Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-11-27

CNt Ut Win tI' >'litt'I -
daughter WAS Progressing more smooth
j. tLau ever. aud nothing now seemed
likely - Interfere with his carefully
prepared plans - capture an American
L,ircsS. The interview with Kate Rob
crts In the library. So aWk Warlly dis
turhcl ~ JcGer~on's unexpected !ntru-
s.ou. lad been followed by other inter
views mere secret and more successful,
md the Plausible secretary had CON
triVvd 50 ,rcll to- persuade The girl that
he really ;h"!-At the world Of her and
tlat brilliant future awaited her as
lis wife thar 1t was not long before
he found her IN mood to refuse him
nothing.
Raglcy urged Immediate marriage.
He insinuated that jefferson had treat
cd her shamcfully and that she owed 1t
to herself to show the world that there
were other men rs good as the one who
had lifted her. lie argued that in view
OF the senator being bent on the match
with Ryders son IT would be worse
than useless for him Bagleyl to make
formal application for her hand. so,
rs he explained. the only thing which
remained was runaway marriage.
Confronted with the falt accOmpl!,
Papa Roberts would bow TO the inev-
table They could get married quietly
In town, go away for short trip, and
when the senator had got over his first
disappointment they would be well
coined back with open arms.
Kate listened willingly enough to this
speciOus reasoning. In her heart she
was piqued at Jefferson's Indifference.
and she was foolish enough to really
believe that this marriage with a Brit
fish nObleman, twice removed. would
be In the nature Of triumph over
him. Besides, this project Of an elOpe-
ment appealed strangely to her frivol-
Gus Imagination; 1t put her In the same
class as all her favOrite novel heroines.
And it would be capital fun.
Meantime Senator Roberts. in bliss
full ignorance Of this little plot against
his domestic peace, was growing i'm
patient. and he approached his friend
Ryder once more ON the subject Of his
son Jefferson. The young man, he
said, had been back from Europe some
time. He insisted on knowing what
his attitude was toward his daughter.
If they were engaged to be married.
he said there should be a public an
nOuncement Of the fact. 1t was unfair
to him and q slight to his daughter to
let matters hang fire in this unsatisfac-
tory way, and he limited that both him
self and his daughter might demand
their passports from the Ryder man
sion unless some explanation were
Forthcoming.
Ryder was In a quandary. lie had
no wish to quarrel with his useful
Washington ally. He recognized the
rcasOnableness Of his complaint. Yet
what could he do? Much as he him
self desired the marriage, his son was
obstinate and showed little inclination
to settle down. He even limited at at
fractions In another quarter. He did
not tell the senator of his recent inter
view with his son when the latter
made 1t very plain that the marriage
could never take place. Ryder senior
had his own reasons for wishing t.
tempOrize. 1t was quite possible that
Jefferson might change his mind anG
abandon his idea Of going abroad, ani
he suggested to the senator that per
hapS II he, the senator, made the en-
gagement public through the newspa
pers 1t might have the salutary effec
Of forcing his sons hand.
So few mornings later there up
peared among the society notes in sew
erai OF the New York papers this para
graph:
The engagement Is announced OF Mis-
Katherine Roberts. only daughter Of Sen
atOr Roberts of Wisconsin. to jefferson
Ryder. son of Mr.. John Burkett Ryder.
Two persons In New York happene,
to see the item about the same time
and both were equally interested, al
though it affected them In a differen
manner. One was Shirley ROssmOre
who had Glanced to pick up the news
paper at the breakfast table In he
boarding house.
w oOOAS DUG AAuA uuACu W uCKSCll
Well, why not? She could not blam
Jefferson. lie had often spoken to he
OF this match arranged by his father
and they had laughed over 1t as
typical marriage Of convenience mod
eled after the continental pattern JET
fersOn, she knew. had never cared 70
the girl, nor taken the affair seriously
Some powerful influences must hav
been at work to make him surrende
SO easily. Here again she recognize
the mastery hand Of Ryder senior, an
more than ever she was eager to NEE
this extraordinary man and measur
her strength with his. Her mind, ir
deed, was too full Of her fathers trOu
bles to grieve over her own hOweve
much she might have been inclined t
do SO under other circumstances, an
oil that day she did her best to ban
ish the paragraph from her thoughts
More than a week had passed sine
she left Massapequa and. what wit
corresponding with financiers, calm
on editors and publishers, every me
ment Of her time had been kept busy
She had found quiet and REASONABLE
priced boarding house of WashingtO
square, and here Stott had called Sc,
eral times to see her Her correspond
ence with Mr.. Ryder had now reache
q phase when 1t was impossible to In
vent any further excuses for delayin
the interview asked for As she ha
foreseen, a day or two after her arriy
al In town she had received q not
from Mrs. Ryder asking her to do he
the honor to call and see her, and Shil
ley, after waiting another two day:
had replied making an appointment 70
the following day at o'clock. Thi
was the same day on which the para
graph concerning the Ryder Robert
engagement appeared In the societ
chronicles Of the metropolis.
Directly after the meager meal whic
In New York boarding houses is dign
fed by the name Of luncheon Shirle
proceeded to get ready for this porter
tous visit to the Ryder mansion. Sh
was anxious to make a favorable In
preston on the financier, SO she too