The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-04-08
CHAPTER VI

following her arrival in Sequoia, the
first glance at her uncle's stately
countenance Informed her that during
the night something had occurred to
irritate Colonel Seth Pennington and
startle him out of his customary bland
composure.
Shirley" he began, ibid hear YOU
calling young Cardigan on the tele-
phone after dinner last night or DID
my ears deceive me?"
"Your ears are all right, Uncle Seth.
! called Mr.. Cardigan up to thank him
for the pie he sent over, and incident
ally to invite him over here to dinner
on Thursday night"
81 thought I heard you asking some
body to dinner, and as you don't know
a soul in Sequoia except young Cardi-
gan, naturally opined that he was to
be the object of our hospitality"
Il dare say it's quite all right to
have invited him. isn't it, Uncle Seth?"
Certainly, certainly. my dear.
Quite all right, but, er-ah, slightly
inconvenient. am expecting other
company Thursday Observation-Disclosures
ly, Rrayton, the president of the Bank
OF Sequoia, is coming up to dine and
discuss some business affairs with me
atterWard; so if you don't mind, nv
dear, suppose you call young Cardigan
up and ask him to defer his visit until
some later date"
'Certainly. uncle. What perfectly
marvellous roses flow did you sue
cetd in growing them. Uncle Seth4"
He smiled sourly. 81 didn't raise
them" he replied. "That half-breed
Indian that drives John Cardigans
car brought them around about an
hour ago, along with a card. There
it is beside your plate
She blushed ever SO slightly. u
suppose Bryce Cardigan is vindicating
himself" she murmured as she with
drew the card from the envelope. AS
she had surmised, it was Bryce Cardi-
gan's. Colonel Pennington was the
proprietor of a similar surmise.
''Fast work, Shirley" he murmured
banteringly 81 wonder what he'll
send you for luncheon. Some dill
pickles, probably"
She pretended to be very busy with
the roses, and not to have heard
him.
Shirley, left alone at the breakfast
table, picked idly at the preserved figs
the owlish butler set before her.
Vaguely she wondered at her uncle's
apparent hostility to the Cardigans;
she was as vaguely troubled in the
knowledge that until she should succeed
in Graduating this hostility, it must
inevitably act as a bar to the further
progress of her friendship with Bryce
Cardigan. And she told herself she
did not want to lose that friendship.
him albeit she realized he was rather
lovable. And lastly he was good, de-
voted son and was susceptible of
development into congenial and
wholly acceptable comrade to a young
lady absolutely lacking in other means
of amusement.
She finished her breakfast In
thoughtful silence; then she went to
the telephone and called up Bryce.
He recognized her voice instantly and
called her name before she had oppor-
tunity to announce her identity.
THANK you so much for the beauti-
full roses, Mr.. Cardigan" she began.
I'm glad you liked them. Nobody
picks flowers out of our garden, you
know. l used to, but I'll be too busy
hereafter to bother with the garden,
By the way, Miss Sumner does your
uncle own a carr"
II believe he does-a little old rat
tletrap which he drives himself"
"Then I'll send George over with
the Napier this afternoon. You might
care to take a spin out into the sur
rounding country. BY the way, Miss
Sumner, you are to consider George
and that car as your personal prop
erty. l fear you're going to find
Sequoia q dull place; so whenever you
wish to go for ride, just call me up,
and III have George report to you"
But think of all the expensive gaso-
line and tires!"
"Oh, but you mustn't look at things
from that angle after you cross the
Rocky mountains on your way west
What are you going to do this after
noon?"
81 don't know. l haven't thought
that far ahead"
For some real sport l would sug-
gest that you motor up to Laguna
Grande. That's Spanish for Big La
COON. you know. Take a rod with
you. There are some land-locked sal
mon in the lagoon. "
"But haven't any rod"
"I'll send you over a good one"
"But l have nobody to teach me
how to use it," she limited daringly.
II appreciate that compliment" he
flashed back at her, "but unfortunate
ly MY holidays are over for a long
long time. took my fathers place il
the business this morning"
$50 soon?"
Eyes. Things have been happening
while l was away. However, speak
ing Of fishing, George Sea Otter will
xnnova an invaluahla Instructor Ho Il