The San Francisco call., 1905-02-26

ABOUT the cottages, Wnere the trees
were not so densely planted as in the
depths. The under forest looked very
green and fresh. A creek murmured
somewhere. Bees hummed drowsily.
Gives head still ached and he was
hungry; but at this moment he was
conscious of nothing but paramount
wish to see Mary Gordon.
Mr.. Gordon, pink-Iaced man with
white side whiskeTs, was standing on
the piazza of a tiny cottage which
looked as if it had been built i'll d
night. He winked at Give as he came
down and shook him heartily by the
hand. He had loved his wife and been
kind to her, but had always done ex-
actly as he pleased.
She's insfde," he whispered, "anf
don't think she'll row you. Sorry it
happened, just vow it never will again,
and she'll forget it. They always dC,
bless them."
Clive went hastily into the little
parIor. Mary Gordon was standing in
the middle of the room, her hands
tightly clasped, her eyes very bright,
her upper lip caught between her teeth
Give saw In a glance that she had
more style and grace OF carriage than
when she had left England. Her hair
was more fashionaDly arranged, and
altogether she was handSOmer girl
He trrok her i'll his arms and kissed her
many times, and she cried softly on
his shoulder. He humbled himself to
the dust, and was told that he must
always do exactly what he wanted;
and he felt distinct thrill of pleasur-
able domestic anticipation he had
been spoiled all his life, and would
have taken to matrimonial discipline
very unkindly.
When he mad eaten of the broiled
chicken and several other substantial
delicacies, and was at peace with him
self and the world once more. he went
for a long walk in the forest with
Mary. After a time they sat down on
log, and he lit his pipe and tried to
imagine an environment of English
oaks and beeches- Again and more
forcibly he felt the discCrdance be-
tween the English girl, Simplified by
generations OF discipline and homo
geneous traditions, and this green
light. this strange brooding silence,
this vast solitude suggesting new
world, new race, an unima ginable
future-this hot, electric, sensuOus air.
They talked OF the past two years,
and of their future together.
Il have not told any one yet that
we are engaged" said Mary People
here don't seem to take things as seri-
being chaffed about it, L have merely
said that We expected an old and dear
friend Cf the family"
Il am glad. It's bore to be
chaffed.'
"Of course / have written to all our
friends in England that we are to be
married on the 18TH; but as the we'd
ding is to be so quiet, it is not neces-
sary to tell any one here"
How do you like this country" he
asked curiously. Il mean how does it
suit you personally? OF course, know
you would make up your mind to like
any place where duty happened to take
you, but you must have private lit
tie idea on the subject, and it is your
duty to tell me everything"
She smiled happily. ''Well. as they
say here. now that 1 am sure that
Edith Will make papa comfortable,
shall be glad enough to go back to
England. California doesn't suit me at
all. 1t rubs me the wrong way. 1
think / should develop nerves if 1
stayed here much longer. Americans
don't seem to me to be half human.
Helena Belmont says that America
Will be the greatest nation on earth
when it gets soul, but that it is moth
ing but kicking, squalling, preco-
ciouS infant at present; and that if
some one were clever enough to stick
his finger in the soft spot on the top
of its head, it would transform il into
Will pull through all right because she
has So many weak points that her enc
mics forget which is the weakest. Miss
Belmont is so clever. You will meet
heron Sunday. You don't mind my
having accepted an invitation for you
to dine there?'
Not at all. 1t was very kind of
you, l am sure. / have heard CT this
Miss Belmont; 1 don't imagine you find
much in common with her.
She horrifies me, but she fascinates
me more than any person 1 have met
here. / am sure she is a good wom-
an, in spite of the reckless things she
does. Your friend, Mr.. Rollins, says
that she is the concentrated essence
of California, and l always excuse her
on that ground. You never know what
she is going to do or say next and
she is the most desperats flirt 1 ever
heard of. l suppose she is so beautiful
she can't help it. Her eyes always
seem to be looking at you through
tears, even when they are laughing or
flirting, although / don't believe she
sheds many. / cannot imagine her
crying. although / know her to be
kind-hearted, and generous, and i'm
pulsive."
do you call it kindhearted to throw
fifteen men Over?
Il told her once that 1 thought it was
morally wrong Tor ner to lure men on
to such a terrible awakening, and she
said that there was just one thing
that man didn't know, which was
woman; and that it was her duty to
her sex to addle their brains on the
subject as much as possible. But
want you to know me, OWN"
"The better | know you, the better /
shall live YOU
When your eyes laugl like that
never know whether you are chatting
me or not. 1t will not take long, for
I am not clever; she smiled a little
sadly. You are so clever that know
you will often want to go and talk to
women who know more Inan 1 do; but
none of them will ever love you so
WELL"
II know it, he said tenderly, and he
believed what he said.
II am glad that / have been in Cali
fornia. though" pursued Mary 1T
has broadened me. - home we take
it for granted that all the unconven-
tional people are bad, and all the con-
ventional ones good. Here it is so diff
ferent; although I must say that
hoo, Il