Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-31
CHAPTER xxv1.
.ROM the senior Miss Wolcott to
Il Or. Peter Kinross:
"Newnort Sent -

IL DR. Peter Kinross:
Newport Sept. -
4 "She has been with me here
at Newport for nearly three weeks,
and this is my first opportunity, Peter,
for writing to you. You must, OF
course be curious to hear how things
have gone with each Of us since the
girl came to me.
"Of course after your noncommittal
account of her. l was prepared FOR the
worst and had braced myself to meet
the shock which my own niece's man
ners and appearance must give me.
The bracing served me In good stead
when she arrived. for the shock was
even greater than I had counted on;
though as 1t came from nm unexpected
direction. my being prepared to meet
1t did not count for SO much as 1t
would otherwise have done. OF course
knew Mrs. Kenyon would do all she
could to soften the blow by fixing her
III, as to clothes. But from what you
had told me Of my niece's life. could
not reasonably have expected to see
the graceful, exquisite looking girl who
walked into my drawing room last
Friday night. You know 1t is the ex-
preston Of face and not merely per
lection of coloring and feature which
saves 1t from being common.
II thought she would look vacant
and awkward or else vulgarly loud and
self assert:,e. l was not prepared to
see face of extraordinary refinement
and intelligence and to meet a man
ner Of dignity and gentleness. Do you
acknowledge now that blood will tell?
At first l was inclined to be angry
with you for not having spared me
the suffering endured in anticipating
her coming. thought you might have
told me what she was like, how she
had educated herself, and so forth
But on second thoughts I knew you
had done wisely in leaving me to find
1T out for myself.
1.-THE child Is touchingly grateful to
me for the motherly care-so new to
her-which confess delight in Law
ishing upon her, and need not tell
you that two lonely, love hungry
hearts have found comfort in this
newly discovered tie Of blood.
when we came to talk Of finances
I was surprised at her quickness to
understand business problems which
were so entirely new to her. A trained
intelligence, even when the training
has been as one sided as hers has been,
helps so much in every direction.
Against my protest she has insisted
upon an equal division between us OF
her fathers wealth. I have absolutely
refused to accept this until she has had
Mt least one years experience OF life
in the world, when she will understand
something of the value of money.
Even II l wished to don't think ]
could ever make wording OF her.
Each day she Is with me I am I'M
pressed afresh with the purity and
simplicity Of her mind.
ut is a keener pleasure than have
known in many long year to watch
her Impressions Of things as l take
her about with me-she is SO filled
with wonder at everything. She Is like
small boy at his first circus! Her
comments are often so funny and yet
SO unexpectedly wise. 1t will be de-
lightful to take her to Europe.
'It isn't always easy to understand
her. At times she seems absent and
dreamy in a way that is quite unac-
countable to me- There Is melan-
choly about her which she seems I'M
able to shake off and which puzzles
and troubles me, for surely she has
everything to be happy for. Is 1t, per-
haps. the somberness of her past still
clinging to her? Or can 1t be possible
that she is brooding over some country
lover she left out there? II that were
the case, you, Peter, having been by
her all summer, would know. wish
you would tell me. Wouldn't 1t be
tragic IL that were the case?"
Miss Wolcott concluded with warm
expression of obligation to DR.. Kinross
for his disinterested kindness.
Itswas this letter which had brought
DR.. Kinross after bitter struggle
with himself to the place where he
was on this afternoon late in the
month of October-at Eunice's side,
walking with her in Central park.
It was bracing autumn day, but
the fresh air was not alone responsible
for the brilliant color in Eunice's face
and the light in her eyes. But the
color and the light suggested excite
ment rather than joy. There was
shadow of melancholy back Of them.
In Kinross' face, too. the signs of
his battle with himself were deeply
marked.
They walked slowly in secluded
path. The change he had felt In Eu-
nice from the hour Of their meeting
that morning had given him sense
of loss, as though the unsophisticated
child who EAd trusted and liked him
had slipped from him, for there was
dignity in her manner with him that
almost made him think she had al
ready grown conventional. And as for
the deep feeling for him which in their
last talk together at the farm she had
SO naively revealed-he shrugged his
shoulders at the fckleness of the sex,
for not sign Of it could he read in
her new manner Of reserve.
Now, however, that they were alone
in the isolation of the great park he
had sense Of being nearer to her.
She was unbending to him and open
ing up as she had not done all day.