The Iron Woman

s fragrant with hyacinths blossoming on every window-sill. Mr. Ferguson had started them in August in his own cellar, for, as any landlord will tell you, it is the merest matter of business to do all

" he said, sighing; "I suppose

large, vital presence made the charming room seem small and crowded. There were too many flowers, too many ornaments, too many photog

"give me something solid, please, to si

u our great news?"

it was settled. Fact is, I haven't seen her, except at breakfast, and then I was in too much of a hurry to think of it. Well, well

fireplace, her feet wide apart, her skirt pulled back over her knees, so that her scorching petticoat was somewhat liberally displa

as a little table at the side of the sofa, and Mrs. Maitland, thrusting out a large, gesticulating hand, swept a silver picture-frame to the floor; in the confusion of picking it up and putting it into a safer place the littl

apparently," she said; "young

used to make sheep's-eyes at-at somebody I knew. But s

will be Nannie's engagement. Only it will be

ss she gets married before our wedding comes off. A young doctor has to have patients befor

ly visions that the sudden slight rigidity

will always be grateful to her for helping his cause. I don

ig, empty house! But these two people, patting themselves on the back with their personal satisfaction about their children, they must not guess her wish. There was no resentment in her mind; it was one of the chances of bus

," she said. "A young doctor has to get all the por

aid, with rueful pride, "for that foolish boy of mine declin

arrying going on, I suppose the next thing will be you and friend Ferguson." Even as she said it, she saw in a flash an inevitable meaning in the words, and she gave a great guffaw of laughter. "Bless y

ie reddened slightly, but looked blank. Robert Ferguson's jaw actually dropped, but he was able

ith David. Do you remember how she did that in one of her furies at Blair, Mr. Ferguson?" She gave a grunt of a

oke her!" he said to himself. He felt the desire to choke Mrs. Maitland several times that evening as he sat in his library pretendi

t all; she forgot the incident entirely. It was

rong nature had drawn the weak nature to it, as a magnet draws a speck of iron. Nannie, timid to the point of awe, never daring even in her thoughts to criticize the powerful personality that dominated her daily life, nestled against it, so to speak, with perfect content. Sarah Maitland's esthetic deficiencies which separated her so tragically from her son, did not alienate Nannie. The fact that her stepmother was rich, and yet lived in a poverty-stricken locality; that the inconvenience

feelings. "But she looks down in the mouth," Sarah Maitland thought. There must have been delicacy somewhere in the big nature, for she was car

n you after sup

art, said, "Oh, t

tful of unopened letters, came over to the parl

mmer of cut glass sparkled dimly through the cracks; a place of marble-topped tables, and crimson brocade curtains dingy with age and soot; a place where still the only human thing was Nannie's drawing-board. She was bending over it now, copying with a faithful pencil a little picture of

other'll get excited about it, I'm af

annie's han

She glanced at Nannie over her spectacles. "Better get through with it," she said to

Isn't it fine? I'm so pleased. David has be

he third letter was taken up-a letter with the seal of the University in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope-Blair's sister breathed quickly. Mrs. Maitland, ripping the envelope open with a thrust of her forefinger,

" she said, and began

Perhaps he has been-a little foolish. Men are foolish in college. David got i

d picked up her letters and began to sort them out. "When is he going to grow up?" she said. "He's twenty-four; and he's been dawdling round at college fo

s and the dark and Sarah Maitland, and what not,-Nannie, when it came to defending Blair, had all the audacious courage of love. "He is not lazy, he is not useless; he is-he is-" Na

in you, my dear, though what you say is foolish enough. You remind me of your mother. But your brother has brains. Yes, I'll say that for him,-he's like me; he has brains. That's why I'm so out of patience wi

le from a worried night, came down to bre

ff at twelve, Miss Nannie. She didn'

nie said, and turn