Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-07-15

MALLORY'S
READINESS
Copyright, 1903, by t. @. Mcclure.
By Bertha TrevelyAn

got what he wanted In the world, II
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 cigar between his lips he
would consider all available methods
Of securing the thing desired.
Having finally arrived at a decision
as to the best course of action to pur-
sue, he pursued 1t with an energy and
single mindedness that We're open to
no encouragement, 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
1t necessary for him to spend a num-
Der 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 un-
der short gray mustache. or Miss
Foster would have known from the
first that 1t was useless to oppose him
| once his mind was set upon anything.
The romance of his youth was a
beautiful memory, a thing as faint
and elusive as the scent Of lavender.
But he had been loyal to 1t for twenty
| years, having been left at 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 I'M
usual In stiff city drawing rooms, but
which made for homellness He sighed
with a sudden usefulness altogether
out of keeping with his height, breadth
and foridness
In the midst Of his reverie Miss Eos
ter appeared, her delicate slightness
heightened by the massive doorway In
| which she stood framed for a 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 &C
quaintance.
With businessllke afr that ca
amusingly on her she showed him th'
rooms that she and her mother refftet
to exc out their small and uncertain
income, and the next day found hin
installed in them.
Often during the following months
he would spend an hour with the moth
er and daughter. noting with hidden
amusement the latter's unnatural little
air OF elderllness. She would forget
and laugh and chat gayly at times;
then, In moment, she seemed to re-
member that she was no longer young.
and she became I'm trice the pfosalc,
careworn woman again. drawing her
mantle Of years ungraclously about
her. II was as 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 I'M
touched by grace.
At first Mallory took her at her own
estimate, concluding that she was about
his own age. Then one night she APP
peared in gown of filmy violet, with
her brown hair rising In q swirl above
her face, and he looked at her with
puzzled but admiring wonder. She
"a hnp had tho atNFnrtan ~
her profile fairly made him start. II
was slngularly delicate and youthful,
with a small high bred nose and full
Tipped mouth
His speculative glance now told him
that she could not be more than forty
II she were that. But by the way In
which she was always putting forward
the young girls Of her acquaintance II
was evident that she thought herself
too old a woman 10 be Of interest to
any man.
"She belongs to the old regime" NAL
lory solllOquized, "and has probably
considered herself an old lady ever
since she emerged from her teens. She
hasn't been able to asslmilate this
bachelor woman idea" And he smiled
TO himself
by the way, Miss Marion" he said
nonchalantly, II have tickets for the
opera tomorrow night. Be good and
come too"
There was fash OF surprise In her
face that for one brief, fieeting moment
said frankly that he must have taken
r( Than
prevailed, and after hesltatlng for an
appreclable 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 person who
felt that she was going TO bo subject
OF quickly exchanged glances and half
laughing comment All this Mallory
OWNED, and he put forth every effort
10 make her forget herself 10 such good
purpose that by the end Of the evening
she was laughing and chatting AZ un
concernedly az II Mrs. Grundy did moi
exist.
with this excellent beginning things
went smoothly for awhile. Walks
drives and theaters followed, and ap
parently Miss Fosters fear OF appear
Ing "kittenish" slumbered. To MALLORY
each hour spent In her society mAd'
him long for more. She was 80 deli
ciOusly contradictory.
Then OF sudden all the old prim re
straint returned to her manner. Tbro'
consecutive invitations were refuset
with excuses so fimsy that even the
most obtuse person must have seer
through them.
As before, he OWNED the meaning Of
II all-some Idle word that had aroused
all her dormant sensltiveness, and sh'
was writing under H. She doubtless
imagined that people were saying thai
that old maid, Marion Foster, was try
ing TO catch Mr.. Mallory, and her man
ner was Dor fierce. wordless REPUTATION
Of II. The lines Of care were deepen