The Bottineau courant., 1909-10-29

lOESed absence understood. Mrs. Har-
ris and Beth finally attributed it to q
reluctance to meet continually on an
equal footing his employer. Captain
Williams. who had taken Jimsy's place
usurped all his prerOgatives.
10 Emma the captain was no longe'
an object Of fear and detestation. She
knew that his affection was purely pa
ternal, and he knew that she under
stood him as no one dead or livin:
appreciation Of his regard by conf
dence which was to the old fellow a
comfort and huge delight. Not that
his delight took a demonstrative form:
that was not in his 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 to
Emma had been the first striking eff.
feet Of softening process that had
been going on very. very slowly, 80
slowly as not to be noticeable to any
extent, for several years, which began
when he had been admitted to the
family circle Of his late general man.
ager and with which, all unconscious
ly, Emma had had a good deal to do.
He had anchored himself to the family
as his one connection with refinement
and home life. But it had been a
cautious anchoring, maintained with
icfY OF inn wifi
procity in the shape of business or any
other favors. A fighter who had got
nothing out Of 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 to him to be suspicious.
AS time wore on, however, his dis
trust had vanished, and Mrs. Harris and
her daughters had become a necessity
to him. He was being civilized. He
preferred Emma to the others, which
is saying that she was the person he
liked best on earth, but his n ,nner Of
showing it had been repellent 'ecause
misunderstood. In the first lace she
had hated him for his supposed injus-
tice to her husband, whereas, having
read Brooks through from the start,
he dpspised him and would not help
him even to make her lot easier When
rea wakened uistrust, battling with un-
Willingness to believe that his high
estimate Of her had been unmerited,
had caused him to try her out relent-
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
idicSyncrasies received at 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 as rich as he cared to
be. The devil was disposed to turn
monk. The yearning for affection, not
demonstrative. but existent, which came
with the approach of life's 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. 10 him
the two women represented the beau
monde and were authorities on all that
pertained thereto. He deemed it
privilege to place one Of his automo-
biles at the family's exclusive CON-
mand, and it was the most luxurious
vehicle money could buy. That he did
not give it outright was because he
knew their circumstances would not
enable them to 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 endeared to him.
She had changed much since she had
left Brooks. A spirituality that he had
not, of course, known in her in the old
days had increased the charm of her
personality, but her sensible, unaffect-
ed manner, her gentleness, were al
ways the same. More than once he
had surprised a wistful, faraway look
in her eyes, deeting expression of
melancholy, and his solicitude had been
aroused. Something caused him to re-
frain from questioning her, but he did
considerable pondering about it. e.
"What a shame it is that girl like
Emma isn't married to some nice fel-
low worthy of her," he remarked one
evening, uttering his thoughts aloud.
''There are some things that no man
can understand, and this is one Of
'em-that she should be handcuffed to
a dirty scalawag like Brooks"
Captain" calculated Mrs. Harris,
raising her hands "yOu MUSTN'T You