Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-26
Gales and Sketehss.
BOTH HER BOYS.
A STORY.
Continued from yesterday.l

Archie is concerned; ! love him, love
him, and he will never know it-isn't that
hard enoughP You only feel for Rupert
n
'And you only for YOURSELF" Mrs. Bal
yon said sternly; "there shall be no dis
sension made between my boys; if Ru-
pert can trust you after this, I'll not inter-
iere. but Archie shall not see you and be
worked upon by you; nv son is but hu-
man, and though | think it impossible,
you might teach him to be untrue to his
brother and himself. Leave him his hon.
or, it you have obbed him OF his happi-
ness"
You have no care for me-" the girl
walled:
II have loved you all so much, and
you II all come to hate me, and though
may deserve it, l shall feel it hard all the
same. ] never meant to do any harm.
never knew it was real harm lill to-day,
when Archie said word or two that
showed me that the end was come Kiss
me and forgive me. mother! | may lose
you all, and the worst that may happen to
you all is that you may lose ME, and as
I'm such doubtful blessing. that may be
the best thing that could be-"
What could Mrs. Balyon do but "kiss
her and forgive herP" Evil cant come
through her." the too partial friend
thought as she caressed the girls bent
head ''but there must be no more se-
crets, no more secrets, no more folly,
DEAR" she added aloud, and Kathleen, re-
ieved from her fear of being fu ther rep
rehended just at present. sprang to feet
toytuly, and gave every promise that was
asked of her.
Rupert need never be troubled about
Archie she finished up. Go back and
tell Rupert that the engagement shah be
made public Immediately, and then he'll
understand that there's no difficulty; as
for Archie"
She paused, and Mrs. Balyon asked
anxiousy:
Yes, what of my other boy ?"
''He1l never make sign, I'm sure of
that" Kathleen answered proudly: "if
I'd behaved three times as badly as have
Archie would never blame me and never
seem to think me wrong We can all
trust him-you to spare his brothers feel
ings, 10 spare mne."
And may it all end well, and be q
warning to you. Kathleen" Mrs. Halyon
said. weepingly; 81 am irving to think
hopefully about it, I'm trying to believe
that all my children will come unscathed
out of the trial" But though she said
this and so tried to cheer the girl, who was
crushed by the consciousness of her error
or perhaps by the consideration of
its consequences. Mrs. Balyon's heart
misgave her sorrowfully, and for
the first time in their lives she shrank
from meeting her sons. 1t seemed to her
that, if Rupert could be thoroughly salts
fed with Kathleen for his wife after all
this, that she (his mother) could never be
thoroughly satisfied for him; and this, to
woman who so completely identified her.
self with the interests and hopes and dis
appointments OF her children, was dis
heartening conviction.
Through the long hours of this day the
two women kept apart from each other.
| each bearing her special burden alone ac-
cording to her lights Mrs. Balyon char
| acterislically confined herself in striving
to mature some plan by which she could
| keep the peace, make her children happy,
and still not outrage her own conscience.
| Kathleen occupied herself equally charac-
| tersically in arranging how she could
place her conduct of the last few days be-
fore them all in such a pleasant, pretty
| light that they would 90 on regarding her
as the blameless. bewitching. always-to-
be-torgiven idol of the household that she
had been from her little childhood. And
the two young men spent their time in
| nervous avoidance Of each other, in dis.
trust OF themselves, their mother. and.
above all, Of the girl who had introduced
the element OF discord into their lives.
1t was not happy party that sat down
| to dinner at the Court that evening. Even
the Squire remarked that there was some
| thing wrong, and in his grim and un-
| cOuth way made matters worse by dis
| couraging about them. Rupert was grave
but not gloomy, for his mother had Civ
| en- him kathleen's message, and he had
resolved 10 trust her as before, and to
love more than ever. As for Archie, he
was neither grave nor gloomy, but that
he was excited and uncertain his mother
saw with pain. and intuition taught her
| that Kathleen had held some communica-
| ton with him in spite OF her promise TO
| the contrary.
AS tor Kathleen, she only volunteered
| one remark, and that was TO the effect
that 1t was "fine bright night. and that
the avenues in the north plantation were
| always at their loyellest. when the snow
was on the ground, and the moon was up"
| lime did not fly any faster when din
ner was over. and the family party had
adjourned to the drawing-room. kath-
leen seemed to recover her spirits. but
her spirits led her astray, it seemed to Ru-
pert, for he feared to keep her near him
for single moment. When he went TO
her at the piano she broke into louder
song and went on pouring out uncertain
strains of melody so waveringly and in
harmonously that even the sleepy master
OF the house ioused himself to express
hope that she "would do her practicing
in the morning for the future" Archie
buried himself among the cushions Of
sofa and the pages of novel, but once
he rose to put another candle on the piano
and as he did so he muttered:
keep your promise; this state of things
can't 60 on"
| They kept early hours at the Court.
At ten Archie said goodnight to them,
| and when his mother asked him IL he