MRS HAROLD STAGG.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6260, 23 September 1891, Page 4

MRS HAROLD STAGG.

|BY ROBERT GRANT.] CHAPTER XIII. " YAEIL.iI BT HUTABTOE BEMPEB ISI'TNA ESI." Tweniy-four hours later, Emma and her husband were in the train on the way to Chicago. Harold, thcragh still by do means enlightenel to hid own satisfaction as to the exact meatiing of the dialogue which had taken place iv his niece's parlor, was, nevertheless, very well pleased at her determination to accept the presidency. She had smiled at his remark as to his inability to understand womeu, and immediately after had dried her eyes with the manner of one who has settled, a matter for good and all, and wishes to dismiss it. Nevertheless, he had not been ab*e to explain to himself how he or Emma had been of assistance to ELanor in making up her mind, or why it had been necessary for them' to visit her. V.'here was, obviously, some mystery which Emma appeared to understand, the solution of which was for some reason withheld from him. Moreover, his wife, contrary to expectations, had seemed eager to avoid further discussion of the matter when they were alone together; so much so that she had neglected to call his attention to the fact that she had prophesied that there was a man. at the bottom of it. The only further reference to it by Eleanor had been a promise made by her on the way to the station, whither she accompanied them, to ■write them full particulars of the inauguration ceremonier the date for which would be fixed as soon as her letter of acceptance of the office had been sent to the iruatees.

live minutes after the train was under way, however, Emma, who had been sitting lost r'n contemplation, sighed, and with a sympathizing shake of the head, said : "Poor child ! I am sorry for her."

As she spoke, she cast an interrogative glance at Harold, who answered, somewhat doggedly:

" What is the matter now, Cherub ? " •• is the matter; but when a girl is in love with a man it is always hard to give him up. For once in her life Eleanor, however, seems to have acted with discretion."

" Do you mean that she wae in love with that man she mentioned, Professor Struthers?" " Why, ceriainly, dear." " Why didn't she say so, then ? " " She did, as plainly as it was possible for her to do, considering that she was not going to marry him." "Humph ! " " It would never have done," continued Emma, ruminantly. "My fear was that she might concludo to accept his offer to give up his position and live at Clavering, That would have been a smaller evil than if she had married him and gone to New

York; but to throw him over altogether was by far the best thing she cjuld Lave done." " I supposed that she decided not to escept him because she did not love Mm," said Harold. "To tell the truth, though, I was pretty well in the dark all through." "I saw that you were, dear, and 1 was rather thankful, for a word of ihe wrong sort from your lips might have spoiled everything." " How do you mean ?" "If you had given her any encouragement I ana afraid Bhe would have marbled him."

" I thought you we anxious to have her married."

"So I was—to the right man. But this would never do."

" Why not ? This Professor Struthers is a very decent follo7/, and a very able one from all accounts. His invention is already very auccfjsful, and he is sure to be rich, and" I understand tbat ho has taken out ■patents for the introduction of electricity as a motive power in moving railroad tra/o?,. Hβ is a rising man, I should say, and if Eleanor is in love with him, I think i-,be had batter have mar. "od him, even if she ■were obliged to give up her presidency in order to do ho."

" It ia a Vttle Lite now," taid Ernina, majestically. " You should have said ao at the time." • " But I tell you I had no idoa aho was in lovo with Lim." " That was not my fault." '• Pshaw! It'u itu oiiL'agc, Gnerub. You oughtn't to hiivo let her do it." Emma coughc J unea ..ily. '' I don't moan tbat sbe v/as desporateljin love with him. Of course, if sue hacl been she would have acc6ptd him ver/ '' -ely, without asking ua ai'Tthinf? about it. What I muan is that she liked him just well enough, so ttat, other tbinffs be' ig equal, she would have married hira. But they weren't equal, and she knew it. He wanted her to give up her position." "Of course ho did. Any mnn y. ouM; and if he had given up his own iv order to znsirry her he would have been it fool. Well, as I said at tho time, women aro boyoud mo._ Apparently, lam rj. the posit'oa of having advised her to accept tha presidency at the cost of her affections. That is the logical outcome of your insinuation "

'J Most women don't have a-ay position ■whiou tho ' have to givo up," puimed Emm, w.io was dwcling- on _c earlier portion of his speech. "Well, yts dear," LJβ added, with a laugh, " I suppose if any one is to be held responniblo for bor not marrying him, you aro. But I call it a blessf d • I have seen his picture" "Well, he is good-looking, 'lough, bo far as I remember."

"Oh, yes. Hβ is, in f ac t, ratber handcome. But beauty is not everything." "Add beauty to intelligence, good character, and the probability of la.ge means, and you get a pretty fair aggregate." Emma pursed her lips c":sci;nfu".y. I_to bk coHTnro: ■>.)