The Washington critic., 1886-10-16

5e you
that IL "". wife, |
should stand some =, getting
you; but, unlucky for mt, you We
cherished this notion that you ought
to keep house for your brother till
you"
Brother needs me, murmured Miss
Roxanna, tears swelling in her eyes
"And don't | need you? Haven't
some rights? During your stricken
sisters illness | consented to waive
these; but now she is gone, and | want
YOU"
Don't Joel, don'tl"
81 tell you do, and can't help it,"
cried Mr.. Kirby, with grim humor.
When couldn't move you by letter,
resolved I'd come and speak for my.
self. You used to say you loved me,
Roxy. Can't you"
"You know plenty Of other ladies',
Joel, younger and more pleasing"
fatered Miss Roxanna, nervously
smoothing the pale gliding of hair that
framed her temples in Gothic arch.
"They are nothing TO me- replied
the gentleman, curtly, almost as If he
esteemed the fact II matter of regret
Assured of the favor of more than
one pretty girl Of his acquaintance, was
it not little hard that the full current
Of his being must needs set toward this
| unrespOnsivc woman Of 3O2 1t had
been ever thus with Joel Kirby from
| his pcrverse childhood, when, IF he
| wanted cake, no human power could
| induce him to nibblG ginger. bread.
mo, Roxy, there's only one woman
| in the world for me" he continued, In
| softer tone. your brother is of diff.
fercnt temperament. Has it never oc-
cured TO you that he may marry n
| second time"
Brother marry Oh, no, indeed,
| he'll never marry-ncver - cried Miss
Roxanna, rooted and grouned in the be-
lief that her brothers S heart was en-
tombcd with the dead Climena. "No,
he could not take another wife, Joel,
and you see he has only me. | couldn't
be so cruel rs to leave him."
To all Mr.. Kirby's subsequent plead
ings she made this same reply, but it
soothed his chatting spirit not little
that she parted from him with tears.
AS the sound of his rapid wheels died
in the distance, she hastily dried her
eyes and hurried into the Kitchen to see
about the belated supper. MIR. Perrin,
still gloating over castles in Spain,
looked up with the roguish purpose of
greeting her as MRS. Kirby" but,
dismayed at her troubled countenance,
remarked instead that "the days
were getting shorter"-a fact that she
had observed before.
He felt as If he had received a blow.
For him there was, there could be, but
one Interpretation of his sisters un.
wonted emotion. She loved Kirby,
and Kirby no longer cared for her.
Poor girl, she had dreamed that n
mans affections were like granite
boulders, incable of change, and she
was awakening with q shock. Hapless
Roxannal She, too, had her trials
Keenly sympathetic, the magnanimous
brother concealed his own disappoint.
ment the best he could, and lavished
upon his sorrowful sister an excess of
tenderness.
"You have the knack of spelling me
for other folks cooking, little woman,
that's the truth" said he, at tea time,
osteutaliously heaping his plate with
cream toast. How should l ever get
along without you?"
"Thatll make her feel that I appre.
ciate her, If Joel doesn't" be mused
benevolently; while she, on her side of
the table, was thinking, "Its Just as
suspected; it would kill brother to lose
me"
"Oh, you'd manage somehow.
Maybe you'd marry" she ventured
timidly, almost hearing the fluttering of
| the lost ClimcnaS wings.
"POh! poh sister, nothing seems less
likely" answered her brother, in n
voice so sad that Miss Roxanna chided
herself for having opened his old
wound afresh. But she had done it for
Joels sake. She owed it to Joel to
make sure that there could be no mis-
understanding.
The October days, with their noon.
day patches of sunshine and their
heavy borders of twilight, came and
went. In spasm Of hope that the
charming widow might yet consent
to share the domestic sceptre with
his sister, Mr.. Perrin made n second
proposal, only to receive second
decided though fattering, refusal.
Mr.. Kirby repeated his call upon Miss
Roxanna, and departed cursing fate
and by no means loving Mr.. Perrin,
whom he supposed perfectly ac.
quainted with the relations between
himself and RoXanna. Overtaking
Mr.. Perrin one day walking home
from the postofice, Mr.. Kirby, with
inward reluctance, asked him to ride
With equal reluctance Mr.. Perrin ac
cepted the invitation, rejecting, "If
amt civil, he'll take it that I'm mad
| hnnn,gn "A IAncn't hiu ntfap -
RoXanna, and won't humor him,
Heavy frost last night" growlcd
Mr.. Kirby.
Very" asscnted the other, con
scious Of an inward chill. Winter l.
upon us. Shall you spend itin Maine?
My plans are uncertain" snarlet
Mr.. Kirby; adding mentally, "Thank'
to you, sir"
"Of course you can choose your owl
climate, There's the advantage o
having plenty of money and no family
, ties. ="
"No family tiesl Whose fault wa
: 1t that he had no family tles?' muse,
the irate bachelor, making rapid passe
over his long beard as if he woulC
mesmeri2e the pain in his breast
"Might not RoXunna have been hi
wife years ago, but for the necessitic
, Of this selfish brother"
: Though I've lately heard it hined
Joel, that you are thinking of marry
, ing" Mr.. Perrin blundered on, in hi
embarrassment saying the very thin:
; he had resolved not TO say.
Mr., Kirby snapped his whip, nnt
} transllXed his companion with glanc
so frigid that Mr.. Perrin shivered as
, he was impaled on an icicle.
"Nomr cousin Is u fine eirl. JOel-aI