The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-08-12
mn I'M nm
I'LL iii LHl
CHAPTER xv.-(continued.)

po a. July QePeIOpeu woman, INK
dish to the tips of her toes, n vel
tar removed from the shy, depende,
little sister he had known all his lif
She was convincingly attractive. Il
q never thought Of her as anythin
but Familiarity pretty. Somehow IN
very feel of her was different. Instea
OF the soft, plant, almost limp feel c
an uniformed body, there was the firm
tense resistance OF a mature woman
The wistful, inquisitive CLEAN wa
gone from her eyes: the tender me
hility of her lips, the girlish uphft Q
the chin. the breeze-torn look of tn
dark hair-all these were gone, for sh
was a woman-his little Mary was
woman. She seemed to have turne.
into while his back was turned
And stranger still. though immensel.
gratifying to him, she was like TIL
women he had seen abroad or in New
York, the kind he admired; b wa:
@martly gowned, trinity made. with 6
manner real manner, There wa:
nothing about her to even family sug.
Eest Corinth.
While he stood off, unbelieving. tc
admire her, his mind ook q SHARP
leap through space to the deck of a
yacht that cruised the southern seas
Was Joan, too, like this? Had she out
grown his vision so completely? II
b transformation in Joan vas as
pronounced-but, ali. She was off in
the southern seas. That was some
thing else to think about.
The upshot of his visit was that
Mary went to Corinth with him that
very afternoon. at the end of the
long and trying scene, she consented
20 return with him OF condition that
h was not to so back to the home
Of her uncle. She would never agree
to that. He would have to take the
Werner cottage, which was for rent.
She would keep house for him. They
were of age, she argued s%tubbornly.
and Independent. They could afford to
have a place Of their own and-live
% they wanted to live, not as Uncle
Horace ordained. No amount of per-
luasfon on his part could alter the de-
tsion. After all. 1t was not hard for
HIM to appreciate her point of view.
t1e rather favored the plan himself.
Fhe house on the hill was a dismal
place In itself, to say nothing of the
Conditions which were bound to make
even more unpleasant for both Of
hem.
His chief reason tor wanting her to
20 back to the Blagdons was the eff
bet that such an act would have on
the townspeople. 1t would r~e-establish
her at once, If such a thing were nee
essary. He had no means of kaowing
how much OF the truth Corinth pos
sessed, or how little of it. There was
the forlorn hope. OF course, thai no
questions had been asked and that her,
visit to Mrs. Kendrick had been ac-
cepted as g perfectly natural arrange
ment. Still, II there was speculation
pr he was eager to have it
Ripped 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 &c back to Corinth
Fithout consulting John Payson's
wishes N he matter. This was a
sore blow to Eric.
Payson, when she called him up at
MIS- office over the telephone, at once
advised her to accompany her broth
er, n to be guided by him In every
particular. Mrs. Kendrick, who inn
pressed Eric as a most admirable
woman, explained her own position to
MS complete satisfaction, n urged
the girl to do the obviously sensible
thing.
aQn the way to the station in the cab
Mary said to Eric, almost defiantIy.
'sThis doesn't mean, Erie, that I am
giving up Jack. You understand that,
Hon,t your"
He looked straight ahead, his jaw
all that, Mary
Her delicate face seemed to take on
E certain hardness. I suppose Uncle
Horace told you I'd go to the devil. iust
- mother did, and that's what you're
afraid of. Oh. don't look SO Mortified.
Erie. It's just between you and me.
didn't hesitate to say 1t to me, only
SAG dogs Instead Of devil. You
have endured it, either. We're
helpless children any longer"
Mary, we must eye taIk abont-
aDout what happened when we were
babies. I don't know how much of the
siory y rue, but-well. let's drop the
But are You afraid I'll do just what
prophcsIed I'd dog. she persisted.
No. I'm not. dear. You are "a good
- gold he cried eagerly.
She looked at him ont of the corner
q her eye. ~ you'll trust me. Erie. |
III TRUST Ou.1 she said enigmatieaJlv
sfe put her hand In his and said d 8
racrss
They lad lived iii the Werner cottage
for mere than d week befors Frsc has
gan 10 observe the peculiar Inferesf
geppaeswere taitng ID ahedr little hnrnes
women. IN passing. were pror,e 4o mi.
Eec1 sIirtsNS chances toward Their door
NAy q windows, chances that more
11teHt than net becafne rather penefraf-
g Aside from the natural 3nterest
eotfEs 81 Horace Biapaensr ~ II, 49,
aasresSwere Enthusiastically evddences ~
41aTp curiosity. It Finally dayned ar
IA him that passersby were nnf srtar1
tied an the Madfhornes 3ofrttiv. bnt 81
= alone. Women stared al INC c,,r.
feined windows and then. before rearh.
sn u hne hedge. inpartably
turned ~ speak E q each other III 8 wav
Az LEFT no 41onuSfnr n~4.frxf