St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-24
CHAPTER Ii.

away, nor did he quite see his way tt
explaining to his brother the perils b,
which he was surrounded. But to Sc,
the victim being lured on to the inevita
bic and under bis own roofi 1t wa,
really frightful.
-Four people shut up together in {
country house in the winter. skating
walking, visiting together, sharing /;
common stock of interests, pleasures
and jokes, very soon become intimate
Before week had gone by thing:
had come to such pass that John Faulk
ner determined, with blind faith ir
his own powers, wholly nnwarranteC
by past experiences, to talk to Kitty
result. Kitty was entirely impervlous
to reason.
Finally, she assured him cbeerfully
that she wouldn't do it any more, if she
could help it; but, if she couldn't help
it, he needn't fuss himself in the least
Norman Lindsay understood perfectly
he was "that sOrt"-all sailors were.
With which enigmatical consolation
she Rugged him and departed.
Apparently, she found she could not
help it; and John Faulkner, instead OF
accepting the consolation. grew more
perurbed In spirit day by day.
The time had slipped away with what
Andrew Lindsay characterized as ''per-
fectiy aIneeZing rapeedity;;" and it was
now six weeks since the night of Lind
says arrival. Andrew Lindsay had pro
tested once or twice against making
such ''veesitation," as he called it;
but his protest had not been marked by
much energy, and had resulted in nc
active measures.
Tie winter days were growing short,
and it was haif-past 4. but the lamps
had not yet been lighted, and Kitty was
sitting on the hearth-rug i'm her own
little sitting-room, her small figure lit up
only by the dancing flames, waiting for
tea and for her visitors.
FIVE O'Clock tea was great fnstitu-
ton with the Faulkners, and 1t was an
essential part of its general ceziness
that they should have it when they were
alone, or had only intimate friends with
them, In Kitty'S own Sanctum, where
no one was allowed without special in
vitati0n. Before they had been in the
house three days this privilege had
been extended by their little hostess
with much condesensiOn to both the
Lindsays.
She had not to sit alone for very long.
AhaSty knock at the door was followed
by as hasty an entrance, and, stumbling
over chairs and tables in his headlong
passage, Norman Lindsay crossed the
room and threw first mass of very wet
green stuff and then himself down on
the rug by her side.
''l've got itl' he said, proudly and
triumphantly. "Such business as I've
had about it. I was wet through. and
nearly in the river for good and all
once. Ohs wasn't it cold, just. Fresh
water isn't like salt. But was jolly
glad to do it for you, Miss Kitty. The
'Potomagiton Densusp" proudly intro.
ducing the crushed, moist heap to which
the generic term ''weed'' seemed more
ordinarily pronounced svllables with
which he had dignified it. II thought
you'd like good lot"
parently overwhelmed with confusion,
and touched beyond words by the deli.
cate attention. s'Oh, how very, very
kind of you! But you shouldn't, you
know. I can't bear to take it when
know it has cost you so much trouble.
Were you as wet as it is, l wondert
You shouldn't do such dangerous
things"
His answer was incoherent, but ap.
parently satisfactory, for, after good
deal of coquetting, Kitty was prevailed
upon to accept his certainly bulky, if
somewhat dilapidated offering, and
finally did so with gratitude which
seemed almost diSpropOrtionate, as she
Immediately made him remove it to the
kitchen premises.
His return to his place on the rug was
succeeded by short silence.
But Norman Lindsay was never quiet
for long, and in minute or two he
said:
"Where's Andrew, 1 wonderland
your brother?"
There was no answer.
Whether or no Kitty was prepared
with one, before she could have spoken
the door opened and John Faulkner
walked in, followed by a servant with
tea and lights.
That he did not groan audfbly at the
alone in the freight was due entirely
to positively Spartan effort OF self
control.
He cast look of pathetic reproach at
Kitty, and looked on helplessly at the
proceedings which followed, first with
the teakettle and then with the sugar
tongs, until he could bear it no longer,
and threw himself headlong into the
conversation with the utterly irrelevant
observation:
where's Andrew"
81 fear l am little late," said the
slow. grave voice, as the door opened
quietly. ''Miss Faulkner, l must apol-
ogize."
He came straight up to her, and put
something down on the tea table by her
side.
''The 'Potomagiton Densus.'" he
said, as simply as if he were speaking
his native Scotch. You mentioned
that you required it,"
Kitty took the plant in her hand, and
looked up in his face with a bright
color rising in her cheeks.
'Oh," she said. with a strange intona-
ton in her voice, ''oh, thank you!''
Norman Lindsay had apparently been
petritied as he stood, bis tea-cup half
way to his lips, his mouth open, and she
had hardly uttered the words before he
exclaimed in tone of the utmost in
credulity:
Andrew! By Jove! The idea! Why,
! never thought of your going for it. I
went for itr'
THAT is unfortunate" observed An
drew Lindsay, calmly. "There was no
need that you should do So"
'sThere was no need that you should
do SO, you mean," retorted his brother,
rather hotly.
And then he added, boyishly enough
Anyway, got ever so much more.
That's little bt!''
'It is large enough for the purpose.
Miss Faulkner would not require room
full of the 'Potomagiton Densus,'"
Where did you get it? Tell US all
about it. Didn't you have no end of a
bother? Weren't you wetS"
ut was no bother 1 was wet; but
it is just of no consequence"