The San Francisco call., 1904-10-30
CHAPTER xxvI.
On the High Plains.

Much to Elinor's relief. and quite az
much. perhaps, to Penelope's. Mrs
Brentwood tired OF Breezeland Inn In
less than a fortnight and began to talk
of returning to the apartment-house in
the capital.
Pressed to give a reason for her dis
satisfaction, the younger sister might
have been at loss to account for 1t In
words; but Elinor's desire to cut the
outing short was based upon pride and
militant shame. After many trap-set-
tings she had succeeded In making
her mother confess that the stay AT
Breezeland was at Ormsby's expense:
and not all Of Mrs. Brentwood's petu-
liant justifyings could remove the sting
of the nettle Of obligation.
There is no reason in the world why
you should make so much OF 1t: i am
your mother, and I ought to know,
was Mrs. Brentwood's dictum- You
wouldn't have any seruples II We were
his guests on the Amphitrtte or IN his
country house on Long Island"
'HThat would be different" Elinor
contended. We are not his guests
here; we are his pensioners"
NONSENSE" frowned the mother.
isn't 1t beginning to occur to you that
beggars shouldn't be choosers? And,
besides, so far as you are concerned,
you are only anticipating a little"
1t was an exceedingly in5udtctous. not
to say brutal way of putting 1t; and
the blue-gr eyes flashed fire.
Cant you see that you are daily
making a marriage between US more
and more impOssible?" was the bitter
reioinder Elinors meter was cool
composure under fire, but she was not
always able to compass II.
Mrs. Brentwood famed herself Vigor-
ously She had been aching to have IL
out with this self-willed young woman
who was playing fast and loose with
attainable millions, and the hour had
struck.
''What made you break 1t or with
Brookes Ormsby?" she snapped; add
ing: IT don't wonder you were ashamed
to tell me about 1t.
IT did not break 1t OF. and was not
ashamed Elinor had regained her
self-control. and the angry light IN the
far-seeing eyes was giving place to the
cool gray blankness which she culti-
waited.
THAT is what Brookes told me, but I
didn't believe him." said the mother
Its all wrong. anyway, and I more
than half believe David Kent is at the
bottom Of 1t.
Elinor left her chair and went to the
window. which looked down on the
sanitarium. the ornate parterre. and
the crescent driveway. These family
chickering's were very trying to her. and
the 1onaag to escape them was some-
times strong enough to override cool
reason and her innate sense OF the fit
ness Of things.
In her moments OF deepest depression
she told herself that the prolonged
struggle was making her hard and
cynical; that she was growing more
and more on the Grimkie side and
shrinking on the Brentwood. With
the unbending uprightness Of the Grim
kie forebears there went a Drosaic and
unmalIeable strain destructive alike OF
sentiment and the artistic ideals. This
strain was in her blood, and from
childhood she had fought n, hopefully
at times. and at other times. as now.
despairingly. There were tears in her
eyes when she turned to the window:
and il they were merely tears OF self
pity. they were better than none Once,
in the halcyon summer, David Kent
had said that the most hardened erin
inal in the dock was less dangerous