The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-01-19

contrary, speak of your work as being |
likely to keep you for several weeks
longer. In the three weeks of your alb |
seRce you have written nae four letters,
and those have evidently been an unwel-
come task. De you guess what am GO
ing to say? wish / were sure you
knew, that l might be saved the pain of
writing the words. / think you have
found out that you do not care for me In
the way you thought you did, and your
sense Of honor alone is keeping you to
the letter Of your engagement to me.
have reasons Of which you know nothing
for believing this to be the case; so we
have both made a mistake, and that, If
you are willing, our engagement had bet
ter come to an end.
PLEASE don't think blame you in
any way; it was only one of those mis-
takes that everybody is liable to make.
"Ever your sincere friend,
ETHEL MALLETT."
Poor Ethel! How she cried over that
letter! How she hoped against hope that
Jack might not be willing to end the
engagement! How carefully she read the
words through to be sure that she had
not definitely settled the matter-that,
In fact, she had done only what she in
tended-given Jack chance of accept
ing his freedom il he wished for it!
Had the matter-of-fact little epistle
arrived at more favorable moment,
had Jack had leisure to read between the
lines and discover the wounded pride
and self-respect that had dictated every
word, his manhood might have asserted
itself In BthePs favor. As it was Jack
read the letter impatiently at first, bat
as Its meaning dawned spen him he
turned back to the top Of the leaf and
read It again, assured himself Of the IN
eqaivocal nature Of the effer Of freedom,
thrust II int his pocket and went OF
whistliRg enegetically to meet Miss Mall
ing at tie station en- her return frem
| town.
Pauline saw at a glance that some
thing had happened, and, knowing what
she knew, guessed shrewdly what that
something was. She had net been FIVE
minutes In Jacks society before she felt
subtle difference in his manner toward
her.
II am 90 glad to find you still here,
Mr.. Dornton," she said at luncheon,
glancing at him bewitchingly between the
| afraid that you would not have been able
to endure fortnight Of this terribly dull
place. Weren't we, Mrs. Sefton2'
you forget that Mr.. Dornton has
had a real occupation to make the dull
ness endurable. His life is not passed in
killing time, as yours is, dear"
ITO be sure. had forgotten to ask
how the pictures have progressed"
- ~
woods Is finished as far as I can finish
it here. The rest Of the work must do
In Newman street.
THAT is where yeur studio is, Is it
not2 l should like to see some of your
completed pictures. Will you ask us up
some day to look at themT
ANY day you please. Say the day
after Tomorrow"
~ cannot go back to dusty London
again so soon. l expect my first batcf
of visitors on that day, too. At last
shall be able to do something in the way
of entertaining you, Mr.. Dornten, ant
show my gratitude to you for enlivenint
our solitude in the past"
"You are too kind. But 1 have mad,
arrangements for returning to town to
morrow"
Nonsense. You speak of arrange
ments in such a serious way that on
might imagine you had a wife and chill
dren; instead of which you are the en-
viabls creature-a man without a tie."
She paused an instant, dreading hi
reply. He made none; but a dull re,
crept slowly up his face to the roots O
his hair. She read this sign to suit her
self, and went en-:
"That being the case, as you have n
one to claim your presence as a right
why not favor me with it as a pleasure
, should advise you to stay, Mr.. Dorm
= ton. There are some really charmin
people coming en- Thursday whom 20
. should know"
Mrs. Seton was the embodiment o
: discretion, a very model for lady-e0n
: panions. She walked away, and Jae
! followed Miss Mailing to the pictur
I gallery.
! They were standing In front of tn
! easel en- which Jack had placed his pain
a ing Of Mallingford House. 1t was
charming picture.
4 "You must do me q copy of this. Nj
: Dornton," said Pauline, ''as a mement
{ Of that Hrst morning when ! fonnd 20
Q asleep in the wood"
p "And awakened mel!
, The words were simple enough, bu
. Jack threw a great deal of expression
into them, and his eyes conveyed a worl
of meaning. s.ss Mailing flashed
4 glance at him as she asked:
r "Did wake your 1t was quite unin
territorial on my part"
And involuntary on mine"
q Pauline, fearing that the conversation
I was getting beyond her control, turne
quickly and caught up the first pictur
!. that came to her hand from the ope
9 portfolio.
Q As was to be expected, Jack had spen
e many of his spare hours during the las
lonely fortnight in painting her portrai
from memory; and it was this that sh
caught up In her nervous haste.
3 "Oh, Nh Dorntonw she exclaimed, /
z rapturcus tones, Even her vanity wa
satisfied, and she blushed genuinely a
r. the lovely picture Jack had made or he
IL 81 am sorry you found ,uat. You wi
IS perhaps think II gross presumption; if 81
can destroy it. can't wish It undon,
); for it has given me so many pleasat