Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-11-26


terral. AID H. l..cW that She under
stood him - - one dead or living
ever had or did. She manifested her
appreciation &C his regard hy Il conf
dcnce VIII i was IL the old fellow a
comfc-t - huge t. light. Not that
his deli h ! = Cc,noms,r2tive form;
that was rot il hi; nature. and Emma
would have been greatly astonished
could she have known what boon to
him her frank friendliness was.
The fact was that his good deed 10
Emma had been the first striking eff
feet of Il Softenng process that had
been going on very, very slowly. 50
slowly as not to be noticeable To any
extent, for several years, which began
when he had been admitted 10 the
family circle of his late general man
ager and with which. all unconscious
ly, Emma had had Il good deal To do
He had anchored himself 10 the family
rs his one connection with refinement
and home life But ii had been Il
cautious anchorng. maintained with
diStruSt and carrying with ii no reel
procity in the shape of business or any
other favors. y fighter who had got
nothing out # existence without fight
Ing, ever on the alert to foreStall an
expected treacherous blow. his hand
had flown to his hip pocket, so to
speak. At the slightest movement that
appeared 10 him 10 b. suspicious.
As time Wore on. however his dis
trust had vanished. and Mrs. Harris and
ucr daughters had become Il necessity
to him. He was being civilized. lie
preferred Emma to the others. which
is saying that she was the person he
liked best on earth. but his manner of
showing it had been repellent because
misunderstood. In the first place she
had hated him for his supposed injus
tice to her husband. whereas, having
read Brooks through from the start
he despised him and would not help
him even to make her lot easier When
reawakened distrust. battling with I'M
willingness to believe that his high
estimate of her had been unmerited.
lesSly on the occasion of her appeal
for Brooks, alone with him and at
his mercy in his rooms. she had seen
that warm heart, full of pure re-
gard for her beat beneath his forbid
ding exterior. From that night she
had learned to respect him and judge
him ut his real value. His actions and
idicsyncraSicS received ut last their
true Interpretation.
AS for Williams. the proof that he
had not been deceived in her fortified
his faith and made him really happy.
He WAS getting old. He had won his
hard fought, lifelong battle with the
world and WAS us rich as he cared tn
be. The devil WAS disposed To turn
monk. The ycarniug for affection. not
iemonstrativc. but existent. which came
with the approach of lifcs sunset and
which was not to be found elsewhere
was Gratified there. He put on slip
pers. smoked his pipe had his favorite
chair. expressed his views in his au-
thoritative way and liked to be con
suited.
But he never ceased TO be impressed
with the ostentatiOuS proclivitieS and
aristocratic airs of Mrs. Harris and
Beth, though he laughed indulgently at
many of the mothers fOibleS. To him
the two women represented the beau
monde and were authorities on all that
pertaincd thereto. He deemed it Il
privilege to place one of his automo-
biles at the family's exclusive com
nand, and il WIS the most luxurious
vehicle money could buy. That he did
not give il outright was because he
knew their circumstances would NOT
enable them 10 maintain it.
Emma was different from her moth.
er and sister. She never gave herself
airs. He felt himself nearer to her
and the more intimate they grew The
more she became cndcarcd t. him.
She had changed much since she had
left Brooks ! spirituality that he had
II |. OF course, known il her in the old
days had Increased the charm of hcI
personality. hut Lcr sensible, uuaftcct-
cd manner, her SrutleucSS. We're a.
ways The SAINT More than once Ii,
had surprised q Ui>tful. PARKWAY look
in her eyes. a feeding expression q:
melancholy. and lis solicitude had been
aroused Something CAUSED him To re-
FRAN from questioning her, but lie dld
considerable bordering about il.
What q shame il Is That . girl liz,