The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-14
SHIPS THAT PASS
IN THE NIGHT.
BY BEATRICE HARRADEN.
CHAPTER vII.--Continued.

simply taken her life In her own hands
and made what she could Of IL. What had
she made OF iti
Many women asked for riches, for posi-
tion, for influence and authority and ad-
miration. She had only asked to be able
to work 1t seemed little enough TO ask.
That she nskod so little placed her, so she
thought, apart from tho common herd OF
eager askers. To be cut of from active
life and earnest work was a possibility
which never occurred to her.
1t never crossed her mind that In asking
for the one thing for which she longed she
was really asking for the greatest thing.
Now, In the hour Of her enfceblement and
In the hour Of the bitterness OF her heart,
she still prided herself upon wanting 80
little
1T seems 30 little to ask, !" she cried to
herself time after time. II only want TO
he able to do few strokes OF work.
would be content now TO do so little II only
] might do some. The LATEST day laborer
on the road would laugh at the small
amount Of work which would content me
now"
She told the Disagreeable Man that one
day.
$50 you think you are moderate In your
ucfuhuuh, nc bdiQ W ucIs iou aio q
most amusing young woman. You are SO
perfectly unconscious how exacting you
really are. For, after all, what is It you
want' You want TO have that wonderful
brain of yours restored, 80 that you may
begin to teach and perhaps write book.
Well, to repeat my former words, you are
still at phase one, and you are longing to
be strong enough to fulfill your ambitions
and write a book. When you arrive at
phase four, you win be quite content to
dust one OF your uncle's books instead
far more useful work and far more worthy
of encouragement. IL every one who
wrote books now would be satisfied 10 dust
books already written, what q regenerated
world 1t would becomcv'
She laughed good temperedly. His re-
marks did not vex her, or at least she
showed no vexation. He seemed TO have
constituted himself as her critic, and she
made no objections. She had given him
little bits Of stray confidence about herself,
and she received everything he had 10 say
with that kind OF forbearance which chiv-
airy bids us show to the weak and ailing.
She made allowances for him, but she did
more than that for him--she did not let
him see that she made allowances. More
over, she recognized amidst all his rough
ness o certain kind of sympathy which she
could not resent because IL was not agrees
i've, for to- some natures tho expression
Of sympathy Is an irritation--to be sym
pathized with means TO be piticd, and to
be piticd means to be IoSked down upon.
She was sorry for him, but she would not
have told him so for worlds. He would
have shrunk from pity as much as she did
And yet the sympathy which she thought
she did not want for herself she was silent
ly giving to those around her like herself
thwarted, each in different way perhaps,
still thwarted all the same.
She found more than once that she was
learning to measure people by standard
different from her former one-not by
what they had done or been, but by wtat
they had suffered But such a chanco %
this does not come suddenly, though, - a
place like Petershof; 1t comes quickly, al
most unconsciously.
She became immensely interested in
some of the guests, and there were curl
Gus types In the Kurhans. The foreigners
attracted her chiefly. A little Partisan
danseuse, none too quiet in her manner,
won Bernardine's fancy.
II SO want to get better, cherie, she
said to Bernardine. life Is SO bright.
Death--ah, how the very thought makes
one shiverl That horrid doctor says must
not skate. Ivis not wise. When was
wisci Wise people don't enjoy themselves.
And have enjoyed myself and will still y
How can you go about with that little
danseuses" the Disagreeable Man said to
Bernardine one day. do you know who
she isf'
Yes" said Bernardine. 'Shc is the
- L. sI.s.< - Is.
bred person because you stalk into meals
! with your hands in your pockets. She
wondered how I could bring myself tc
| speak TO you"
II dare say many people wonder al
that" said Robert Allitsen rather peevish'
ly.
"Oh, no." replied Bernardine. "They
wonder that you talk to me- They think
| must either be very clever or else very
disagreoable.
"I should not call you clever" said Rob
ert Allitsen grimly.
"No," answered Bernardine pensively
"But l always did think myself clever un
til camo here. Now am beginning tc
know better. But 1t is rather shock
isn't iti'
81 have never experienced the shock, =
he said.
"Then you still think you arc clevers'
she asked.
"There is only one man my intellectual
equal in Petershof, and he is not here an,
more" he said gravely. Now come 4
remember, he died. That is the worst o
making friendships here-peoplc die"
STILL 1t is something to be- left king o
the intellectual world" said Bernardine
"I never thought Of you in that light"
There was sly smile about her lips a
she spoke and there was the ghost of ,
smile on the Disagrecable Mans face.
"why do you tex with that horrit
Swedei' no said suddenly. "He is 1
wretched low foreigner. Have you heart
some OF his viewsi'
''Some Of them," answered Bcrnardin,
cheerfully. lone of his views is reall,
amusing--that IL Is very rude Of you I,
read the newspaper dNring mealtime, ant
he asks II Il Is an English custom. i tel
him it depends entirely on tho Englishmar
and the Englishmans neighSorV'
So She too, had her raps at him, but al
ways In tho kindest way