The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-15
CHAPTER XIL.-CoSTrSrvn

Thus the weeks flew on. and Grace.
despite the vivid hopes and fears of her
prlvat' life. continued 4 dilioent student
atthe college courses. Occasionally She
and Alabelle Fairfax would take their
way together, To or from school and
college: when the hours of their classes
happened 10 coincide Grace could not
resist Mabelle, despite her active dis
Ike TO the girl : sister. and all her WAYS
and works: and Mabe!le appeared to
derive a pleasure, intense. though al
most tlmid, from the society of Grace.
She is n wonderful child" Grace
SAID to Thekla one day. Il am GER
tain she is really clever. She seems to
have read almost everything; she saws,
when her father WAS alive $ e had moth
ing to do but read to herself and him.
ifaucy she was kept in the background.
and SO had time TO improve her mind,
and sense enough to do if. But she is
awfuliy old for her age she is only lust
sixteen YOU know"
Indeed, Nabelle was in many re-
spects very old for her age, while in
Others she was really young. a shad-
ow had undoubtedly brooded over al
most the whole of her young life, inter-
course with none but persons older
than herself had forced some of her
powers to an early maturity. while a
strong, weet and unselfish nature had
quietly received and accepted the burden
of poverty and reversed circumstances.
which 10 Angela had appeared 50 great
a calamity, such an unheard-of woe.
that almost any mea of escape from
it presented tSelf 10 her mind as legiti-
mate. From the first it had been Ma
belle who had acted and done. who had
devised ways and means, who had faced
the world; ii had been Angela who had
snatched n the gifts sent BY the gods.
while 9rumbling that they were net
better.
Since Philips departure, Mabelle's
spirits appeared TO have revived some
what. 1t would have been impossible
tOsay what the child had in her heart
what vague rejoicing that Philip was
out of harm way. or what misty hopes
that in a Years absence. amidst new
and exciting scenes, he might, perhaps.
unlearn something of the passion that
had possessed him when he departed.
When the time for lessons began
again, Angela. Ike other people. vas
forced 10 work, and Mabel.e's sad little
face even began 20 wear n smile now
and then. Like all healthy natures.
she turned gladly to work as 4 tonic
and a bracing influence, and ike ma.y
inexperienced natures. she imagined
thai what to her was so good and
strengthening must necessarily work
wonders IN every one else. Alabelle saw
the relationship between Philip and her
sister with her WI eyes. not with An
cela'S. and TO those yes it seemed a
good and a beautiful thing that a man
should 90 out into the world and work.
and thai the woman he left at home be-
hind him should o be ashamed to
work, too, when the end in view was
mutual union and happiness. So she
looked at the matter. and imagined that
o:her eyes would see it in the same
light.
She had been thinking the question
over one afternoon. late in October, as
she sat alone. preparing her tasks for
the following day, 1t was n of the
afternoons on which Angela's time was
entirely taken up with several music
icssons, and she would not be at home
until nearly five. 1t was approaching
that hour. and the room was growing
dark. when Alabelle. unwilling 10 draw
down the blinds and eXpel the last
CLEAN of daylight, took her Sch Her to
the window. 10 catch the last pale beam
of even, while she did her NEED OF
translation for class.
Ii was a passage from the ~'Jungfrau
vonO Orleans" that she had Just translat-
ed. and turning from that m~onotonous, If
severely beautiful, verse, she opened
the pare At some shorter poems. The
leaves fell apart naturally at her favor
tie lode To JOY" and she read the las,
verses slowly. bordering over the end
one OF all. and thinking:
That is true poetry. and what :,
snlendid man he would be who answered
TO the description
With this she rested her chin on her
bopL. and locked steadi'y cut OF the
window. She saw w persons coming
syn the street in earnest conversation
N~;abelle's eve wavered. her cheek paled,
ms, she was not near-sighted. and she was
i'm ber sane mind-inposseSsion OF ali her
fa.ulties. she knew it WAS no deiuslon-