The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-12-23
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEMI


matter much whether l go or not, l will
do as he wishes about it."
AS she heard her fathers step on the
stairs she turned as brightly as usual
toward him to say, "Good morning"
Then she held his envelope behind her
playfully, saying: "a thousand guesses.
and you will not guess where this letter
is from, papar'
Il shall not make ols-so tell me-"
ut is an invitation to Malilngford
for the seventeenth of this month-from
Miss Mailing herself, for a ball."
"A ballv' he repeated. "Why in the
world should Miss Mailing invite me to
a ball?' He looked at the envelope
curiously, and then said: sit is addressed
to g. Mallett, ESQ., and in Jack Dorm
toms writing! Oh, begin to under
stand" he went on, in a voice of genu-
ipe relief, as he took the card from the
envelope. Il feared for the moment that
Summers had been doing a kindness, as
he calls it, and persuaded Pauline Mall
ing to invite her poor relatives to her
ball. But this civiity is evidently due
to Dornton's good nature, and is sent in
all good faith, to the Malletts, old
friends of NINE as he would say in de-
scribing u.s."
"Who is Summers, papaV
"Lord Summers is your cousins guar
dian"
"Of course-I remember-the kind
! looking old man we met at the Exhibi-
ton last May"
Eyes. I've been in constant dread ever
| since that unfortunate meeting that he
would seek me out and try to do some
thing for me. That was why was 80
annoyed when you told him you copied
| in the galleries; l thought he might
pounce on you and worm our address out
of you"
do you think he would tell Miss
Mailing about my copying at the gal
leries, papa?'
"No doubt Of it; he is an inveterate
| talker."
Ethel had a sudden conviction that
Miss Mailing had used this informa ton
to obtain their address, if Lord Sum-
mers had not, and believed she had at
| last found out to whom she was indebt-
ed for her anonymous letter. This be-
lief did not increase her desire to 60 to
Malilngford; but she held to her resolu-
ton to leave the decision in her fathers
hands.
"Do you want to go to the ball?' he
asked
Il don't care one bit about it, If you
| don't want to go, dad"
Il don't care about the ball, either;
but should like you to see the old place.
Ethel. If we were to go to the ball
| should most likely run up against some
one who would remember me as Godfrey
Mailing, and there would be- quite little
sensation over my temperance; but this
Invitation entities us to call on Miss Mall
ing, in any case. Send an acceptance
my dear; we can follow it up by an ex-
ouse on the morning of the 18th. In the
meantime we will run down one day and
leave our cards and take a look round
just as ordinary strangers, and no one
will think we are anything else"
Ethel was glad the question was set
tied in this way, for she, too, wished to
see the old house that should in justice
have been her fathers. Mr.. Malett OPEN
ed the other letter and threw it across to
her.
Read it out, Ethel. It's from Polling.
I've talked so much that I've no time to
eat.'
Ethel read the letter, which ran as
follows:
my Dear Mallett-I send some birds
by to-night's train; hope they will arrive
all right. l ain tired of this place, but
night. My old friend has taken a wife
since l last saw him. Said wife has
three sisters at present staying with her:
A.. Ill - Al n
stocking my life has been a burden to
me since my arrival here. Sport Is ex-
cellent, but just the least bit monotonous.
The. house is full of pleasant people
and yet l miss your society more than
could have thought possible; and l am
really anxious to get back to our work
Tell Miss Mallett not to forget her prom
| iSe@'
"What promise was thatY' Mr.. NAL
lett asked.
I'm not quite sure what he means,
unless" Ethel blushed slightly.
Never mind; finish the letter to your
self, my dear, for l must be off directly"
After seeing her father off and finish
ing the letter, Ethel did not feel alto
gether happy. She was afraid Captain
Polling had set too high a value on her
words, and she tried to recall exactly
what she had said when he had called
to say good-by. What had really occurred
was this. When Ethel put her hand into
Pellings he held it while he said:
4 Il wish I could fatter myself by be-
lieving you would miss me. little while
am away, Miss Mallett; but perhaps it
would be welcome miss, for 1 know
I'm terrible bore sometimes"
j He looked so wistful that Ethel felt
!. quite thrill of sympathy for him, and,
on the impulse of the moment, respond
ed:
I'm sure / shall miss you, and shall
be glad to see you back again.
!. And Polling had left her with a face
so glOrifed with delight that she had
feared and wondered continually what
|. such glorification might mean, and had
alternately blamed herself for her inn
pulsive words, and him for his misinter-
Ipretation Of them.
Pauline was rather staggered a couple