Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-07-16
sILAs K. HOOKING.

could be distinctly entertaining.
Clement did his best to cultivate q
similar temper of mind. He told him
self that Marion was bright, viva
cious girl; a generous and unspoiIed
child Of Nature, a pretty human doc
uplent that was well worth studying;
a possible breaker Of hearts in the
future. Meanwhile he could en-.
JOY her society without the slightest
risk to his peace of mind, and he
might also help to direct her thoughts
and emotions into right channels,
4 So the days sped away almost like
dream, what with shopping and
dressmaking and occasional rambles
and drives. Every hour of the day
was occupied SO far as Marion was
concerned. and somehow Clement
/ found himself nearly always in her
company
4 She was so youthful, so ingenious
and unspoiled, and the Mawgans
talked more freely about themselves
and their affairs in her presence than
they might otherwise have done She
mad no desire whatever to PRIV into
4 their family history, and certaiS.y no
4 wish to be entrusted with any family
secrets, and yet, unwittingly, she got
10 Know good many things that
were not common knowledge.
4 NO one told her in SO many words,
1 and yet she was not long In discov
erlng that they were painfully poor.
Her Keen eyes were quick to see the
schemings and contrivings that vert
on every day to make both ends meet.
Ihey made a brave show before the
little world of st. Chloe and neighbor-
hood. The family dignity was main
tanned at the cost of much mental suf-
| ferlng and stress, but it was always
maintained. The flag was never low
cred, no inch of position was surren-
dered
Marion did not know whether she
more admired them for this or pitied
them. There was something admlra-
Ible, no doubt, in the brave and patient
way they fought and struggled and
sacrificed for the sake of a sentiment
tai IDEA Of position. To her, with her
democratic training. the end did not
seem worth the effort. What did If
matter whether they lived in an an
c1ent manor house or in a modern
villa? A smaller house could be work
ed at much less cost, and reduced ex-
penditure would mean far more com
fort
She kept her thoughts to herself
however in this as In many other mat
ters The Mawgans imagined that she
did not see or understand.
She learned also that the Mawgarrs
mad lost nearly all their money
through the speculations of Clem-
zents father The story came out bit
by bit and was never fully told. But
she put the fragments together into
fairly connected whole, and her heart
grew hot with indignation against the
seoundrel who had sWindled a too-con-
Hiding man out of his possessions and
broken his heart.
With her seven or eight hundred
dollars still intact, and a number of
Igems that might be converted into
money. she felt almost rich in comnar-
N'Sti. 5o1S thslSted on purchasing
presents for both Esther and Mrs
| MaalWgan, and she gave them with SO
pretty q grace that they, could not re.
/ fuse, though they felt that in this wav
she was paying them for board and
lodging. .
M Clement felt strangely pertnrhAd
when the day was fixed for her Ne.
future. He knew he would miss ner
and miss her terribly. She had
| brought q new interest into his life.
and almost changed the face OF the
| world He would gladly have kent
her an indefinite period. and ,wo,,ld
have proposed it but Toe: one or two
cons 9 r tions. The first was the
state OF the exeheqner, and the second
/ was the fact that she would be a. wo-
| man e directly, and very beautiful wo-
man To boot. In fact, as the day Of
liner departure drew near he began TO
wonder whether they had. not all de-
ce1ved themselves in regarding her
merely as g sir Her youthful ways
and frank. ingenious talk had, id 4.
measure. put them Off their guard, It
was their first experience OF New
/ World freedom, and they did not I'M
/ derstand it.
The day before she started she
Wrote to Mr.. MAYHEM, enclosing her
fathers letter and stating by what
train she would reach Exeter. she
I did this at Clements advice. He did
not think III quite just 70 Mr.. Mayhew
/ or to Mrs. May hew providing he had
wife--to take them quite unaWares.
Clement went with Marion to the
station, The day was rainy and cold
with a ching wind from the nertb-
west. Neither OF them was in she
humor for conversation. The face a.
1 the world was changing again for both.
the distant landscape lay IN heaYy
/ shadow Marion was afraid to tain.
much lest she should reveal how much
i she dreaded the future Element. WAS
4 silent beeause all subjects seemed
trivial and comHonp place. g7.' al
He wondered Id q vague kind ~
4 way how long II would take him 81
Aforget sher; sIiac nlatad leoni,y on tic,
chance and anci denta. ar llifa
II and hOned thar nt.if Essr X ii - 4