The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-07-16

self that Marion was a bright, viva
cious girl; a generous and unspoiled
child OF Nature: a pretty human doc
ument 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.
So the days sped away almost Hike
a 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.
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
had no desire whatever to pry into
their family history, and certainly no
wish to be entrusted with n family
secrets. and yet, unwittingly. she got
to know a good many things that
were not common knowledge.
No n told her in so many words,
and yet she was not long in discov.
ering that they were painfully poor.
Her keen eyes were quick to see the
Screenings and coDtrivings that went
on every day TO make both ends meet.
They 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-
fering and stress, but 1t 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 admira.
bic. no doubt. in the brave and patient
way they fought and struggled and
sacrificed for the sake of a seutimen-
tai idea OF position. To her, with her
| DE mocratic training, the end did not
seem worth the effort. What did il
matter whe' her they lived in an an
cient manor house or in a modern
villa? A smaller house could be work.
ed at much less cost, and reduced ex-
renditure would mean far more com
fort.
She kept her thoughts to herself.
however, in this as In many other mat
tiers. The Mawgans inn lgined that she
! did not see or understand
She learned also that the Mawgans
had lost nearly all their money
through the speculations of Glenn
ent's father. The story came out bit
by bit and was never fully told. But
she put the fragments together into a
fairly connected whole, and her heart
grew hot with Indignation against the
~scoundrel who had swindled a too-con-
iding man out OF his possessions and
broken his heart.
With her seven or eight hundred
dollars still Intact, and a number OF
gems that might be converted into
money, she felt almost rich in compar-
ison. She insisted on purchasing
presents for both Esther and Mrs.
Mawgan, and she gave them with SO
pretty q grace that they could not re.
fuse, though they felt that In this way
she was paying them for board and
lodging.
Clement felt strangely perturbed
when the day was fixed for her de.
parture. He knew he would miss her
and miss her terribly. She had
brought a new interest into his life
and almost changed the face of the
world. He would gladly have kept
her an indefinite period, and would
have proposed ii but for one or two
considerations. The first was the
state of the ~exchequer. and the second
was the fact that she would be a wo
man directly. and a very beautiful wo
man to boot. In fact. as the day o,
her departure drew near he began te
wonder whether they had not all de
ceived themselves In regarding hel
merely as a girl. Her youthful ways
and frank. ingenious talk had. in q
measure, put them of their guard. II
was their first experience of New
World freedom. and they did not un
derstand It.
The day before she started she
wrote to Mr.. Mayhem. enclosing heI
fathers letter and stating by whai
train she would reach Exeter. She
did this at Clements advice. He die
not think 1t quite just to MI. Mayhem
or to Mrs Mayhew-providing he has
a wife-to take them quite unawares
Clement vent with Marion to thu
station. The day was rainy and cold
with a searching wind from the north
west. Neither OF them was In tn,
humor for conversation. The face o
the world was changing again for both
the distant landscape lay in heavy
shadow. Marion was afraid to tall
much lest she should reveal how mucl
she dreaded the future. Clement wa,
silent because all subjects seemed
trivial and commonplace.
He wondered In q vague kind o
way how long Il would take him I,
forget her; ~speculated gloomily on ID,
strange chances and accidents OF life
and hoped that neither OF them woul,
be the worse for this chance meeting
At the station he formed the suddeI
/ ~oaoluf}on tn oo wifh Ng,r3nn .. 49, y