The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09
CHAPTER ~.
The FIeshpots of Egypt.

The westward journey began at the
appointed hour in the evening with
the resourceful Ormsby in command;
and when the outset,ing, in which she
had to sustain only the part Of an
obedieut automaton. was a fact accom-
plished, Elinor settled back into the
piliowed corner of her sleeping-car sec
tion TO enjoy the unwonted sensation of
being the one cared for instead of the
caretaker.
She had Travelled more or less with
her mother and Penelope ever since
her fathers death, ana was we'll used
to taking the helm. Experience and
the responsibilities had made her self
reliant, and her jesting boast that she
was a dependable young woman was
the simple truth. Yet to the most mod
ern Of girl bachelors there may come
moments when the soul harks back to
the eternal-womanly, and the desire
10 be petted and looked after and safe
conducted is stronger than the bachelor
conventions.
Two sections away the inevitable
newly married pair posed unconscious
ly to point the moral for Miss Brent
wood. She marked the eagerly antici-
pative sOlicitude of the boyish groom,
contrasting it now and then with
Crmsby's less obtrusive attentions. 1t
was all very absurd and sentimental,
she thought; and yet she was not with
out a curious .hcart-stirring of envy
provoked by the self-satisfied COM
placency CT the bride.
What had that chit Of a gipl done to
earn her immunity from lf-defend-
ings and the petty anXieties? Nothing,
Elincr decided; at least, nothing more
purposeful than the swimmer does
when he lets himself drift with the
current None the less, the immunity
was hers. undeniably, palpably. For
the first time in her life Miss Brent
wood found herself looking, with a lit
tie shudder Of withdrawal and dismay,
down the possible vista-possible to
every unmarried woman of twenty
r-milestoned by unbroken years of
spinsterhood and self-helpings.
Was she strong enough to walk this
hedged-up path alone = single-hearted
enough to so on holding out against
her mothers urgings. against Orms-N
by's masterful wooing, against her
own unconCuera bic long ng for sure
anchoraE in some safe haven of man.
fUl care and supervision; all this that
she mi0ht continue to preser.-e her in
dependence and live the life which, de-
spite its drawbacks. was yet her own.
There were times when she doubted
her resolution; and this first night of
the westward journey was one Of
them. She had thought at one time
that she might be able to idealize
no rrid Ir-+ L, H- I 1,
TO hew out his fortune, taking her up
STRINGS of his ambition in a purely
literal and selfish sense, so far as she
could determine. And now there was
BroOkes Ormsby. She could by no
possibility idealize him. He was a
fixed fact, stubbornly asserted. Yet he
was a great hearted gentleman, un-
spoiled by his millions, thoughtful al
ways of her comfort, generous, self
efIacing. Just now, for example, when
he had done all, he had seemed to
divine her wish to be alone and had
betaken himself TO the smoking COM
partment.~
Il promised not to bore you" he
had said, and 1 sha'n't. Send the
porter after me if there is anything
l have forgotten to do"
She took UP the nag he he had
left on the seat beside her and sought
TO put away the disquieting thoughts.
But they refused to be dismissed and
now among them rose up another,
dating back TO that idealizing sum
mer at the foot of Old Croydon, and
having its genesis in a hard saying of
her mothers.
She closed her eyes. recalling the
words and the occasion. You are
merely wasting time and sentiment on
this young upstart of a country law
yer. Elinor. So long as you were con-
tent TO make it a summer days
amusement, had nothing to say; you
are old enough and sensible enough to
choose your own recreations. But in
justice to yourself no less than to
him. you must let it end with our go
ing home. You haven't money enough
for two"
Her eyes grew hot under the closed
lids when she remembered. At the
time the hard saying was evoked there
was money enough for two, if David
Kent would have shared it. But he
had held his peace and gone away,
and now there was not enough for
two.
Elinor faced her major weakness
unfiinchingly. She was not a slave
&c luXuries-the luXuries of the very
rich. On the contrary, she had tried
to make herself believe that hardness
was a part of her creed. But latterly,
she had been made to see that there
was a formidable array of things
which Brookes Ormsby's wife might
reckon among the simplest necessities
of the daily life, but which David
Kent's wife might have to forego; nay,
things which Elinor Brentwood might
presently have to forego. For she
compelled herself to front the fact
of the diminished patrimony square
~. So long as the modest Western
Pacific dividends were forthcoming,
they could like comfortably and with
out pinching. But failing these
No, I'm rot great enough" she con-
fessed, with a little shiver. II should
be utterly miserable. If 1 could afford
to indulge in ideals it would be differ