The Western news., 1904-04-13
MALLORY'S
READINESS
By Bertha Trevelyan
copyright, 1903, by T. @. Mcclure.
By Bertha Trevelyan
Copyright, 1903, by T. g. Mcclure.

/ X
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II it usually happened that Mallory
got what he wanted in the world, it
was by no means due to chance. When
| he wanted anything he began by look
ing the field over carefully, noting all
| the salient points-the advantages and
the disadvantages. Then with his feet
up and il cigar between his lips he
| would consider all available methods
Of securing the thing desired
Having finally arrived at decision
as to the best course of action to pur-
sue, he pursued it with an energy and
single mindedness that were open to
no discouragement, admitted no defeat.
And the result was that, as life goes
Mallory was accounted lucky.
He was a handsome, vigorous man
of fifty when, business affairs making
it necessary for him to spend Il num-
ber of months in New York. letter
of introduction secured him the very
delightful privilege of rooms with the
Fosters, whose story of waning for
tunes he had heard from the friend
who sent him to them. The ominous
length of his upper lip was hidden I'M
der Il short gray mustache, or Miss
Foster would have known from the
first that it was useless to oppose him
once his mind was set upon anything.
The romance of his youth was Il
beautiful memory, Il thing as faint
and elusive as the scent Of lavender
R,1f hT had ~ fnv
years, having been left ut thirty wild
over with two children. AS he sat in
the great dim drawing room where
everything was eloquent of other days
he noticed several things-touches un-
usual in stiff city drawing rooms but
which made for LONELINESS He sighed
with a sudden wistfulness altogether
out of keeping with his height, breadth
and tloridness.
In the midst Of his reverie Miss Fos-
ter appeared, her delicate slightness
heightened by the massive doorway in
which she stood framed for moment.
As she rose to greet her he wondered
idly what could have given her that
harassed look. this little woman with
the oval face and the piled up hair.
Her smile, he thought, was oddly shy
and girlish, and in few minutes they
were talking with the ease of old ac-
Quaintance.
With busineSsIike air that sat
amusingly OH her she showed him the
rooms that she and her mother rented
to eke out their small and uncertain
income. and the next day found him
installed in them.
Often during the following months
he would spend an hour with the moth
er and daughter, noting with hidden
amusement the lutter's unnatural little
air of elderliness. She would forget
and laugh and chat gayly ut times;
then in moment. she seemed to re-
member that she was no longer young,
and she became in Il trice the prosaic,
careWorn woman again, drawing her
rlantle of years ungraciously about
her. 1t was us if she had determined
not to be surprised by old age and so
had rushed out to meet it.
Her references to herself were slight
ing always. as if to one to whom moth
Ing but the dregs of life were left.
whom romance could not possibly
touch. whose role was one of duty un-
touched by grace.
AT first Mallory took her at her own
estimate, concluding that she was about
his own age. Then one night she ap-
peared in gown of lilny violet. with
her brown hair rising in swirl above
her face, and he looked at her with
puzzled but admiring wonder She
turned her head, and the surprise of
her profile fairly made him start 1t
was singularly delicate and youthful.
with Il small high bred nose and full
Tipped mouth.
His speculative glance now told him
that she could not be more than forty,
II she We're that. But by the way in
which she was always putting forward
the young girls of her acquaintance it
was evident that she thought herself
too old Il woman to be of interest to
any man.
"She belongs to the old regime" Nal
lory soliloauized, "and has probably
considered herself an old lady ever
since she emerged from her teens. She
hasn't been able to assimilate this
bachelor woman idea" And he smiled
to himself.
by the way. Miss Marion" he said
nonchalantly, ~ have tickets for the
opera tomorrow night. Be good and
come too
There was a fash Of surprise in her
face that for one brief, tieeting moment
said frankly that he must have taken
leave of his senses. Then courtesy
prevailed. and after hesitating for an
appreciable moment. in which it was
apparent that she was casting about in
her mind for some plausible excuse.
she accepted.
When the time arrived she was dis
turbed by an uncomfortable conscious
ness. She had the air Of a person who
felt that she was going to be a subject
OF quickly exchanged glances and half