Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-12-24

asked, turning from me to Hugh as she
spoke and from that moment / felt
that We were antagonists.
| Do you like her 2" | asked Hugh
when she had left us.
les, as | should like a kitten.
When ! think of her having been any
mans comforter and friend, could
laugh. L should always feel inclined "a
pat her on the head if she said a clever
thing"
''Some men consider that the perfect
type OF womanhoOd," said, the first
Jealous sting beginning to rankle.
Yes, some men do"
But we had yet to learn that Katie
could lie something else than a doll.
The crisis Hugh had feared in the
factories came, and could see by the
deepening lines between his eyes how it
was affecting him, as he sat evening
after evening with us, wordless, all his
conversational powers having utterly
deserted him.
The market for cotton goods had al
most closed demands had been made
on him for his current debts; his CAPT.
tai was all gone he had nothing for
the factory hands TO do, and he was re-
luctant to dismiss them since no other
mill could receive them. lie was suf-
fering agonles of anxiety, could see,
with a gnawlng sense of inability to
find help or comfort but he WAS trou-
bled for others as well as himself-for
the poor souls who depended on him.
"If l dismiss them, they will starve, ~
he said to me, speaking of the work
men When he talked about business,
he was AS indifferens to Katie's presence
rs to that of canary.
Gould you not employ them upon
some kind of work that must come in
useful after this crisis is past-white
goods, for instance,n she asked, her
dulcet tones-she had sweet voice
breaking the silence that had fallen on
us-''and pay them half wages ?"
Her clear eyes were shining ON him
smile
II could if had capital but 1 am
nearly done for now.''
"How much would you need ?"
She stood fronting him, the color
coming and going in her round cheeks,
her feathery hair glittering about her
/ face, till even | saw how beautiful she
was.
"Oh, too much to mentionl" he an
swered. with an embarrassed laugh.
Would fifteen thousand pounds be
of any use ?"
"Yes-mOre than enough" he an
swered in his kind way, though perhaps
he thought both her and the question
frivolous. But you might as well
speak to me of fifteen thousand uRi-
verses"
'Oh, no, for you can have it | own
that amount /; it is invested at Bombay
Charles invested it. | shall be 50
glad if you will take it,"
But, my dear Katie, | could not
think of accepting such a sacrifice.
You are too good-too generous"
Don't talk to me of generosity. Am
not your sister ?'' She laid her hand
upon his knee as she spoke-her face
was that of an eager child begging for
/. toy. land, besides, 1t Will be better
for me TO have shares in your mill than
simply to obtain bank interest i'll India. .
But, Katie, if | should fail and lose
your money 2"
L
with loving confidence. "Hugh Deverel
is not of the stuff of which failures are
made"
could never have talked to him like
this, and he was my own, but she had
words at will.
So the money was accepted and the
crisis tided oyer-the firm of Deverel "
Company stood mistaken when older
houses crashed in ruins around it.
l tried to think that Katie meant
this kindly, but | could not thank her
for her deed. Hitherto Hugh had owed
no man anything, and it burned me to
reflect that to her perhaps he owed his
safety and our home.
After this Katie crossed the barrier
that had hitherto held her not quite one
of US, and even upon the things that L
had deemed wholly within my province
she could be huently discursive.
''She surprises me-" Hugh confided
to me, not thinking that each word
Smote ME like blow. 'She is that
most fascinating combination-half wO-
man, half child, with the charm of both.
wonder blooi has not been shed about
Katie ere thiS.''
And truly. when her weeds were laid
aside, | saw she was fair enough for a
poets dream, but as to her infantile
simplicity / was very sceptical. 1t was
my own pride perhaps rather than any
fault of hers that first planted the bar
rier between Hugh and me. When she
got into the habit of talking gravely to
him, learned to keep silence utterly.
unless he appealed to ne-and he did
not often appeal. saw with eyes that
burned with a jealous fire that she had
usurped my place and held 1t with
tenacity | could not shake.
NV nature was silent one, as l have
said before therefore | hid from every
or the fires that were consuming me.
But, even had chosen TO speak, OF
what could l accuse her Was there
ANYTHING wrong in her trying to please
the brother-in-law whose guest and
benefactress she was? Was it unnatural
that she should like and wear Hugh's
favolite flowers? Was it more than
kind that she should sing to him when
he was an ardent music-lover and ma
ture had denied me voicer
"You are i'll, Helen" Hugh said at
last, noticing my leaden lace and SUNK
en- eyes. 81 shall send for a DOCTOR"
But shook off his caressing hand,
and answered that | was well enough.
"You never talk now, and you are
looking very ILL"
| laughed as | drew myself BACK
among the sofa cushions laugh thal
was sadder than any tears.
Katie lifted her upward-curling eye
Iashes, and looked at me In grleyed sur
prise and [ took ADVANTAGE OF the
darkness in which | sat to clench my
lists and glare at her. .,,
.sWhat sils Helen? Do you knowF'
heard him ask her.
| should have turned away, but was
greedy to hear every word that passed
between them.
,.Ob some fapcies Poor Ellie has