The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-01-14

conversation with Eliza she gathered
that Mr.. Jackson was quite in his
prime, and that when he was dressed
Tor dinner he looked almost young
and that he was not at all bad looking.
Eliza was fiattered by Miss Ladda's
friendliness. and enlarged on the
theme on several occasions. She told
Miss Ladda that Miss Mawgan had
cultivated her music a good deal of
late, and that every evening during
Mr.. Jackson's visit she sang in the
drawing room after dinner. She also
told the postmistress that the ~curate's
name was rarely mentioned, and she
finished up by expressing the opinion
that her young mistress would never
throw herself away on poverty while
a fortune lay at her feet for the ask
ing.
Miss Ladda felt greatly relieved. If
Miss Mawgan were out of the way
she might still stand a chance with
the curate. There was no one else in
st. Chloe that she could regard as
a possible rival. With a clear coast,
and a nature rendered sensitive to
feminine charms by a serious illness,
she saw no reason why she might not
carry Mr.. Grayton's heart by storm.
The p~ostofice, as we have already
pointed out, was the rendezvous of
most of the village gossips. There
was nothing malicious in the talk as
a general rule. 1t was impossible to
meet without discussing something
or somebody, and it was equally i'm
possible not to meet. No woman
could be expected to remain i'm her
cottage from morning till night with
out speaking to anybody. Life was
dull enough at the best of times. But
II they We're to be shut up to them
selves and all neighborly intercourse
to cease, they might as well be buried
at once and have done with it. So
the hint was dropped that there was
more in the visit of Mr.. Jackson at
the Chase han appeared on the sur
face. The hint grew and spread. One
friendly and imaginative woman after
another trimmed it and embroidered
it, and with the best intentions.
The conviction grew and deepened
that Mr.. G~rayton's chance was gone
that is, ~supposing he yer had a
chance, which many doubted. Eliza's
view appeared to be the common
sense one. Women rarely take a sen.
imental view of things matrimonial.
Marriage is a profession. A woman
has to do the best she can for herself
and make the best match possible.
When the question of marriage is
approached the practical man and the
sentimental woman appear to change
places. He becomes the sentimental
list; she opens her business eye.
The women OF st. Chloe were not
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES is, taking them
in bulk. There were a few exceptions
there, as everywhere, or the world
would be too intolerably sordid to live
in. But the majority believed In what
they called the common-sense view.
A m could not afford to be
squeamish. If she had the choice be-
tween an elderly man who was rich
and a young man who was poor-why,
she would be a fool IL she did not
take the man with the money.
II Mr.. Jackson meant business. the
women were quite prepared to stake
all they had on his chance. The men
particularly the younger men-took
a different view. They cherished
their illusions still. Romance to some
OF them was still the sweetest thing
out of heaven. Esther Mawgan stood
to them for all that was fairest and
noblest In womanhood. That she
would sell herself body and soul for
money and position was a thought too
horrible to be entertained. It would
destroy their faith in womanhood at
a blow.
That these rumors should reach
Grayton In a more or less diluted
form was inevitable, and with his i'm.
agination sensitized by love he saw
all the possibilities in a moment.
That Mr.. Jackson should fall in love
with Esther was the most natural
thing in the world-perhaps the most
inevitable. He could not understand
how any man-thrown for any length
OF time in her company-could help
falling In love with her. She was so
sweet, so gracious. and withal SO fair
to look upon.
He saw, too, the temptation that
would be placed In Esther's way. He
knew how poor the Mawgans were.
the struggle they had to keep up ap-
pearances and make both ends meet:
and IL the chance were given her of
putting an end to the daily fret and
struggle and stepping out of the mirk
and gloom OF petty and mean econo-
meis into the bright sunshine of af-
fiuence and luxury, 1t would be almost
more than ought to be expected of
m nature that 1t should resist
such a temptation.
He had not seer this Mr.. jackson,
OF course. but he was spoken of as a
weil-preserved man. Moreover, he
was Clements employer, and to a GER
tain extent his b~enefactor. That was
a point that was bound to tell in his
favor. II Esther were heart-whole-
and he sighed unconsciously at the
thonght-if she had respect for the
man. and believed that he would be
-