Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-26


 Tt wouldn't do any good, you know I am going with you"
 "To Abigail and the trunk room?'
 "Oh, no; to the jumping of place out west-wherever it is you are going to hibernate"
 "No," she said decisively; ''you must not"
 Why"
 "My saying so ought to be suffcien, reason"
 Tt isn't" he contended, drowning down on her good naturedly. "Shall tell you why you don't want me to go! It is because you are afraid"
 q am not" she denied. 1 "Yes, you are. You know in your own heart there is no reason why you should continue to make me unhappy and you are afraid might over per suade you"
 Her eyes-they were the serene eyes of cool gray that take on slate blue tints in stressful moments-met his defiantly.
 If you think that, withdraw my objection" she said eoldly. Mother and Penelope will be delighted, I am sure."
 And you will be bored, world with out end" he laughed. Never mind; I'll be decent about it and keep out of your way as much as you like"
 Again she made the little gesture of petulent impatience.
 You are continually placing me in a false position. Cant you leave me out of it entirely?" I It is one of the prime requisites of successful mastership to know when to press the point home, and when to recede gracefully. Ormsby abruptly shut the door up on sentiment and came down to things practical.
 Tt is your every day comfort that concerns me chiefly. I am going to take all three of you in charge, giving the dependable young person we'll earned holiday-a little journey in which she won't have to chaffer with with the transit people. Have you chosen your route to the western some where?"
 Miss Brentwood had the fair trans parent skin that tells tales, and the blue-gray eyes were apt to confirm them. David Rents letter was hidden in the folds of her loose waisted morn ing gown, and she fancied it stirred like thing alive to remind her of its message. Ormsby was looking past her to the old fashioned ormolu clock on the high mantel, comparing the time with his watch, but he was not oblivious of the telltale flush.
 There is nothing embarrassing about the choosing of route. is there?" he queried.
 "Oh, no: being true Americans, we don't know one route from another in our own country" she confessed. But at the western end of ii. we want to go over the Western Pacific. "'
 Ormsby knew the west by rail routes as one who travels much for time kill ing purposes.
 Its a r.ther roundabout COW path" he objected. "The Overland Short Line is good bit more direct; not to mention the service, which is a lot better"
 But Elinor had made her small con- cession to David Rents letter, and she would not withdraw It.
 Probably you don't own any West ern Pacific stock" she suggested. "We do: and We mean to be loyal to our salt"
 Ormsby laughed.
 'I see Western Pacific has gone down few points since the election of Gov. Bucks If I had any, I'd wire my broker to sell"
 We are not so easily frightened" she asserted; adding. with touch of the austerity which was her Puritan blrthright: Nor quite so conscience less as you men,"
 All of which goes to prove that you three lone women need a guardian. But I mustn't keep you any longer from Abigail and the trunks. What time shall send the expediters after your luggage?"
 She told him. and went with him to the door
 Please don't think me ungrateful." she said. when she had thrown the night-latch for him. q don't mean to be-"
 T don't think anything of you that ought not to think; in that I am as conscientious as even you could wish. Good-by. until this evening. I'll meet you all at the station"
 As had come to be the regular order of things. Elinor found herself under fire when she went above stairs to re- join her mother and sister. Mrs. Brentwood was not indifferent to the Ormsby millions; neither had she forgotten a certain sentimental summer at the foot of old Croydon. She was a thin-Iipped little person, plain spoken to the verge of unfriend- Illness; a woman in whom the rugged. Puritan strain had become panic acidulous- And when the Puri- tan stock degenerates in that direction. it is apt to lack good judgment on the business side. and also the passivity which smOoths the way for incompe- tence in less assertive folk
 Kent had stood something in ave. not especially of her personality. but of her tongue: and had been forced to zcquiesce silently in Loring's sum- ming up of ElinorIs mother as a woman