of her loose wasted morn
ing gown, and she fancied it stirred Ike
thing alive to remind he- OF its mes
sage Ormsby was looking past her to
the old-fashicned ormolu clock Oh the
high mantel. comparing the time with
his watch. but he was not oblivious Of
the telltale flush.
There is nothing embarrassing
about the choosing Of a route, Is
there?" ne Queried.
''Oh, no; being true Americans, we
don't know one route from another in
our own country" she confessed. But
at the western end Of il we want to go
over the Western Pacific"
Ormsby knew the West by rail routes
as one who travels much for time
killing purposes
It's a rather roundabout cow-path,
he objected The Overland Short Line
is q good bit more direct; not to men
tion the service, which is a lot better
But Ellnor had made her small con-
cession 10 David Kent's letter and
she would not withdraw il.
"Probabl you don't own any West
ern Pacific stock" she suggested. we
do; and We mean to be loyal TO our
salt"
Ormsby laughed.
7 see Western Pacific has gone down
a few points since the election Of Gov
ernor Bucks. If 1 had any, Ia wire my
broker l. SELL
we ere not 50 easily frightened"
she asserted; adding, with a touch Of
tae susteri,y which was her Puritan
Ifrf
less as you men"
Conscience he repeated half alb
senty; is there any room for such an
out-ot-oate thing IN = nation OF success
fulistsE But seriously; you ought 10
get rid Of Western Pacific. There can
be no possible question Of conscience
involved
Il don't agree with you" she retorted
with prompt decision. If we were to
sell now il would be because we were
afraid it might prove to be a bad in
vestment Therefore, for the sake of a
presumably ignorant buyer, we have no
right TO sell"
He smiled IenientIy.
All Of which goes to prove that you
three lone women need a guardian.
But I mustn't keep you any longer
from Abigail and the trunks What
time shall / send the expediters after
your luggage
She told him and went with him
TO the door.
Please don't think me ungrateful,'
she said, when she had thrown the
night-latch for him. Il don't mean
10 be-"
i don't think anything of you that
i ought not 10 think, in that I am as
conscientious as even YOU could wish.
Good-by until this evening. I'll meet
you all at the station"
As had come TO be the regular order
Of things, Elinor found herself under
fire when she went above stairs to
rejoin her mother and sister.
Mrs. Brentwood was not Indifferent
10 the Ormsby millions; neither had
she forgotten a certain sentimental
summer at the foot Of Old Croydon
She was a thin-lipped little person,
plain spoken 10 the verge of unfriend-
illness; woman in whom the rugged,
self-reliant Puritan strain had be-
come panic-acidulOus And when the
Puritan stock degenerates in that di-
rection it is apt to lack good judgment
on the business side and also the pas
competence IN less assertive folk.
Kent had stood something in awe,
not especially Of her personality. but
Of her tongue, and had been forced
to aoquiesce silently in Loring's sum-
ming up Of Elinor's mother as a
woman who had taken culture and
the humanizing amenities OF the
broader life much as the granite Of
her native hills takes polish-reluc-
tantly, and without prejudice TO its
inner granular structure.
"EIinor. you ought to be ashamed
10 keep Broolzes Ormsby dangling the
way you do was her comment when
Elinor came back. You are your
fathers daughters. both OF you; there
isn't drop OF the Grimkie blood in
either OF you, / do believe"
EIinor was sufficiently her fathers
daughter to hold her peace under her
mothers reproaches; also, there was
enough OF the Grimkie blood in her
veins TO stiffen her in opposition when
the need arose. So she said nothing.
Since your Uncle Ichabod made
such q desperate mess of that copper
business In Montana we have all been
next door to poverty, and you know
IT," the mother went on, irritated by
Elinor's silence. Il don't care so
much for myself; your father and I
began with nothing, and can go back
TO nothing II necessary. But you
can't, and neither can Penelope; you'd
both starve. I should like TO know
what Brockes Ormsby has done that
you can't tolerate him"
1T isn't anything he has done, or
failed 10 do" said Elinor. YEARLY.
please let's not go over it ell again,
mother"
Mrs. Brentwood let that gun cool
while she fred another
Il suppose he came TO say good-by.
What is he going TO do with himself
this winter"
The temptation to equivocate for
pure perversity's sake was strong upon
EIinor. and she yielded to It.
fha