The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-01-08

DAM" said. II am but a simple
messenger" At the same time, l
saw how admirably things were
shaping for us all. A woman's
jealousy was with us, and SO q
woman's whim!
Madam" said I, my hand at the
fastening of the door, I'VE have
exchanged pledges. Now we ex.
change places. 1t Is you who are
the messenger, not myself. There
is a message in your hands.
know not whether you ever served
a monarchy. Come, you shall see
that our republic has neither Sc.
crets nor hypocrisies."
On the instant she was not the
shrewd and tactful woman OF tie
world, not student, but coquette and
woman of impulse. She looked at
me with mockery and invitation
alike in her great dark eyes, even
as l threw down the chain at the
door and opened it wide for her to
pass.
us that my only reward?" she
asked, smiling as she fumbled at a
glove.
In reply, l bent and kissed the
fingers of her ungloved hand. They
were SO warm and tender that |
had been different than l was had
not felt the blood tingle in all
my body in the impulse of the mo-
ment to do more than kiss her
fingers.
Had l done so-had not
thought of Elisabeth-then, as in
my heart l still believe, the flag OF
England today would rule Oregon
and the Pacific; and it would float
today along the Rio Grande; and it
would menace a divided north and
south, instead of respecting a
strong and indivisible Union which
owns one flag and breads none in
the world.
CHAPTER VII.
Regarding Elisabeth.
Without woman the two extreni-
ties of this life would be destitute
of succor and the middle would be
devoid of pleasure.-Proverb.
In some forgotten garnet of this
country. as l do not doubt, yellow.
ed with age, stained and indistin-
|guishable, lost among uncared-for
relics of another day, there may be
records of that interview between
two strange personalities, John
Calhoun and Helena Won Ritz, in
the arrangement of which l played
the part above described. l was
not at that time privileged to have
much more than a guess at the ma
ture of the interview. Indeed,
other things now occupied my
mind. l was very much in love
with Elisabeth Churchill .
or these matters l need to make
some mention. My fathers planta-
ton was one of the old ones in
Maryland. That of the Churchills
lay across a low range of noun
tains in another county from us,
but our families had long been
or these matters | need to make
some mention. My fathers planta-
ton was one of the old ones in
Maryland. That of the Churchills
lay across a low range of noun.
tains and in another county from
us. but our families had long been
friends. l had known Elisabeth
from the. time she was tall, slim
girl, boon companion ever to her
father, old Daniel Churchill; for
her mother she had lost when she
was still young. The Churchills
maintained city establishment in
the environs of Washington itself,
although that was not much re-
moved from their plantation in the
old state of Maryland. Elmhurst.
this Washington estate was called,
and 1t was well known there, with
it's straight road approaching and
its great trees and it's wide-doOred
halls-whereby the road itself
seemed to run straight through the
house and appear beyond-and it's
tall white pillars and hospitable
galleries, now in the springtime en-
closed in green. l need not state
that now. having finished the bus
mess of the day, or, rather, of the
night, Elmhurst. home of Elisabeth,
was my immediate Mecca.
had clad myself as well as l
could in the fashion of my time.
and flattered myself, as looked in
my little mirror. that l made none
such bad figure Of a man. was
tall enough, and straight. thin with
long hours afoot or in the saddle,
brOnZed to good color. and II
health did not show on my face, at
least l felt 1t myself in the light
ness Of my step, In the contented-
ness Of my heart with all of life, in
my general assurance that all in
the world meant well toward me
and that everything in the world
would do well by me.
AS to Elisabeth Churchill, 1t
might have been in line with a
Maryland custom had she gener.
ally been known as Betty; but Bet
ty she never was called, although
that diminutive was applied to her
aunt, Jennings, twice as large as
she, after whom she had been
named. Betty implies snub
nose; Elizabeth's was clean-cut
and straight. Betty runs for a
saucer mouth and short one !;
Elisabeth's was red and curved,
but firm and wide enough for
strength and charity as well. Bet
ty spells round eyes, with brows
arched above them as though in
query and curiosity; the eyes of
'AT@In-nXNI