The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-11-25

i
her father echoed the sigh; and followed
| it up by:
TOO solid-altogether too solid, my
| childw
II know it as well as you do, dad"
she said, plaintively; ''but how am I to
| alter it?"
Suppose we leave the shadow for to-
day, and go out into the sunshine for
an hour or twow
''Now, dad, don't tempt me to desert
the post Of duty. If you knew what a
struggle had with myself before start
| ed this morning, how l longed to stay
at home and 'coddle" instead Of facing
| my work like woman"
Leave the painting for a few mo-
| ments, dear; want to introduce you to
Captain Polling. My daughterw
Ethel plucked off her unbecoming head
gear as she turned to face the unknown
visitor. She was greatly surprised at
| the introduction, her father having kept
her in strict seclusion since she left
| school a year before.
II taught Coptain Polling the rudi-
| ments of sketching before no went on
an expedition to Central Africa three or
four years ago, and he is SO delighted
| with his own efforts that he wanted to
carry me right away to Wimbledon at
| once, to see and praise them"
THAT Is scarcely truthful statement,
| Miss Mallett," put In Captain Polling
| with a smile. Il don't want praise, but
judgment. The expedition went out
with Is going to publish the result of our
Investigations and they want some of my
sketches to illustrate the work. When
saw Mr.. Mallett in Picadilly I thought.
Here is the man who will tell me hon
estly if l dare to allow them to be pub
| lished;' and l bounced upon him. And
| now I have obtained two judges in the
place of one. My trap is waiting out
side, and trust you will let me take you
both down to my little box. My house,
| keeper will find us something to eat, and
| in the cool of the evening we can go
quietly through my little pictures and
arrange them together"
Ethel looked puzzled. Mr.. Mallett
could hardly conceal the surprise he felt
at@the adroit manner in which his late
| pupil had managed to include 'the child"
Ethel glanced at her rather worn but
prettily made dove-colored gown and her
| bibbed holland apron.
Il am not in presentable ORDER" she
began.
But you will see no one but the house
keeper and the present company. Show
yourself superior to such considerations.
| Miss Mallett. 1t will be positive favor
to me, for they are hurrying the prep
| arations forward, and should not like to
| be the cause of delaying the publication
of the book
VERY well; will come. But papa
will tell you l am Of no use in a case Of
this sort"
Ethel leaned back in the well-cush-
toned phaeton and listened lazily to, the
conversation between the two men, her
father sharing the back seat with the
groom.
Captain Pelling's horses travelled well:
| and, the breeze blowing right in her face
Ethel gradually lost the depressing pain
| in her head and began to feel interested
in the places they were passing.
Win at last the horses stopped at a
| tiny cottage, consisting to all appear
| ances entirely of bay windows and
creeper covered porch, and looking timer
| still by comparison with the gigantic elm
trees that surrounded it, she had slight
| tinge of pink in her cheeks, and the dark
| rings had nearly disappeared from round
| her eyes.
A pleasant middle-aged woman came
to the hall door, and Captain Polling
| handed Ethel over to her at once.
| "Give Miss Mallett a cup of especially
good tea, Mrs. Crichton, and make her
lie down until quarter Of an hour be-
fore dinner. Above all, don't let her
talk; she has had a bad headache
Ethel looked at him in mute surprise
land it will return if she exerts herself
| before she dines."
| Mr.. Mallett looked amused; but the
captain, supremely unconscious of having
said or done anything unusual, led the
way through the long, low hall and out at
a glass door at the end.
This way, MISS and Mrs. Crichton
opened the door, through which she was
| followed by Ethel.
| CHAPTER VII.
/ 1t was the loveliest room the young
| girl had ever seen. The walls were a
subdued stone green, the curtains and
general decorations were of the same
color, artistically touched up here and
there with gold. There was soft old
looking Persian rug that covered the
whole floor, except few inches by the
walls. The floor Of the windows were
bare, save for some exquisite specimens
Of skins which Ethel did not even know
the names. Each of these windows waa
tastefully and luxuriously furnished.
There were two very fine paintings on
the walls, and the whole room was lit
tered most picturesQuely with valuable
curiosities brought home by Captain
Polling.
Ethel looked round her with d sense
Of supreme delight. Mrs. Crichton mis-.
took the look, and apologixed for the
general untidiness Of the room.
You see, miss, Captain Peling took
the house only three weeks ago. he
don't allow Martha or me to touch his
wonderful curiosities, so / am obliged
to put up with this dreadful state OF