Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-01-10
CHAPTER xxx.

TIIE breeze had freshened; there
We're white wlsps In the blue
above and tiny crests upon the
blue below. 1t was early morn
ing, and Tom, having waited admira
bly, overnight. was setting the break
fast table when his master came IL
glowing from the morning dip. AS {
rule they bathed together; this excep
ton was their first. They had no
spoken since the previous evening. bu
here was Daintree In glow for more
causes than salt water and fresh dir
and glance told the other that hi
was forgiven.
"Well. Thomas, will you listen to me
another time? Neither lady has thu
slightest idea who you are"
Il am thankful to hear you say so,
said Tom, laying the knives.
Lady Starkie never set eyes OF
you before 1 feel certain that Miss
Harding doesn't know you from Adam
Don't you think 1t was rather vain Of
you to imagine that she wouldT
Il was afraid Of 1t, SIR" said Tom
"that was all"
"And very natural. too" said hi:
master kindly. II quite enter into
your embarrassment and only fear
said more than l meant in the heat Of
the moment last night. You must for
give me, Thomas. 1t was unpleasant
for you, I admit. but you won't MIND
another day Of 1t. Will your ORE mOrt
day will end it-for the present"
The swarthy countenance was more
| radiant than ever. Tom was non
plused.
"Only one more dayT
"For the present." repeated Dali:
tree. 1.-THE ladies return to Sydney
this afternoon. They 60 to the Pull
teney. Shall l tell you why-shall
tell you why?"
And now one man was on fire, but
the other felt a chill run down him III
he nodded his head. He could moi
speak.
because it's to be Mt oncew cried
Daintree. beside himself with Joy
Because special license Is to DO had
by paying for 1t. SO why ON earth
should we wait for banns? My boy
we shall be married by the end Of the
week. Only think Of It! I can't be
neve 1t myself. It's weeks sooner thar
I dared to hope. But women are al
alike. The very best Of 'em, Thomas
will take you by surprise II they can
What do you think? I'D tell this to nc
other living man. When I met her on
board no day was too distant, and be
fore we said good night 1t couldn't be
too soon!'
The fine eyes glistened: the deer
voice shook. There was no doubt
about this mans love. But Tom was
thinking of his darker side, and 1t had
never seemed so dark before. for never
before had he allowed himself to dwell
upon 1t without shame. Now this was
duty. The point of view was changed
and the regrettable In Toms benefac.
tor became the intOlerable In Claire's
husband. Could she be happy with sc
dangerous a combination of the spOilt
child and the INSCRIPTIONS tyrant1
Would che be safef Tom sweated
with the thought. 1t was horribly en-.
tangled with that Of his debt to Dam.
tree. Yet for all that was in his heart
the fitting and conventional speech
passed his lips. and he found himself
shaking the other by the hand.
Congratulate me" cried Daintree
Il should think you did! You have
only to see her to know how happy
she will make me. She Is a sweet
true. unselfish girl. She has beauty
and goodness and strong common
sense. She can appreciate and admire
and understand. She IL the poets
ideal. I have been longing for her all
my life. And then her manner! She
will be a leader Of society when
como to my own. Yes, Thomas, you
may well congratulate me. She is 60.
Ing to make me the very happiest of
men. Gun see her now-friend of the
wits. patroness Of oil the arts. gracious
queen Of an ideal salOn-when the ex-
lie returns to his own"
And doubtless he could also see him.
| self-as Tom could see him-swelling
with happiness and pride and satisfac.
ton. Her happiness he appeared to
take for granted. 1t might be unfair
to say that he never thought Of 1t at
all, but he very seldom spoke Of II
even to Ciaire.
Tom was in and out at breakfast.
He cOntrived to be out as much al
possible. Her face tortured him. He
saw marks like bruises beneath the
lustrous eyes that never looked his
way. He noted the nervous effort of
her conversation while he was present.
But after breakfast, when he must
have met her face to face on the veran-
da. she turned her back upon him in
. manner not only pointed, but barbed.
And for awhile his compassion desert
ed him altogether.
Claire was indeed not herself. Her
indisposition became more and more
transparent. and whom she ultimately
confessed to perfectly sleepless night
Daintree put It down to her great hap
piness and was the first to insist that
she should run away and rest' till
sA~1~Ou' A]oOy ot0KAAcp vi kuo Otu6k
hand, made herself extremely comfort
able. quite doting ON the harbor and
Rose bay, while she declared that she
had seldom felt better In her life. New
ertheless when her host began reading
her bis poems faintness overcame the
lady before he had got very far. 1t
was quite inexplicable and most disap-
pointing. but she feared that both
Claire and herself We're still suffering
from the effects Of the atrocious table
on board that horrible ship. 90 Lady
starkie followed Claire upstairs. with
the poems. which she took care to leave
there when she came down again.
1t was little hard on Daintree. but
he was now much too happy to be
readily depressed or vexed. His ram
pant spirits sought relief In activity,
and he galloped Off to Sydney to secure
rooms at the Pulteney hotel.
Tom was meantime behind the
scenes. So was I'eggy O'Brien. and
already those keen Irish eyes had seen
more than he thought. for hopeless
>@ -