The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-17


ask her IL there is nothing he can dop
Mrs Dorothy looked grave.
eff felt sure of her. would speak myself
| she said, ''but am not sure. have gradually
| discovered that she shrinks from speaking of
| her father before me. She is beginning to doubt
| him herself and instinct has taught her that
| have doubted him from the first 1t is unfortu-
| nate but natural. No speculatively; then
| added
II will leave her to you. Wfred. You are
| young enough to have a chance of success Not
| that she is not fond of me. too"
"Do you really think" said Wilfred, some
| what slowly, 'that she is at all fond of me9"
Yes replied Mrs. Dorothy, without hesita-
| ton ''She is very fond of you--iu an unsenti-
| mental way"
| Wifred made ruefu grimace.
OH he sad ''in an uusentimental way.
Certainly" Mrs Dorothy remarked ''She
| Is not a sentimental girl"
NO." the young man agreed. "she is not"
When he returned to the room in which he had
| left Phil he found her standing at window
watching the rain He joined her. feeling du-
| bious and hestaut, but when he saw her face he
| received shock which acted as impetus upon
| him. The tears he had seen standing in her eyes
| at dinner had fallen, and her cheeks we're wet
| with them. Being the tender-hearted, I'M
| questionable young fellow he was, the sight
moved him beyond power of sef-control. he
| bent forward and took possession of her hand.
my dear Phil" he said, ''ths is not fair!"
'Not fairl" she echoed. with a listless, help
! less little effort at a smile. L don't know why
| it isn't It is fair enough to be miserable when
| you have something to be miserable about. You
| see don't say am not miserable, and don't
| say am not crying, | am miserable, and it has
made me cry; but why that is not fair cannot
comprehend"
"if Ihad trouble Wifred began.
81 am not you2" she announced, with rather
| unnecessary exactness of statement. II wish
were, then everything would be easy enough"
| She drew her hand from his and turned to the
window with a movement almost impatient
Wifred was slightly discouraged
IT was going to say" he proceeded, that If |
had trouble should not try to hide 1t from the
| persons most interested in me-"
s'You would if it was such trouble as NINE"
she answered, in sudden heat you would if
if it was sort of disgrace"
'Dsgracew he echoed, firing himself at the
mere sound of the word What has disgrace to
do with you, or you with disgrace9 You must not
speak of disgrace, Philippa, and conceal the rest.
That is word that gives me the right to ask
questions of YOU
Her cheek warmed little. She could not help
liking his grandly protecting air. She was not
used to protection, and he spoke as if he felt
sense of proprietorship in her-as if what
touched her must also touch him.
He looked quite heroic in his chivalrous excite
ment He was flushed and eager. Phil was
dimly conscious of admiring him in new way.
She invariably succumbed to him.
Perhaps ought not to have said disgrace
she faltered.
II hope not he returned "But since you did
say 1t, must ask you to tell me whyl Who has
a better right to ask your confidence than have.
Philippa"
LAS to that she answered bitterly, 'there is
| no one on earth who has the right to ask at all
| do not belong to anybody, ard nobody cares.
Why should they2 1t is not as if l had been like
other girls"
''Does that mean that have no right and that
you cannot trust me?' he asked.
1T does not mean that | cannot trust you"
she said.
'"Then if you trust me shall assume the right
Don't be hard on me- when | am 30 much in
earnest, PHIL" going back to his old boyish
mode of appeal You cannot say do not care.
If you will only tell me what your trouble is.
you must know that you may order me about to
an unlimited extent Don't be hard on fellow,
Phil"
Notwithstanding her misery, she laughed
you, you foolish boy. If l am hard on you. I
am hard on cousin Dorothy, too. I have not
told her.
For an instant he paused regarding her with
| a look which startled aud confused her 1t
seemed as if he was asking himself a mental
question and perhaps asking her one too.
THAT is different side of the matter" he
said, at last II will answer you in your own
words am not Cousin Dorothy If 1 were.
everything would be easy enough"
She laEabed again, but it was very uneasily
this time She began to be more wretched than
before. With her fathers letter fresh in her
memory, she was not in the mood to listen pa
| tiently to speeches so significant She shrank
| from them. with feeling of humiliation.
eff you will give time to think she STAN
mered, in her anxiety to change the subject, II
may come to your help. If ask any one for
! help, will promise that it shall, be you-even
| rather than Cousin Dorothy"
He could advance no further than this. She
| began to be hard to manage. He had made a
| blunder, of which he was not conscious. She
cut short his first effort to speak.
'Let us 60 into the other room,' she said. II
| do not want to talk Come and play for me-
CHAPTER TX
The next morning after breakfast Mrs. Do
rothy came to Wilfred with an open letter in her
| hand.
'Here is a whimsical coincidence" she said
| "This letter from my friend Mr.. Farquhar, who
| is in Edinburgh, has given me all the informa
| ton we need concerning Mr. Fairfax. who is in
London. 1t is the key to Phiippa's unhappy
mind You may read it.n And she gave it to
| him.
1t was indeed coincidence, fanciful enough.
| For writing to his old friend, Mrs Oswald Mr..
Farquhar had accidentally mentioned certain
| unpleasant rumorS he had heard, in connection
with Mr. Philip Fairfax.
| 'You remember how we first met him, he
said. "Duval had had some slight acquaint
ance with MIN and introduced him. He is a
| charming fellow, but as of course, you know.
dlsreputable scamp. 1t was not long before
we began to make discoveries, and since then, of
course. we have seen nothing of him. 1t appears
astonishing that he should have eluded his cred
itors long. hear that he has a daughter
wonder what the poor girl will do during his de-
tention. Ernest mentions having seen her, and
| from his chance remarks | imagine that she has
| inherited dangerous gift of good looks and
| high spirit. Poor cir, indeed"
"Well," said Mrs. Dorothy, when Wilfred
| looked up, what is to be doneP
| He did not answer her question.
"Who is Duval?" he asked.
"Duval is the man who married Isabel Far
| quahr." was the answer
"And Ernest is Duval again."
| A troubled light was kindled in Mrs. Dorothy's
eyes.
Eyes"
Wifred began to show symptoms Of excite
ment
Then, with hot flush Of anger and vehe-