The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-01-05
CHAPTER III.-(Continued.)
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEME

CHAPTER Iu.-(Continued.)
fofgee her! As Jack turned into the
mousse, after watching the carriage down
the drlve. his head and heart were on
nre with the memory Of her last linger
Ing look, and the blood danced in his fn-
gers as he recalled the warm, clinging
pressure Of her hand at parting
l think / must be mad when she is
near me, for somehow 1 always manage
to believe in the possibility of her love
for me when in her presence" he NUT
tered, remorsefully. "And, if she did
over? My sweet, pure little Ethel, it
would break her heart! 1 must get rid
OF this folly. I'll finish Ethers letter at
once, and send it off by the morning post
IN write long, loving letter to the poor
little girl; it will do me as much good to
write 1t as it will her to receive It."
This time he commenced with "My
dear Ethel" and then, before proceeding
further, he made a close examination of
the beautifully executed address and
crest on the paper.
The crest Of ''Mallyngs'-as the name
was originally Spelled tigers head and
ront paws in repose, with the motto,
Let the sleeping lie," particularly in
terested him. He had stood for many q
minute during the past week in front
OF one Of these emblems of the family
circie-ferce, ungovernable-and ponder
ed<the probable events that had caused
! 1t to be bestowed on them as their
badge.
Il wonder why she never married 2"
he unused. II wonder if mine is the true
reason, and there really is some poor
beggar in the background awaiting her
twenty-ffth birthday? I shall have a
chance of finding out if 1 accept her in
vitation for the partridge shooting in
September, for Lord Summers told me
she would be twenty-five in that month
Ought l, in justice to Ethel, to place my
self in the way of such temptation?
Bosh! l must be weak fool indeed if
cannot live in the society of a beautiful
woman without making an idiot of my
self! Besides If 1 come and see for my
self that she is really gone on some
lucky fellow, it will be the most complete
cure l could find for my own folly"
"a But Jack knew this to be false rea-
soring; nevertheless he would not listen
to conscience, and, with a gloomy brow
and tightly compressed lips, sat glaring
moodily at the blank sheet of paper be-
fore him.
will you take your luncheon in here,
sirf 1t will seem less lonely than in the
dining room, l think"
81 Jack looked up in surprise at the
.AGsxasAper.
{ III must hassse been sitting here nearly
..three hours. Il slon't mind where I lunch,
Mrx Perkins"
.Then I'll putSA it in here, sir; it's
brighter and more iheerful than the din
Mrs. Perkins va liked to a sideboard
and licked away q imaginary 'peck of
dust.
Were you here in Sir Paul's timer"
II. asked. more because the old lady
w.nted to talk th4 n from any interest he
ssook in the matter.
4 .Bless you, sir,, I've been a servant in
+h;s house FOR turned fifty years!
ss ~ as under housemaid at sixteen,
land here I've been ever since; so I'm
.ywhat you may call an old servant"
y "Of course you remember Miss Mall
hrs mother3 She must have been a
leautiful woman"
"Sometimes she was and sometimes
she wasn't. She was handsome enough
naturally; but she had such an awful
temper that it quite disfgured her at
times. I've known her to sulk about
the house for a month at a time because
her brother, the late Sir Paul. had re-
fused her some tri1ing thing. We were
quite relieved when she got married,
and went away on the Continent with
IN r,kusband You see she was many
IS years yVanger than her brothers, Sir
Paul and the present baronet, Sir Geof-
frey, and was a bit spoiled in conse-
ouence-though there is an old saying
in the family that Malling's daughter
Ih always a fend, asking your pardon
tx the word, sir; so it's lucky Miss
Pauline is only a Mailing by adoption"
Then you think she has escaped the
filling usual to the ladies Of the fam
ihY'
SO II should not like to give an opinion
efmy mistress disposition. 1t would be
yer<bad taste on my part, sir. Miss
s.ss1E1ng. during the six years she has
mistress here, has been everything
could desire"
81 II beg your pardon" he said, politely.
did not WISH " UClAdy you AutO us
s,ect for Miss Mailing. My question
- the natural outcome Of your remark
- Miss Malling's being only Mall
By adoption"
aTo be sure, sir; and that takes me
Ii TO whe. 1 was saying. Miss Paul
] III mother was away on the Continent
her husband directly after they
re-msrried, and roamed about for
Kars from one country to another with
m. she never came home again, poor
.ri She died when Miss Pauline was
Est.en wears DID, and then Sir Paul was
<;ous to have the child with him in
IA Gland, as he had made her his heiress
ID consequence of the other brother
&k& o1rey. having married without his
b. 55&,,sent But Major Luton would not
N1x3. = with his daughter, and refused even
ii ID let her come on a visit; SO we none
- ms ever saw Miss Pauline until she
me here, a grown woman, to take her
sIece as mistress of Mallingford."
sSsl@I suppose you knew her at once by
likeness to her mother*'
Strange to say, we didn't, sir! To be
she was very i'll. for her father had
dead six months before she heard
d about being heiress to this prop
L. ,>lf