Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-08-12
llIl lIII ull
CHAPTER xv.-(continued.)

81 AlBs ~ 8E1t FEH HsIlM 1880 4EU
10 his intense amazement-you
might say concern-he discovered he
{ be fully developed woman, mo-
dish to the tips of her toes, and very
Q removed from the shy. dependent
little sister he had known all his life
She was convincingly attractive. he
had never thought of her as anything
hut Familiarity pretty. Somehow the
very feel of her was different. Instead
OF the soft, plant, alrnost limp feel or
m uniformed body, there was the firm,
tense resistance of a mature woman.
The wtstful, inquisitive CLEAN was
gone from her eyes; the tender mo-
bility Of her lips, the girltsh uplift OF
the chin, the breeze-torn look of the
dark hair-all these were gone, for she
was o woman-his little Mary was a
woman She seemed to have turned
into onA while his back was turned.
And stranger still. though immensely
gratifying to him. she was like the
women he had seen abroad or in New
smartly gowned. trinity made, with a
manner real manner There was
nothing about her to even family sug-
gest Corinth.
While he stood Off, unbelieving,. to
admire her, his mind took a sharp
leap through space to the deck of a
yacht thai cruised the southern seas.
W08 JOdIls LOO, ike lulS Ildu SHS Jul
9rown his vision SO completely? II
the transformation in Joan was as
pronounced--but, ah! She was off in
Che southern seas. That was some
thing else to think about,
The upshot of his visit was that
Mary wen to Corinth with him thai
very afternoon. AT the end of the
to return with him on condition that
she was not to go back to the home
OF her uncle. She would never agree
20 that. He would have to take he
Werner cottage. which was for rent.
She would keep house for him. They
were OF age she argued stubbornly,
and Independent. They could afford to
a. they wanted to live, not as Uncle
Horace ordained. No amount of per-
suasfon or his part could alter the de-
cision. After all. 1T was not hard for
him to appreciate her point of view,
He rather favored the plan himself.
The house on the hill was a dismal
place in itself, to say nothing of the
conditions which were bound to make
It even more unpleasant for both OF
them.
His chief a for wanting her to
70. pack to the Blagdons vas the ef-
feet thai such an act would have o N
the t~ownspeople, 1t would re-establish
k0G 81 O1lCGs IL SuCI a tlllIlk were nee
1ssary. He had no means of knowing
how much Of the truth .Corinth pos
sessed. or how little of 1t. There was
the forlorn hope, OF course, that no
questions had been asked and that her
visit to Mrs. Kendrick had been ac-
cepted as a perfectly natural arrange
nent. Still, II there was speculation
Or rurnor he was to nave 1t
nipped IN the bud.
But she objected to even a tenn
porAry truce. She would not put her
foot inside the Blagden doors. More
over she would not go back to Corinth
without consulting John Payson's
wishes In the matter. This wa a
1ore blow to Eric.
Payson, when she called him up at
his Office over the telephone, at ono
advised her to accompany her broth
er, and to be guided by him in every
particular. Mrs. Kendrick, who i'm
pressed Eric as a most admirable
woman, explained her own position to
his complete satisfaction, and urged
the girl to do the obviously sensible
thing.
On the way to the station in the cab
Mary said to Eric. almost defiantly.
sseTllis doesn't mean, Errie. that / am
giving up Jack. You understand that,
don't your"
re booked straight ahead, his jaw
ntifferiing There's time enough for
Her delicate face seemed to take on
certain hardness. II suppose Uncle
Horace told you I'D so to the devil, just
- mother did. and that's what you're
afraid OF. Oh. don't look 10 Mortified,
Erie. It's just between you and me
He didn't hesitate to say 1t to me. only
he said dogs instead OF devil. YOU
wouldn't have endured It, either. We're
not helpless children any longer"
MARY, we must never talk about
about what happened when we were
babies. I don't know how much of the
story y true. but-well. let's drop the
subject"
"nl.t arc you afraid I'll do just what
old Esresbrey n the rest OF them
~prorhesied I'd do?" h persisted.
as soid.s. hes sF.isa eagerly. : 00'
She, lpokedsat him out Of the cornei
OF hefseye. LII you'll trust me, Erie
I'LL trust you" she said enigmatically
She put her hand in his and said nc
more.
They a lived In the Werner cottage
for more than q week before Eric be
ran to observe the peculiar interes,
people were taking In their little home
Women. In passing, were prone to di.
rect furtive glances toward their door
way auO tAat more
often than not became rather penetrat
Ing Aside from the natural interes,
people would be expected to take In the
@d0ings Of Horace Blagden's wards
there were unmistakable evidences 81
sharp curiosity. 1t finally dawned up,
on him that passersby were not inter
the Midthornes Jointly, but In
Mary alone Women stared at the cur,
tanned Windows. and then. before reach.
ms the obstrnctinE hedge, invariably
gfusnedto speak to aeacnEother in q way
that left mo room for speculation as ia
the ef&nfficance OF their comments.
aESs q town was beginning to discuss
sNAyysAThat was the sum and substance
IA eresat distress. Eric went to his un.
~ Neither OF the ;Blagdens had been
snGer the little home In Grove street.
a h6iy a1o0fness alone was sufficient ia
cotnrnent and comment In 8
HsI1cesltke E0ftnth Is usually OF an un-
Observation-Disclosures.
SSzaa0yAce listened to the young mans
3sSStt1EsSAffAtgnn1ent OF fate: end took
sG&d1HlSye1 With him.
Mar to church next Sunday
trlL sss re sGidHln conclusion. sSit
iES places In pew FOUR
5f&a 6@Is@SwM be there as usual. ii
have us do so, we will
4QSI Sons the way over. 4 az e
shall walk. suggest.
S11t6k you consult Mary before