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178 Arthur Orton's Career
just made a ridiculous amount of money However, with Mrs. Wynne's final wish,
in the West in some wonderfully clever or in spite of it, his marriage with Marian
fashion. He is in Congress, where, although
had taken place, and in the succeeding
he is one of the youngest members,
he is already the chairman of some committee
that usually it takes years to reach.
Well, Mrs. Wynne assured me that he was
years all had happened as had appeared
probable. A fancy, moreover, entertained
by Mrs. Wynne that the climate of lower
California only enabled her to maintain a
positively at Marian's feet, and that he state of health which elsewhere would be
proposed again and again, but the 'child' delicate was not without advantage, as
would not have him." Mrs. Thurlow immediately after the wedding she had,
stopped short, and demanded with her with Stanwood's aid, comfortably established
herself at Los Angeles. usual directness: "When did you begin
Thereafter
to make love to her? "
her admonitions, together with her regrets
in not seeing Marian, had only been
"In the spring at Vevey, just before
they came back to this country," Stanwood
responded, at once so disconcerted by Mrs. Wynne herself was not the frequent
conveyed to her by numerous letters, and
the abrupt frontal attack as to be thrown not to say permanent presence which Stanwood
felt otherwise she would have been.
into unresisting confusion in his answer.
"Well, you must have made an impression
when your memory would lead her to
throw away such a chance as Arthur Orton
offered."
"Really—" Stanwood hesitated.
That was twelve years past, and now
The immediate disaster, as Stanwood
perceived and confusedly admitted, lay in
the fact that he was still in love with his
wife. This, of course, was as it should be,
"Oh, Mrs. Wynne would not mind the and desirable even after twelve years.
fact that Marian could have married Arthur
Still, something perhaps more of a matter
Orton being generally known. I of course would have been better, some­
rather think I was told for the express purpose
of spreading it broadcast. You see, it
thing requiring no more consideration or
rendering itself no more assertive in everyday
existence than the pattern of the
increases interest in the girl and enhances
her value, as her mother believes. It breakfast china. As was the case, however,
would help to bring you on. Mrs. Wynne
is wildly anxious to have the girl married. certain irrational moods were inevi­
table. Time and again he had experienced
I don't blame her, and if you are not a the same thing. Indeed, whenever Arthur
brilliant match you are a very fairly desirable
parti."
Orton had "scored," the like haunting
dread assailed him. Some unexpected encounter
with the news would cause him to
No, as Stanwood readily realized, there
was nothing which would appear coruscating
remember; and, if he were so forced to
in his availability as a husband in the recollect, would not the same be true of
eyes of a truly ambitious match-maker. Marian? For each time he saw Arthur
The rental from the business property Orton's name in print, would not she see
which he would inherit was large, as rental it nearly as often? For every occasion
was accounted in the place where his family
that he heard it mentioned in office and
name was closely interwoven in local club, must she not hear it in drawing-room
history. Mrs. Wynne, though, as a worldwanderer
and at dinner-table? What did Marian
and European sojourner of many think? The contrast was unavoidable;
years, had metropolitan standards, and the "deadly parallel" existed too clearly
measured by these his fortune was inadequate.
not to have often presented itself to her.
In time he would take his place She might have married Arthur Orton, and
in the long-established and well-considered if she had— Each step of his phenomenal
law firm of Stanwood, Parker & Dent. career would have been hers—all that his
The Stanwood dwelling on Mohegan Avenue,
standing in old-fashioned, narrow-
have_ had as her own and in contradis­
position and wealth could give she might
windowed simplicity, with the drive curving
up to it from the gates in the heavy often with discontent and hot humiliation.
tinction— Stanwood considered himself
wooden fence, would be his. Was this Would not a comparison between them
sufficient in view of Marian's "chances"? be to his manifest disadvantage?