Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-16

Mrs Huntingdon. half unconsciously glancing
at Neil, who sat near.
most disreputable young man, that bis cousin
supports him and watches over him as II he
was child, that he went TO New York with
and that With ali bis effprss he &c could not &C.
complish 1t. and only just succeeded In saving
outraged in my life. Why, knew his father.
Fossdick Dowlas was an intimate friend Of
Nell laid down her book and rose.
Mamma" she said, 81 think will order
the phaeton and 60 out. should like to drive
70 70, Lulworth and get some new books nom the
Doe, Does your head ache again, Nell." asked her
o "N0: y;e5y much DEAR" the girl answered,
Yet when she got into her phaeton and took
the reins tnere was on her face such pallor as
10 MAKE II look almost like mask.
she saw nothing Of the beautiful road to Lul-
worth. She scarcely knew how she reached
notbn9 sne Looked straight before her and
checked her pony before the library she found
the Beverly carriage there before her. Hester
zines and greeted her as She came in.
vel" said Hester, after q few minutes con-
ana Sae y sao IL ID
the Hamiltons p,
suppose they are still in New York." said
I've don't know" said Hester lowering her
them, at least about Jack. We keep hearing
-odious-and always has been-only his
cousin has tried to take care of him because
his mother is SO delicate and su ffels so through
him. Lately he has been behaving better.
They really had hopes of bim when his cousin
brought him here. He had promised and
sisted on going to New York and they say e
was worse than ever. We don't know what he
didIit must have been ghastly: Of course
Uncle Fran els tell mamma something about
his having been turned out of some club by
force"
"Hester," said Nell suddenly, "why should
we speak of 1t. 1t Is detestable. hate it,"
49,, 1T makes one feel cold" returned Hester.
ITO think we played tennis with him"
at was mistake in his cousin to bring him
Yes" put in Marian eagerly, "but only a
mistake. He thought ne was doing him good,
and he really believed in him this time. Don't
let us say word against Win Hamilton. Prl-
vately, you know, think he has been a goose
to waste himself but heroic people-people who
do things you admire them for in the abstract
always are geese more or less. ! simply delight
mistake"
Nell went back over the beach road slowly
she tried to gather herself together as she went.
s>he wanted either to become accustomed to her
pain or to shake 1t off in some way before she
reached North Brabant 1t was too horrible to
beHr and hide.I ~
Though, perhaps" she said with gentle,
piteous hum leness, as she half unconsciously
passed her hand over her strained eyes, "per-
haps It is only because am not used to suffer-
ing. have been SO happy. Perhaps this is
nothing to what some people suffer-perhaps-
don't know; l cannot tell how look, but
must not let mamma see me feel like this
She did not look like herself at all. A certain
pedestrian who had chosen to walk over from
coming toward her-a pedestrian who thought
he had reason to know her face better than any
other man, seeing it in the first moment was
SO struck by the look of it that he almost
stopped short by the roadside.
He was SO intent upon her that he did not
notice where he was going, and as she did not
AZ nrSt see him, in a moment so more the
phaeton approached him SO nearly that she
glanced up quickly.
himself as she was unlike herself, pale, hag-
gard, worn out, with all the marks of his sins
upon him, even his dress little dishevelled-
Jack Hamilton looking at her with great, hol-
low, beautiful eyes.
She scarcely breathed. Her heart gave one
wild leap, and then seemed to stand quite still
for several minutes, though the whole crisis
only occupied a few seconds. The most terrible
thing a woman with a tender soul can be com.
Involuntary motion with his hand as ii to lift
his hat She let her unanswering eyes rest upon
him for a moment turned them away, and
drove past, leaving him standing on the way
understanding actually stock still.
Before she had left min six yards behind she
was trembling nom head to foot, her lips
were Qulver1ng and her eyes were blind with
tears.
u never was obliged to do anythink like that
III s
thing-it is cruel. But it is right. It is women
right for me gu va ~ "
She had never found it so hard to face her
mothers sofs eyes as she did when she reached
home. She was Obliged to confess that her
drive had not cured the headache, and that it
was in fact little worse.
think, dear, Mrs. Huntingdon said, "you
hadbetter he down and have q cup of tea in
your room.' And she went up stairs with her
and arranged her pillows for her, and gave her
the tea herself, and then shaded the room and
came and stood by her a moment, laying her
hand softly on her forehead.
You never used to have headaches, Nell,
mo, mamma" in the lowest of humble
Il think You must see Dr. Bennett"
"oh, no mamma, dear. 1t is not bad enough
"How would you like change. Nenp We
could go to the mountains
There was a moments hesitation and then
mothers wrist.
"Perhaps-perhaps, she said. shave thought
IT might be good thing if do not get better
But shall be better, dear. l shall be down to
dinner. You will see." And she kissed the
slender wrist again.
She did come down to dinner still looking
pale, put very pretty and soft-eyed, and being
dressed, her mother fancied, with a little more
than usual care. She had put on a new white
dress whose lace ruft1es and jabots were lighted
with loops and knots of daffodi I-coiored rim
bon; and in fact she had chosen it in the hone
that it would make less of the shadows under
her iaShes.
Perhaps 1t did so, for at last she persuaded
her mother that she must keep the engagement
she had for the evening, leaving her at home TO
enjoy her convalescence
'Only because l want to be idle D." she said
"And becau am little tired vi lights and
people and music"
But somehow the house seemed very still
after the carriage rolled down the road and She
could not even hear the distant sound of the
wheels. ANA the rooms seemed very empty
and the hours before her very long She
wondered what she should do with them and
for u few seconds almost wished she had NOT
remained. Sne took up a book and tried to
read. 1t contained an intensely sad love story
whose hero was man with a pathetic oriey,
ance-he Was Very interesting and treated with
the cruelest injustice by everybody She read
a few pages and laid the book down II seemed
10 be illustrated with haggard face staring at
her with plank, stunned look in its tired hol-
low eyes. Then she went TO the piano. a song
stood open upon il. 1t was Tosti's .'Ti RapireiS
she began mechanically To read aloud the
words:
"Ah sc tn fossil meco
Nella barchet4a bruna
Che al raggio della luna
Nedl pei mar fuggir
ii rapirei milo ben"
Her voice fell and broke. She suddenly GOV.
cred her face with her hands,
why do they write such things?" she said
Nv ny Is 1t all about-that?"
The room was too still-too still-so still that
she could not bear the silence of it. AS she
drew near the window she saw that the
grounds were bathed in moonligh bit and that a
quivering pathway Of silver and pearl crossed
the sea.
~ will go ana look at the water" she said
III VIII De cool and at least there will be some