The Iron Woman

ve-affair very seriously, not even the p

rd hit. He grew abruptly older that first week; he didn't sleep well; he even looked a little pale under his freckles, and his mother worried over his appetite. When she asked him what was the matter, he said, listlessly, "Nothing." They were very intimate friends these two, but that moment on the bridge marked the beginning of the period-known to all mothers of sons-of the boy's temporary retreat into himself. . . . When a day or two lat

ve you been all this time

il of sunshine, piercing the leaves overhead, faintly gilding the bunches of green grapes that h

a terrific secret!" she said, her eyes dancing. Her fingers were at her throat, fumbling with the fastening of her dress, which caught, and had to be pulled open with a jerk; then she drew ha

ked-and l

in into the warm whiteness of that secret place. "Isn't it

was

chie! You don'

nch beside him, rubbed the soot off on his trousers,

er eyes; she fastened her dress with indignant fingers. "I think you are perfectly horr

etty," David

ty dollars! Blair said so. David, what on earth

rm and secret; the pain below his own breast-bone was very bad for a minute, and the hot fragrance of the heliotrope seemed overpowering. He swallowed hard, then looked at one of Mr

d!" Elizabeth

rse, I don't care. Only I didn't know you liked Blai

ld find anything to say. "Why, I never dreamed you'd mind! David, truly, I like you best

s so," Dav

ng to be engaged. I really can't stop. I'd have to give him back my ring!" she said in an agonized

ght," he sai

pped short. She sat up very straight, and put her hand to the neck of her dress to make sure it was fastened. At that moment a new sense was born in her; for the first time since they had known each other, her straightforward eyes-the sexless eyes of a chil

's present of a locket, so the ring was not her only piece of jewelry; and besides that, since her talk with David, being "engaged" had seemed less interesting. Howe

rguson said, lifting his head fro

ttached." Cherry-pie would have felt that a more definite word was indelicate. "Of course I don't exactly know it," said Miss White, fa

for the child was so strangely shadowed by his fear that "Life would play another trick on him," and Elizabeth would disappoi

ventured, "if I might suggest, it wo

t the black ribbon of his glasses that brought them tumbling from h

"If he is severe with her, I don't know

, the interview began calmly enough. Her uncle was brief and to the point, but he was not u

um;-David's lack of sympathy had been very dampening to r

on't want you to be

eing in love is

bout love? You are nothin

ery little; and Blai

e. Even if you were older, I wouldn't allow

s perfectly dumfounded; then he went into harsh reproof. Elizabeth grew whiter and whiter and the dimple in her cheek

alling. She screamed at him that she hated him! She loved her mother! She was going to marry Blair the minute she was grown up!

t overheated, and take cold. When I was a young lady, it was thought unrefine

e leaped at a photograph of Robert Ferguson which stood on her bureau, and, doubling her hand, struck the thi

been disrespectful to her uncle's picture. That night, when all the household was in bed, she slipped down-stairs, candle in hand, to the library. On the mantelpiece was a photograph of herself; she took it out of the frame, tore it into little bits, stamped on it, grinding her heel down on her own young face; then she took off the locket Mr. Ferguson had given her,-a most simple affair of pearls and turquoise; kissed it with passion, and looked about her: where should it be offered up? The ashes in the fireplace? No; the house-maid would find it there. Then she had an inspira

y about her came back again. Her mother had defended her own wicked love-affair, with all the violence of a selfish woman; and in his panic of apprehension, poor little Elizabeth's defense of Blair seemed

mful of people, lounging about waiting their turn, came to attention. She rushed in among them like a gale, whirling away the straws and chaff before her, and leaving only the things that were worth while. She snapped a yellow envelope from a boy's hand, and even while she was ripping it open with a big forefinger, she was reading the card of an astonished traveling-man: "No, sir; no, sir; your bid was one-half of one per cent, over Heintz. Your people been customers so long that they thought that I-? I never mix business and friendship!" She stood still long enough to run her eye over the drawing of a patent, and toss it back to the would-be inventor. "No, I don't care to take it up with

f nature. She would not pause, this woman, for flesh and blood; she was as impersonal as one of her own great shears that would bite off a "bloom" or a

wing Dale up? I guess he'll stay put for a while now! But I'm afraid I was angry," she c

earth so irritating

rally keeps me cool; but I'm afraid I shall never learn to suffer Mr. Doestick's friends, gladly. Read your Bible, and you'll know where that com

about Elizabe

ly for a moment. "Eliza

th and

oved the door shut with his foot, "it appe

" she repeate

abeth," he explained. "I believ

one of the clerks in the other room spun round on his stool, and Mrs. Maitland, catching sight of

l nonsense, but it

. And her superintendent

are ch

I'd rather have him make love than make pictures;-that is his last fancy," she said, frowning. "I don't know how he comes by it. Of course, my

. "He has neither industry nor humility," he said, "and you can't be an ar

be steadying him while he's at college. If he stick

all o

not notice

f Blair had to consider whether his wife would be a 'good manager,' as they say; he'll have enough to waste, if he wants to. He'll have more than he knows what to do with!" There was a little proud bridling of her he

," said Eliza

said, in fra

y. Inherited wealth is the big

t so sure you need thank God. How can a man have too much money? That's nonsense!" She banged

t have it," Robert

up; she had a way of not hearing when she was spoken to that made a man hot along his backbone. R

l not a

," said his employer, d