Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-11-17
CHAPTER XIV

Il think l have begun to i've" said
Zelda the next afternoon.
She sat in the parlor at home, talk
Ing to her Uncle Rodney.
Her father was out walking about
the neighborhood. He had not been
down town since the crisis in his af-
fairs which had left him much broken.
He had been disposed to accept his
brother In laws kind offices warily at
| first, but Zelda had reassured him as
to her uncle's friendly intentions, and
1t was a relief to him to be able to SHIFT
the responsibility of adjusting his az
fairs to other shoulders.
! To all intents and purposes nothing
had changed, and beyond the short
| lived gossip of business men who knew
him personally. Ezra Dameron's losses
passed unnotlced. Olive, who was Eel
da's closest friend never knew just
what had happened. Zelda merely told
her cousin that her father had gono
through some business trouble, but that
1t had all been Strengthened out again
Mrs. Forrest knew even less than this;
there was, Rodney Merriam said no
manner of use in discussing the loss OF
Zelda's fortune with his sister, and
talking about family matters was a
bore anyhow Rodney was surprised
at his own amiable acceptance of the
situation; but it had resulted in link
ing him closer to Zelda's life; she was
dependent on him now as she might
never have been otherwise; and as for
Ezra Dameron, he was pitiful object,
whose punishment was doubtless ade-
Quate. 1t was possible for Rodney
Merriam to sit in the parlor of the old
house in which he had been born, and
talk to Zelda with an ease and pleas
ure that he had not known since she
came home and went to her father in
stead Of going to live with her aunt or
with himself, which would have been
the sensible thing for her to do.
Il think l have begun to live" re-
peated Zelda.
Il hope you are happy, Zee. To be
happy's the main thing. There is moth
ing else in the wide world that counts;
and say it. whose life has been fail
ure"
You shouldn't talk sol You must
remember that I'm letting you be good
to me, kinder and more helpful than
any one ever was before to anybody,
just because you said you couldn't lie
happy any other way"
Yes; I'm going to lead a different
life" he said, ironically. TT doesn't
pay to cherish the viper of enmity in
ones bosom. But I suppose there's a
certain fun in hating people, even
though you never get a chance to even
up with them"
You still have a little lingering pa
ganism in you. But it's disappearing
Olive tells me that you and Captain
Pollock have quite hit it off. He ought |
to have called you out and made you
fight for the snubbings you gave him"
Bah! I'm a little absent minded, |
that's ALL" But Merriam smiled when |
he remembered Pollock. by the way, |
I've accepted his invitation for to-mor- |
row afternoon to drive out to the post |
site with him. l believe you are asked: |
And Olive and Morris? Which wing
Of our family is Pollock trying to break |
into, will you kindly tell me? He has
shown you rather marked attention, 1t |
seems to me-"
You are quite likely to have a niece
In the army. I fancy that It's all ar
ranged; of course, It's been Olive all
the time. She hasn't told me yet-but
she doesn't have to tell mel"
1t ralned the next day and Pollock
to the members of his party
that the excursion would be postponed.
Zelda hoped that Olive would come up
to the house, and when the bell rang
she thought 1t was her cousin and
called to the black Angeline, who still
acted as Polly's assistant, to bring Miss
Merriam directly up stairs. But 1t was
Morris Leighton whom the girl an
III be down in moment" she said
but she waited, sitting at the table
where she had so often pondered great
and little matters during the year. a
.rouLled look upon her face, consider
ng many things. The fact that her
mother and Morris father had once
1een lovers, as blurted out by her faith
IT in his rage and confirmed by her
lncle, had impressed her profoundly:
The was not a morbid girl, but there
seemed something uncanny in the
story, and she had determined thai
Norris should never again speak words
# love to her. 1t was all too pitiful:
he had no right to any happiness that
Norris might bring her; and here
gain her mothers memory seemed to
ollow and lay burden upon her. She
vas sorry that she had not asked the
maid to excuse her. but IL was too late
nd she went down to the parlor with
oreboding in her heart.
Morris was standing at the window
Watching the rain beat upon the
sphalt in the narrow street outside.
Ie turned quickly as he heard her
tep.
You are brave man to venture out
D a storm like this! OF course. YOU
new that our excursion is off? Cap
ain Pollock telephoned that we'd wait
ntil a better day"
Il understood So But I was keyed
r. vacation pitch and I thought You
rouldn't mind If came-if didn't
tay very long"
"Of, of course-if you don't stay very
1ng; but you needn't stand-aH the
Imel"
You wouldn't have had me keep my
flee a dreary afternoon like this. It's
ather cherries in our office on rainy
ays. ] should like you to know"
Her father came to the door and hes
.ated.
Won't you come and share our fire.
ather7" Zelda asked
NO. on. no, I'm quite busy It's a !
cry bad day, Mr.. Leighton" He turn I
d and they presently heard him climb
lg the stairs to his room