Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-07
ny CHAPTEp[- q
M FIFTEEN kMO

IN September. her marriage to ST.
ward eXcitinsly imminent, Sylvia
had been seized with a passion
4 for wholesale remuneration and
rigid self chastisement. All that had
been SO materially desirable to her in
life. all that she had heretofore wor
SHIPPED in and belonging to her own
world, she now denied. Down went
the miniature golden calf from the al
tar in her private shrine. its tiny
crashing fall making considerable
racket throughout her world and the
planets and satellites adjacent to that
section of the social system which she
had long been expected to dominate.
The spectacle of their youthful ruler
elect In snckcoth as the future bride
of business man had more than dis
concerted them. The amazing an
nouncement OF Quarters engagement
to Agatha Caithness stupefied the
elect rendering in one narrowing In
slant null and void the thousand petty
plans and plots. intrigues and schemes
upon which future social constructions
on the social structure had been based.
The grief and amazement of Major
Belweth,r already distracted by his
nonparticipation through his own
fault in Plank's consolidation of Anal
gamated with Intercounty, was pitia
BILE to the verge Of the unpleasant.
Like panic stricken rabbits. his
thoughts ran in circles, and he skipped
In their wake, scurrying from Quarter
to Harrington. from Harrington to
Plank, from Plank to Siward. in dis
tracted hope OF recovering his equilib-
rum ard squatting safely somewhere
in somebody's luxuriantly perpetual
cabbage patch. He even squeezed I'M
der the fence and hoped humbly
about old Peter Caithness, who sud
denly assumed monumental proportions
among those who had so long tolerat-
ed him.
But Quarter coldly drove him away.
and the increasing crowds. beseging
trod upon the major. and there was
nothing for him to do but to scuttle
back to his own brush heap and hud
die there. sQueaking pitifully.
AS for Grace Ferrall she lost no
time in tears. but took Agatha publicl,
to her bosom. turned furiously on Quar-
rier IN private aud for the first time
in her life permitted herself the lux
ury of telling him exactly what She
thought of him.
"You had your chance" she said
But you are all surface. There's moth.
Ing to you but soft beard and manicur-
ing and the ret.cence of stupidity! The
one girl for YOU and YOU couldn't hold
on to her. The one chance of your
life-and it's escaped you. leaving
tuft of pompudour hair and pair of
woman's eyes protruding from the
golden dust heap your father buried
YOU In. Now you'd better sit there
and let it cover your mouth. and try
to breathe through your nose. Agatha
is looking for n new sensation. She's
tried everything. now she's going to
try you. That's all. She will be an
Invaluable leader. Howard, and we
shall not yawn. assure you. But, oh,
the chance you've lost, for lack of
drop Of red blood and barber to give
you the beard of a man.!
Which merely deepened the fear and
hatred which Quarter had entertained
for his pretty cousin from the depths
of his silk wadded cradle. AS for
Kemp Ferrall. now third vice presi-
dent Of lntercounty, he only laughed
with the tolerance OF man in safety.
and, looking at Quarter through the
pickets of the financial fence, not only
forgot how close his escape had been,
but. being busy and progressive
young man. began to consider how he
might ultimately extract q little profit
from the expensive tenant Of the in
closure.
Grace made the journey to town to
express herself freely for Sylvia's ben
eft. But when she saw Sylvia the
girls radiant beauty checked her, and
all she could say was: MY dear, my
dear. knew you would do 1t! knew
you would fling him on his head! It's
in your blood. you little jade-you lit
tie tilt. You mink Of baggage!
knew you'd behave like all women OF
your race.."
Then she drove to the Santa Regina.
where Marion was to join her in her
return to Shotover. And she was al
ready trying to make up her disturbed
mind as to which might prove the
more suitable for Marion-Captain
Voucher, gloomily recovering from his
defeat by Quarter, or Billy Fleetwood.
who didn't want to marry anybody.
In the meanwhile Siward's new du-