Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-24


were her words. 1t has occurred to me, at last,
that a woman might understand a woman. You
will respect the child's confidence. 1 know, even
as respect it," said the professor anxiouslv;
You will never let her know-unless She her
self; should mention the subject to you-that
we have had this conversation"
Il am not much of talker." said Miss Rachel
dryly. She had been knitting socks. but her
busy hands were idle for once; the knitting had
dropped into her lap. Her face wore an ex-
preston of mingled amazement and dawning
satisfaction; even a trihe of humor-a thing
there was but small stock of in Miss Rachels
composition-might have been detected by any
one OF particularly observant eyes. The pro-
fessor's we're not of that quality.
do you really mean 10 tell me, John. that
she said she should prefer him rather oldy"
she asked, after long and reflective study of
the fire.
..She did" returned her brother emphati-
cally. Il am utterly unable TO understand
it; do not profess to account for it il any
Never mind il you can account for il or not;
want TO know once more what she said And
you tell me that she declared. really declared"
reiterated Miss Rachel, looking sharply up into
the professors melancholy and perplexed coun-
tenance, '.she should like him particularly fond
of Greek"
"She told me so with the utmost decision
a strange, an inexphcable, an unaccountable
thing"
'Unacountable. no. Strange, perhaps a
little, rejoined Miss Rachel dryly. ''And there
was something morei want to hear it all over
once again"
The professors eyes met hers. reflective sad.
utterly devoid of all consciousness of the mean
ing of her increasingly inquisitorial gaze
''She said" he answered mildly, 1.-The most
singular thing of all; she would like him bald
headed"
Miss Rachel smiled-a smile. BY this time. of
broad and perfect satisfaction. She paused a
moment or two and let her gaze rest on her
brothers thinning hair; on his tall figure, a
trihe etooped; his grave, depressed coun-
tenance; and then she observed, quietly and
camly. so calmly that it enhanced the effect of
the thunderbolt when it came: why don't
you ask her yourself. John?"
The room went round. At least in the pro-
fessors opinion it did so. The chairs the
table. Miss Rachers angular form seated OPP
posite to him, all mingled in one inextricable
confusion. and the most singular part of il
was that when at last he regained his senses,
his sister appeared to wear an expression of
calm satisfaction.
"You said, Rachel? think / must have
mistaken your words" submitted the pro-
fessor
Il said" repeated Miss Rachel distinctly.
''why don't you ask her yourself? You are
rather DID, or rather. she thinks YOU so. at
her age; and If you are not exactly bald headed
now, you soon will be if you spend SO much
time over those books. The child means
you"
Absurd absurd You are utterly mistaken,
Racheli it is preposterous outrageousI' ejacu-
lated the professor almost wildly, 'and she
also said. distinguished in Creek"
We'll, what else would she say? She meant
everything OF your sort Of course. I'm sure
thought you were distinguished in Greek and
in Latin ana Hebrew and Sanscrit and every
| thing else"
mo, Rachel" said her brother. II am not
distinguished in it; would / were. And the
whole thing is utterly ridiculous; so ridicu-
ious II makes me shrink to think what she
would say if she could overhear us. How could
she even dream of such lover as should be
"a young creature like that,''
John" said the little old maid rising and
placing her hand on his arm-an unwonted act
with her-and the unwonted tears we're in her
eyes now, II am ten years older than YOU, and
know little OF women, and i know that
Hetty Phillimore would never be willfuIly un-
maidenly. The child has found out that you
love her and that you Will never discover it for
yourself, as you never would. Why" said Miss
Rachel. with little touch Of feminine scorn,
..you hardly know it now! Do you love her,
John?"
"Yes," said the professor suddenly and with
an inexpressble melancholy. ''You have shown
me my heart, Rachell''
''Then," said his sister pleadingly. 'for your
own sake, John, for my sake, will you give
her the opportunity of saying Yes or No to
you?''
SIT would be preposterousl I should blush
even to mention such thing to her. To couple
her name with miner said the professor
bitterly. ut would be an insult to the childr'
''Then for Hetty's sake?" urged Miss Rachel
with such warmth as her brother had never
known In her. Suppose, just think for a
minute. John, if there were the slightest
foundation of reality in my suppositionl just
to make perfectly sure 1t is not so, to give the
child her opportunity to say No event.
His lips became compressed He passed his
hand YEARLY across his forehead "Well!-if
you are going to make yourself unhappy about
your fancy, Rachel" he reioined, as one who
finds subject too painful to discuss. "But il
is utterly preposterous-the widest, strangest
notion that ever entered a woman's head"
The twilight was deepening. Hetty was
alone. Miss Rachel had gone out on some err
rand and the door had Just closed after her.
1t was growing dark SO rapidly in the profess
sor's study that the philosophers on the shelves
were gradually becoming wrapped in obscurity
And it was just as well some one with his hand
on the door thought bitterly as he looked their
way; they had no cure for heartache.
The closing in Of the autumn evening seemed
to have brought an added melancholy with il;
even the fire, burning brightly in the dining
room, where Hetty sat, gazing into the red
heart Of the fame, had lost its accustomed
cheeriness, and, as Mr.. Rochester paused at the
threshold moment, it wavered and seemed to
say warningiy: Better not presume" The
professor had been heavy-hearted enough be-
fore and full enough OF forebodngs, but he
had made up his mind, and having done %, had
Q masculine tenacity of purpose; and he had
given his word TO Miss Rachel The phiioso-
piers themselves in massed phalanx would
not have deferred him now.
'The child" was alone; the sooner il was over
the better. The sooner he met her incredulous
gaze and heard her astonished words and the
sad heart-breaking little comedy was PLAYED
out to the last scene-the bent, middle-aged
man talking Of love to this little queen rose"
in the rosebud garden Of girls"-so much
the better. When a man has a surgical opera
ton to undergo he does not often ask the doc
tor to stay his hand
The professor gave . long-drawn tremulous
sigh. Hetty heard il and looked up. She
must surely have recognized some subtle
change in his face and manner, for the color
began 70 forsake her checks, and they had been
tinted with the prettiest w1d-rose hush only
moment before.
II have something TO say to you, Hetty,"
said the professor almost emphatically. II
vas better to begin at once, 70 spare himself
nothing; the sooner 1t was over the better.
Il wonder II you can ever forgive me, and In
deed, my dear, would mot have done IL II I
could have helped IL I took your eonAdsnes
Hstty's face was rudy enough now, the rose
COLOR Was lsaping into It, Her temples, her
nsok, TIE very tips Of her saxs we're scarlet. bat
she aid nothing.