The Progress., 1894-04-21
Suddenly he spoke.


Hilton, Miss Delamere?'
Spite of herself Kitty blushed vio-
lcntly.
Il have not heard from him at ALL"
she said, timidly. He is much too
angry with me to write to me, and
you," she added, half raising her eyes,
but dropping them instantly before
Paul's burning, inscrutable look, you
are angry, too"
q? You mistake. 1 should not
presume to be. What have we in com
mon?"
"Nothing,' she answered, Winning
under his tone: but | could wish that
we could hold good opinion of each
other as common property. Mr.. Dan
forth, won't YOU come here moment?
| have something to say to you?"
Paul came over and sat near her, in
the chair that she had indicated by
wave Of her hand.
you know" she commenced, ''that
/ have heard so much Of you that ]
could not but feel as if | knew YOU,
that | have heard and seen has given
me no reason to think otherwise than
well. Ask yourself, then, if it is not
hard that q person whom | respect
should condemn me, misjudgc me,
without a hearing, as | know that you
have done? 1t is . continual pain to
me, the thought; and at the risk of be-
ing thought, perhaps OVERLOAD, | shall
try at least to justify myself. VIII
you let me tell you how that misera-
bic story about Dave Hilton really
waS?"
"If you like" returned Paul, coldly.
81 always liked Dave" went on Kit
ty, plaintiyely. Il was really fond of
him, as brother. | told him so, and
thought that he understood. When
he first explained himself I was
shocked quite beyond measure, and
though did not love him l had almost
consented, rather than have him ac-
cuse me, as he did aftcrward. Moth
ing but sense of. wrong, that l felt
sure would never leave me if l should
be weak enough to yield, gave me
strength to persevere. He raved, per-
sisted, would not be refused. I pitied
him; but what could 1 do? I must be
firm. If | had shown him half the
grief / felt he would never have left
me. 1t would have simply prolonged
his misery and mine. Could | have
done otherwise"
"Iou? Certainly not" returned
Paul, with a somewhat remarka BILE
accent on the pronoun.
Here she heaved little sigh; and
then came a silence, broken at last by
little sobs and curious, suppressed
sounds from Kitty's corner,
Paul put out his hand and touched a
face wet with genuine tears,
"You are crying. What is the
matter?" he asked, mcee gently than
he had yet spoken.
81 am SO lonely. They are all against
me; and you whom | thought would be
generous and believe me, are against
me, too. wish Dave Hilton had put
a pistol ball through my head"
"How do you know l am against
you?"
"Your silence just now spoke more
plainly than Words
perhaps you are not the wlsest Of
interpreters. l am not conscious of
having given you cause for any such
assertion. 1t is unjust in you to say
So"
Kitty sank back with little sigh.
care we friends?" he asked, with a
soft look, rare on his face.
"Do you believe me?"
81 think Dave should be capable of
taking care of himself I am not
sworn to do battle for him. l shall
have enough to do to take care of my
self" %,
"You persist in thinking so, them"
thinking what? You are obscure. "
"That was unfeminine-a-ah irt "
"What will you nave? How can 1
but believe you? 1t is hardly neces-
sary to say that l do. You have not
answered me yet. Are we friends?"
Kitty put out little hand silently,
and Paul, taking it into his grasp,
pressed and kissed it.
From that time they were, 1 hardly
know what; it seemed rather vassal-
age than filtration. Paul's caprices
equaled those Of a most inveterate
coquette. At one time he was devo-
ton itself, and Kitty bloomed out at
such times with loneliness truly sur
prising, because of the expression of
an emotion the least selfish of any
feeling that she had ever experienced;
at others he was cold, distant almost
uncivil, devoting himself exclusively
to others, gand these alterations, per-
picking to us all, wore visibly on Kit
tvs health and spirits.
She was thoroughly subdued, this
veteran coquette, this cold-hearted
girl. Paul chose to prefer the ugliest
and most unbecoming dress in hel
wardrobe, and she wore it till we
hated the sight of it. He insisted that
she looked best with her hair plainly
dressed and she put fall the superb
golden mass behind her ears and lost
half of her beauty in consequence.