Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1906-06-01

tnge. barely three rooms. and q play
house porch which stood in a bit Of
grass ut the gardens farther end. II
had been the coachman's house back
in the days when the Stanleys had had
coachmen. Commonly It was let. but
all this year It had been empty.
"I1l rent the cottage and the garden
from you. Miss Stanley" Susan said
gayly. I'm go to live I'm it with daddy
while you entertain our rich kin. You
can explain to Aunt Patrick she'll
agree with you that It was right and
wise-and maybe come to see daddy
some tlme-after dark. And you can
tell the superfine Lawrence that we are
away for daddy's health. The poor
dear certainly needs a change"
~"But-pcople will talk 50" Bernice
began.
Susan put n hand over her lips and
ran on. "They won't have the chance.
You won't be having tea fights and din
ners when you're staying alone except
for old Miss Joe jenkins. You can get
her to chaperon you for even half ask
ing. And I'll let my customers think
I've moved out so as to keep daddy
quiet. Your gayety and company were
too much for Ills poor nerves. So run
along and let me get 70 doing things.
I've got to do them all in Il w%hirlwind-
its 10 now. Six hours is a nigh y lit
tie while 20 hatch a 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 stcpsou,
she was sure would have been disgust
ed beyond measure at the thought Of
alliance with n family that demeanel
itself to manual labor. IL she had
dreamed things were going so i'll with
her brother-in-law and her nieces she
would have seen to II that the market
garden scheme had been nipped in the
bud. Since it was established and pay
ing, let II go on through the season.
Next year there might be changes.
Lawrence would, she was sure, re-
spond nobly to I'LL Legitimate claims.
And the property was all his. She her.
self had only Il life interest. Other
wise her nieces- Susan had stopped
her there with a ~carcssing pat on the
fat hands overloaded with diamonds.
saying she quite understood. but Aunt
Patrick need not worry. Once Be.nice
was well settled, the house and garden
and the little remnant of money would
be more than enough FOR daddy and
bis garden girl.
Bernicc got through the first week
fairly, although She wa In n torment
of trembling ana impatient hope. Law
renee seemed fascinated. If only Aunt
Patrick would 90 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 a thing. She was much
too comfortable where she was. Be
sides, in the mountains there was a
danger she had not limited to Bernice-
namely, the Granger girl, whom Aunt
Patrick hated, but with whom dear
Lawrence lad been, last winter, at
least half In love. Better, much better,
keep that desirable young man here in
Crofton, where the Stanley establish
ment put him and Berry very nearly in
a 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 singlng-faint
~, TO be sure-whilc she sat almost
: nodding, and scrawllng the letters thai
= We're to help in keeping up the mas
i querade. At first she had mailed them
but by and by that seemed to her use
less, also risky, so size took to slipping
up TO the piazza In the earliest dawI
and sliding her missives between slati
Of the shutters.
But there fell a morning when, aftel
a long hard day, she oversight. stu
since 1t was not much after sunrise, sh,
ran out with the letter in her hand
never stopping to put up her Ion!
braids or to shroud herself in her hi,
%sunbonnet. And thus 1t fen out tina
she came full upon dear Lawrence
whom mlschlevous fate had awakene,
early upon this morning of all in tn
year.
1t was certainly fate's doing. Law
renee had not slept all night, becaus
he was uncertain as to his own heart
With part of It he loved Bernlce dearly
but there was another part, which wa
somehow hungry. no less afraid. Pos
sibly it was this side of him that leape
through his eyes as they rested upoi
Susan's enchanting freshness, her swee
simplicity ami innocent courage. /
quick confusion she let fail the lettel
As he stopped TO pick It M so did she
and then somehow their hands touche
and he found himself thrilling throug
and through. And then, Involuntary
he read the superscriptlon and, recall
e ing susan's picture intuitively, under
stood.
= He took her hand between both hi
own. wishing madly that he dared ks
each callous on the pink palm. of II, an
n said, smiling and shaking his heaC
s The Ogre has got you. Princess Susal
II you did run away from him. He wi
eat you up bodily unless you promise {
Q come straight home"
IN I'M - - IN w