The Washington herald., 1915-01-10

mother continually urged upon her-to
lessen little the time she spent with
SaltinStall.
All that time, the growth OF the thing
was lost on aifinStall-thOugh he did
see change in the girl-an added rest
leSsneSS.
DO yOu ever feel smothcred-somc-
times-kind OF >mothered:" she asked
him, one day.
The riding kept along: but the girl
stayed less in SaltinstalI S-4'ouSc and
was less with him afternoons. He ap-
pcared several times at the tennis courts
waiting. apparently. And. in the mean
while, the girl was in far worse COM
pany. They were succeeding in driving
her away from HMM the wrong di-
rcction. The sporting set were coming
into the situation. She was an interest
ing child. and not bad-louking when she
was excited. 1t lookcd-aS Wicked
Grandpa Said-a> if Farquhar were "OI
the trail again Once or twice he had
her out driving III that big green car
OF his.
The girl didn't care one way or the
other about arquhar-further thar
that he seemed a quiet. Obhging man
and good sort OF fellow. 1t was that
green car. She would drive to the end
n the earth aud back for the excite
nCnt "i the sixty miles an hour; and
also Just then, no doubt. to forget
But the trouble with the green car was
as everybody knew but her. that it was
likely To get to the end OF the earth
some day-and break down. 1t had
done it.
II anyhDdy would try to rIl her any
thing on such SubJects-and her mother
did try to tcll-she wouldn't believe
II was all hypocrisy and vilencss. And
the more they talked, the more she
diShelieved
So it happened curiously enough, that
Saltin,tall. although he had started the
thing. was the only real influence for
good that touched her And he didn't
know anything.
But about that time SaItinstall was
taken with one OF his headachcs-a real
ono, such as he hadn't had since he had
met the girl The girl didn't know
it until that evening. when she saw
the doctors carriage-my rig-at the
door. She insisted upon going over to
see him-if necessary, TO take care OF
him. Her mother set her foot down
and said she should not go.
I'm going said the girl. Hes my
friend. Hes all alone in that house,
and I'm going
Her mother called over Mrs. Bisbee,
and they shut her up in her room-up-
stairs. Then the crazy child raked up
that old rope ladder her father had made
her-which she still kept in her room
and climbed out of the second-Story
window, went over there, and walked in
about 9 o'clock at night
Saltinstall was not in bed. He was ly-
ing in reclining chair. She fused over
him. laughed with him. and saw that
he was as comfortable as possible His
headache did not leave him much sur
plus power for thought, but he finally
started her home by II o'clock. She
went back and climbed in at her win
dow. And there. waiting for her, were
her mother and Mrs Bisbce
That settled it. There was nothing
left but Miss Chilson's school. 1t was
a final resort, but it should be tried
The trouble was that the girl would
not have it. The best they could do
was to get her consent to sec Miss Chill
SON And it was practically certain she
wouldn't go. The whole thing was at
a deadlock
So it was only natural that, finally,
Mrs. Bisbee should be sent out as an
She didn't mind it much She called
to him one morning. in that confidential
come here Mr.-Man-l've-got some
ng-to-tell-you" manner of hers; and
they talked it out on her piazza.
1t seemed inconceivable that a man
could be so oblivious OF what he had
been doing
That sort of thing can't go on" said
s. .. S. You know that Be sensi-
BILE Unless she said, raising her eyes,
you are going to marry the girl
"Marryr said the man. That child =
We'll, l didn't know" said Mrs. Bis
bee
Marry" said SaItinstall. Il wouldn't
ask dog to live nv lie with me
He had turned cold at the first impact
of the thing. He saw at once that the
end OF that impossible relation had come
The girl must go along her natural path
in life: and he must stay behind. as
usual, going through the mechanical
motions OF youth. But the real sItua-
tion had not struck him yet.
What are you trying to do. then:
continued Mrs. Bisbec. Spoil her for
marrying anybody elSc:'
She's nothing hut a child" he said
oarScly-"SiNtcen."
Mrs Bi~bcc spread her hands 'Aitcr
all. She said. there arc some convcn-
tionS. even for sixteen
I'm old enough began SalDnstall.
"All the wOrsc-all the less natural,
cut in Mrs. Bisbcc briskly
YES: | suppose" said the man slow
", 1T looks-rathcr-un
His face was rigid: the skull showed
through the brown skin more plainly
than ever He stood up suddenly.
My Cod" he said. Isn't there any
thing | can touch without running it?"
Then he sat down again. and Mrs.
Bisbee showed him the real problem
the twist in the mind of the girl; the
fact that there was no one who could
do a thing with her; the absolute neces-
Sity OF her going to Miss Chilson's
school, and her refusal.
What if she doesn't go?"
Shell stay at home And more than
likely go over to see you at midnight,
or some such thing"
q can keep out of her way" said Salt
install coldly
Its got past that now," said S. o.
s. You don't think you're the only one
she smashes the conventions with, do
you? Well. you aren't. There's that
other crowd Suppose you dropped
her."