The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-02-15

quiet. Your gayety and company were
200 much for his poor nerves. So run
along and let me get to doing things.
I've got TO do them all in whirlwind-
it's 10 now. Six hours is Il mighty lit
tie while to hatch conspiracy and
turn it into a reality"
Susan had certainly the gift OF proph-
ecy. Aunt Patrick approved highly Of
her plan. Dear Lawrence. her StcpsOn
she was sure would have been disgust
ed beyond measure at the thought Of
alliance with Il family that demcaneI
itself to manual labor. If she had
dreamed things were going so i'll with
her brother-in-law and her uicccs She
would have seen to it that the market
garden scheme had been nipped in the
bud. Since it was established and pay
ing. let il 90 on through the season.
Next year there might be changes.
Lawrence would She WAS sure. re-
Spond nobly TO all legitimate claims.
And the property was all Lls. She her
self had only a life interest Other
~ AsN- AAtt SUSAN l4itfA rlLtItfOlA
her there with a clressiu" Pat on the
fat hands overloaded with diamonds.
saying she quite understood, but Aunt
Patrick need not worry. once Bcruice
was we'll settled. the house and garden
and the little remnant Of money would
be more than enough for daddy and
his garden girl
Bcrnice got through the first week
fairly, although she was in Il torment
of trembling and impatient hope. Law
renee seemed fascinated. If only Aunt
Patrick would so on TO the mountains
and insist upon taking her lonely niece
along everything would arrange itself
beautifully. But Aunt Patrick had no
thought Of such thing. She was much
too comfortable where She was. Be
sides. in the mountains there was ii
danger she had not limited to BeYnce-
namely, the Granger girl, whom Aunt
Patrick hated, but with whom dear
Lawrence had been, last winter. at
least half III love Better. much better,
Keep that desirable young man here in
Crofton. where the Stanley establish
mcnt put him and Berry very nearly in
Il solitude of two. They rode or drove
or walked together through the most
part of the daylight and spent moon
light and twilight hours either at the
piano or on the piazza.
Susan could hear them singing-faint
ly, TO be sure-whilc she sat almost
nodding, and scrawling the letters that
were to help in keeping M the mas
queradc At first she had mailed them,
but by and by that seemed to her use
less. also risky, so she took to SHINING
up to the piazza in the earliest dawn
and sliding her misSives between Stats
of the shutters.
But there fell morning when, after
4 long hard day, she OVERSIGHT. Still,
since it was not much after sunrise. she
ran out with the letter in her hand.
never stopping to put up her long
braidS or to ShroUd herself in her biz
sunbonnct. And thus it fell out that
she came full upon dear Lawrence.
whom mischievous fate had awakened
early upon this morning of all in the
year.
1t was certainly fatc's doing. Law
renee had not slept all night. because
he was uncertain as to his own heart.
With part Of it he loved Bernice dearly.
but there was another part. which was
somehow hungry, no less afraid. Pos
sibly it was this side of him that Ieapcd
through his eyes as they rested upon
Susan's enchanting freshness, her sweet
simplicity and innocent courage. In
quick confusion she let fall the letter.
As he stopped to pick it up so did she.
and then somehow their hands touched
and he found himself thrilling through
and through And then. involuntarily.
he read the superscription and recall
ing Susan's picture intuitively, under
stood.
He took her hand between both his
own. wishing madIy that he dared kiss
each callOus on the pink palm of it, and
said, smiling and shaking his head:
''Ihe Ogre has got you, Princess Susan.
If you did run away from him. He will
eat YOU up bodily unless you promise to
come straight home"
"But-but what will Berry say-and
Aunt Patrick" Susan faltered, letting
her hand lie in his clasp. She also was
thrilling with quite unreasonable hap
piness.
Lawrence smiled down at her conf
IDENTITY and took her other hand, saying:
There's Just one thing they can say
properly-'Bless YOU, my Children And
l don't in the least doubt that they
will"
NaLoIeon's Generosity.