The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-04-29
CONTINUED
CHAPTER XIV.

ana Sne Went QlrecC TO ner room
sand after a hasty dinner worked until
'4ate into the night on her book to make
fMp for lost time. The events Of the
safternoon caused her considerab BILE IN
seasiness She reproached herself for
yher weakness and for having yielded
$50 readily to the impulse Of the mo-
Fment. She had said only what was
ssthe truth when she admitted she loved
lTeferson, but what right had she to
edispose Of her future while her fathers
Efate was still uncertain? Her con-
nscience troubled her, and when she
itame to reason it out calmly the more
ampossible seemed their union from ev
very point Of view How could she be-
leone the daughter, in-law Of the man
rr'who had ruined her own father? The
ss:3dea was preposterous, and hard as
gthe sacrifice would be Jefferson must
The made to see it in that light. Their
iaengagement was the greatest folly. It
tIbound each Of them when nothing but
SEunhappiness could possibly come of it.
slShe was sure now that she loved JET
fs1erson- It would be hard to give him
5Fup, but there are times and circum-
stances when duty and principle must
E'prevail over all other considerations,
land this she felt was one of them.
i The following morning she received
10 letter from Stott. He was delighted
30 hear the good news regarding her
Important discovery, and he urged her
to lose no time in securing the letters
nd fhop m
when he would Immediately 60 to
+ washington and lay them before the
senate. Documentary evidence Of that
!! conclusive nature he went on to say,
!, would prove of the very highest value
! in clearing her fathers name. He
added that the Judge and her mother
were as we'll as circumstances would
permit and that they were not in the
least worried about her protracted alb
.sence. Her Aunt Milly had already
returned to Europe, and Eudoxia was
still threatening to leave daily.
Shirley needed no urging. She quite
realized the Importance of acting
quickly, but it was not easy to get
at the letters. The library was usu-
ally kept locked when the great man
was away, and on the few occasions
when access to it was possible the lynx
eyed Mr.. Bagley was always on guard
Short as had been her stay in the Ry.
der household Shirley already shared
Jeferson's antipathy to the English
secretary, whose manner grew more
supercilious and overbearing as he
drew nearer the date when he expect
ed to run off with one of the richest
catches of the season. He had not
sought the acquaintance Of his en-
ployer's biographer since her arrival
and, with the exception Of rude stare,
had not deigned to notice her, which
attitude of naughty Indifference was
all the more remarkable in view of the
fact that the Hon. Fitzroy usually left
nothing unturned to cultivate flirta-
tious intimacy with every attractive
female he met. The truth was that
what with Mr.. Ryder's demands non
his services and his own prepar, is
for his coming matrimonial venture. in
which he had SO much at stake, he had
neither time nor inclination to indulge
his customary amorous diversions.
Miss Roberts had called at the house
several times, ostensibly to see Mrs.
Ryder, and when introduced to Shirley
she had condescended to- give the lat
ter superci1ious nod Her conversa-
ton was generally Of the silly, vacu-
Gus sort, concerning chiefly new dresses
or bonnets, and Shirley at once read
her character-fr1volous, amusement
loving, empty headed, irresponsible
Just the kind of girl to do something
foolish without weighing the conse-
Auences. After chatting a few mo-
ments with Mrs. Ryder she would usu-
ally vanish, and one day after one Of
these mysterious disappearance shir-
ley happened to pass the library and
caught sight Of her and Mr.. Bagley
conversing in subdued and eager tones.
1t was very evident that the elopement
scheme was fast maturing. If the
scandal was to be prevented, Jefferson
ought to see his father and acquaint
him with the facts without delay. It
was probable that at the same time he
\ would make an effort to secure the let
ters. Meantime she must be patient
Too much hurry might spoil every
thing.
4, So the days passed, Shirley devoting
utmost all her time to the history she
had undertaken. She saw nothing Of
Ryder senior, but good deal Of his
Wife, to whom she soon became much
&ttached. She found her an amiable.
good natured woman, entirely free
rom that offensive arrogance and pat
konizing condescension which usually
mark the parvenu as distinct from
i the thoroughbred. Mrs. Ryder had no
claims to distinguished lineage; on the
contrary, she was the daughter Of a.
y country grocer when the then rising oil
man married her, and Of educational
Il advantages she had had little OF. none.
TWAS purely by accident,that she was
he wife of the richest man in the
world, and while she enjoyed tie pres.
\ hge her husbands prominence :: gave
her, she never allowed It to turn her
III tead. She gave away large sums yfor