The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-01-26

DVGAy sAA48 SVS ~
trees began. timidly. seems - have
the air Of 1t ID a. II you were sssk-
ing to-to make yourself"
"Oh, I seel You mean I soa1d - Il
I were trying to force myself b hko
him"
mot exactly, Mary. That want
quite what I meant" said MIA vee.
trees, speaking direct untruth wieA per-
feet unconsciousness. "But yoa aid
that-that you found The lettss part
Of the evening at young MA ehssa-
dams unentertaining@"
"And a. Mr.. James Sheridan Wa0
there. and saw mors of him than at
dinner. and had q horribly stspid tims
In spite Of that you think r" And
then it was Aasy who left the dsdUe-
ton unfnishsd
Nrs. vertrees nodded; and though
both the mother and the daughter un-
derstood. Mary felt It better - make
the understanding definite.
"Well." she asked, gravsly, n there
anything else can dot You snd papa
don't want me to do anything that DIS
tresses me, and 80. a. this b Ne only
thing to be done, It seems it's up 10 me
not to let 1t distress me. That's all
there Il about II, isn't itr'
But nothing must distress Jour-
the mother cried.
cheerfully. "And 20 1t doesn't It's
all right" She rose and took bar cloak
over her arm, a. II to go to her own
room. But on the way to The door she
stopped, and stood leaning against the
foot Of the bed, contemplating . thread
bare rug at her feet. Mother. you've
told me thousand times that Il doesnst
really matter whom a girl marries."
mo. nor Mrs. vsrtrees protested. II
never said such a"
mo, not in words; mean what you
meant. Its true, isn't II, that marriage
really 10 mot bed Of roses, but a 6eld
of battle? To get right down to It, q
girl could fight 1t out with anybody.
couldn't shsi One man a. weh az an
otherw
MARY. I can't bear for you to talk
like that" And Mrs. vertrees lifted
pleading eyes to her daughter-eyes
that begged to be spared. TT sounds
almost recklessv'
Mary caught the appeal, came to her,
and kissed her gayly. "Nsver fret,
dearl I'm not likely to do anything I
don't want to-I've always been too
thorough-going a little pig"
She gave her mother a final kiss and
went gayly all the way to the door this
hav
her hand on the knob. "Oh, the one
that caught me looking in the window.
mamma. the youngest one"
"Did he speak of it7" Mrs. vertrees
asked. apprehensively.
"No. He didn't speak at all, that I
saw, to anyone. I didn't meet him.
But he isn't insane, I'm sure; or II he
Il. he has long intervals when he's not.
Mr.. James Sheridan mentioned that ho
lived at home when he was well
enough; and 1t may be he's only an in.
valid. He looks dreadfully III, but
he has pleasant eyes, and 1t struck me
that if-if one were in the Sheridan
family"-she laughed q little ruefully
-''he might be interesting to talk to
sometimes, when there was too much
stocks and bonds. I didn't 80 him aft
or dinner"
There must BE- something wrong
with him." said Mrs.. vertrses. They'd
have introduced him II there WEREN'T
Il don't know. His father spoke Of
sending him back to a machine shop-
Of some sort; I glanced at him Just
then and he was pathetic-looking
enough before that but the most tragic.
change came over him. He seemed
Just to die, right there at the tablev'
"Mr. Sheridan must BE- very unfesl-
ing"
"No," said Mary. thoughtfully, Il
don't think he II; but he might be un-
comprehending, and certainly he's the
kind Of man to do anything he once
sets out to do. But wish hadn't been
looking at that poor boy just thenl
I'm afraid I'll keep remembering"
II wouldn't" Mrs. vertrees smiled
family, and In her smile there was the
remotest ghost Of q genteel roguish-
ness. I'D keep my mind ON pleasanter
things. Mary"
Mary laughed and nodded. ''Yes, in
deedt Plenty pleasant enough, ana
probably, II all were known, TOO GOOD
even for me!'
And when she had gone Mrs. Yer
trees drew a long breath, a. II q bur
den were OF her mind, and, smiling.
began to undress in a gentle rsvefie.
CHAPTER WI.
Edith, glancing casually into the
"ready-mads" library, stopped abrupt
IT, aeeinQ Bibba fhere alona ua -.a