The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-12-09
OR A BITTER RECKON
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEME

ing q dozen sheets of paper in his desire
to be neither too soft nor too hard, he
decided at last that the shorter and plain
er he made it the better; and this was
what he had written:
My Dear Ethel should not have
had the courage to do as you have done;
but perhaps you are right-as indeed you
always are. For the future will you
allow me to consider myself
Your faithful friend,
JOHN DORNTON?"
Il am glad-so very glad l wrote it.
1t would have been dreadful il we had
married, and Jack had found out that
he did not care for me afterward. Now
had better destroy that anonymous
letter. l thought that perhaps Jack
might have wished the engagement to
continue, in which case l should have
sent the letter to him and asked for an
explanation"
So Ethel went bravely about her home
duties, though her very lips were white
with the restraint she was putting on
her feelings. She tried with all her
strength of mind she possessed to put her
humiliatng grief away from her.
why should l sorrow for him If he
can throw me off without one word of
regret?" she asked herself, angrily.
Still, in spite of her determination to
crush her love under the weight Of her
self-respect, she now and again felt as
if her heart would break. She resolute-
ly denied herself the relief of tears, and
suffered far more intensely in conse-
Quence.
The thrushes and the lively robins and
perky sparrows were having a good time
of it ON the lawns at the Wigwam that
morning. Captain Polling was fond of
these small birus, and liked to see them
about the place. and he had determined
to do what he could to tame them dur
ing the hard winter weather, should he
decide to stay on in the Wigwam, which
he had taken furnished for six months.
He did not take much notice Of the little
creatures this morning, though. He was
in drown study" and sat SO motion
less on his comfortable cane chair under
the veranda that the more courageous of
the birds hoped about within yard
of his feet.
The fact was Captain Polling was dis
appointed. He had expected a letter
either from Ethel or Mr.. Mallett that
morning, to settle their visit on the NOR
row.
Even if they do not care to come"
he told himself, they might have been
civil enough to send some conventional
excuse"
After awhile it occurred to him that
perhaps the Mallets had written, and
that the letter had miscarried-and he
felt somewhat relieved at the bare idea.
He made up his mind that he would go
| up to town in any case; and as he went
along he would decide upon what course
he would pursue. And all through his
| vacillation he never once admitted to
himself that it was his longing to see
Ethel again that had for the moment
transformed him into a human shuttle
cock.
Notwithstanding short notice, the
phaeton was ready minute before the
appointed time, looking perfect in every
detail Polling had the reins in his hand
and his foot on the step. when he noticed
a telegraph boy coming toward the house.
He waited a moment. Yes, it was for
him.
From Godfrey Mallett, Buckingham
street, Bloomsbury, to Captain Polling,
The Wigwam, Wimbledon. Shall be with
you at o'clock tomorrow. Get sketches
in inspection order"
And the man of thirty felt lad again
in his light-heartedness, as he sent his
handsome bays along the road.
CHAPTER X.
Jacks love-making went on swim
mingly during the lovely summer wealth
-
ford. The house was full of visitors
now, and, in accordance with Pauline's
wishes, their engagement was kept strict
ly private. Still, in spite of all their
care, the state of affairs was pretty
shrewdly guessed at by most of the peo-
pie about them, and the well-bred guests
wondered immensely at Miss Malling's
sudden fit of unworldliness. Strangely
enough, Babette, with all her sharpness
was one of the last to hear of her mis-.
tress' infatuation for the "artist char"
as he was scornfuly described among the
servants: but the moment she did hear of
it she began wondering and watching un-
til in her own mind she was sure that
Miss Mailing was really deeply in love
with this good-looking Mr.. Dornton.
Babette liked Jack, and, knowing. as she
believed she did, the evil of Pauline's
heart. she was sorry to think that such
an altogether too charming yonug man
should be so thrown way
So Babette was always on the watch
for some clew that would help her to
discover her young mistress secret; and
} at this time she showed great interest
} in Mrs. Perkins gossip about the family
hoping to CLEAN some scrap of informa-
ton that might be Of use to her in fur
thering her reyengeful purpose
And if mademoiselle had married
! against the wishes of Milford Summers,
or without his consent, she would have
lost the whole estateY she asked, one
evening in August, as she slipped her tea
leisurely.
/ Eyes, If she did SO before she was
twenty-five; but after her twenty-ffth
!; birthday she viii be free to marry whom
Z soever she pleases; and, as she will be
twenty-five on the seventeenth Of next
month, there il not much chance Of her
e4crif7cin1 fha eatafA NJ fhin late Aav