The Press., 1904-06-22
MALLORY'S READINESS
By Bertha Trevelyan
Copyright. 1903, by T. c. Mcclure.

! Copyright, 1903. by T. c. Mcclure. &4%4&94aH&a%4&e 4-Ra&44RS4ASs+bk>
 If 1t 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 a 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 it with an energy and a single mindedness that were 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 it necessary for him to spend a num- Der of months in New York, a 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 a 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 a beautiful memory, a thing as faint and elusive as the scent of lavender. But he had been loyal to it for twenty years, having been left at thirty a wid- 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 homeliness. He sighed with a sudden wistfulness altogether out of keeping with his height, breadth and fiorfdness.
 In the midst of his reyerie 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 a few minutes they were talking with the ease of old ac- quaintance.
 With a businesslike air that sat amusingly on 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 CT and daughter, noting with hidden the latter's unnatural little air of elderliness She would forget and laugh and chat gayly at times; then. in a moment. she seemed to re- member that she was no longer young, and she became in a trice the prosaic, careworn woman again, drawing her mantle of years ungraciously about her. It was as if she had determined not to be surprised by old age and so had rushed out to meet it. =a
 Her references to herself were slight ing always, as if to one to whom noth- 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 a gown of filmy violet, with her brown hair rising in a swirl above bnr hn at rygkE puzzled but admiring wonder. She turned her head, and the surprise of her profile fairly made him start. It was singularly delicate and youthful, with a small high bred nose and full Tipped mouth. ts
 His speculative glance now told him that she could not be more than forty, if she were 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 a woman to be of interest to any man. -
 ''She belongs to the old regime" Nal lory soliloQuized, "and has probably considered herself an old lady ever since she emerged from her teens. She hasn't been able to assimiIate this bachelor woman idea" And he smiled to himself.
 By the way, Miss Marion" he said nonchalantly, 'I have tickets for the opera tomorrow night. Be good and come too" t-
 There was a flash of surprise in her face that for one brief, fleeting moment said frankly that he must have taken leave of his senses. Then courtesy prevailed. and after hesitating far an appreciable moment, in which it was apparent that she was casting about inl