Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-08-09

CHAPTER IX-COntlnued.
isn't he? Too much of the watch
dog about him, suppose. AS for fast
friends, there not much friendship
between Wyatt and me, He's useful
fellow TIC have about one, that's all. He
has served me faithfully, and has got
we'll paid for his services. It's a matter
OF pounds, shillings, and pence on his
side, and o matter Of convenience on
mine. No doubt Wyatt knows that as
we'll as ! do"
"Don't you think friendship on such
a basis may be rather an insecure
bond" said Constance, gravely; "and
that a man who can consent to profess
friendship on such degrading terms Is
likely to be half an enemy?"
ooh don't go in for such high. flown
ethics jim Wyatt knows that it's his
interest to serve me well, and that It's
as much his life is worth to play ne
false. Jim and | understand one an
other perfectly, Constance, you may be
sure.
81 am sure that he understands you,
answered Constance.
But Gilbert had gone before she had
finished her sentence.
Baby. christened Christahel, after
the late Lady Clanyarde, was nearly q
twelvemonth old, and had arrived, in
the opinion of mother and nurse, Mt the
most interesting epoch Of babyhood.
Her tender cooings, her joyous chuck
lings, her pretty uck-cluckiug noises,
as o anxious maternal hens calling
tn eir offspring, her inarticulate Ian
guage of broken syllables, which only
maternal love could interpret, were an
inexhaustible fountain of delight She
was the blithest and happiest Of babies,
and every object in creation with
which she became newly acquainted
was source OF rapture to her. The
flowers, the birds, the insect life of
that balmy pine forest, filed her with
de light. The soft blue eyes sparkled
with pleasure, the rosebud lips
babbled her wordless wonder, the little
feet danced with ecstasy,
ooh. cried the de lighted mother, "if
she would always be just like this, my
plaything, my darling OF course, |
shall love her just as dearly when she
Is older-a long-armed, lanky girl in
brown holland pinafore, always mixing
her fingers and getting into trouble
o out her lessons my sisters and
me when we were In the school-room;
but she can never he so pretty or so
sweet again can she, Martha?"
"Lor', mum, she'll always be love-"
replied the devoted nurse; and as for
her arms being long and her fingers
inky, you won't love her a bit less
and I'm sure, hope she won't be wor-
ried with too many lessons, for / do |
think great folks children are to he
pitied, half their time cooped up in
school rooms or stretched out on black
boards, or strumming on the piano,
while poor children are running wild |
in the fields"
"Oh Martha, how shocking" cried |
Mrs. Sinclair, pretending to be horri-
fed, ito think that one Of my favorite
pupils should underrate the value Of
education.
ooh, no, indeed, ma'am | have no
such thought. have often felt what
q blessing it is to be able to read a
good book and write q decent letter. |
But | never can think that life was
meant to be all education"
"Life is all education, Martha, an
swered her mistress, with sigh, "but |
not the education of grammars aud
dictionaries. The world is our school |
and time our schoolmaster. No, Mar
tina, my Christabel shall not be har-
assed with too much learning. We
won't try to make her paragon, Her
life shall be all happiness and freedom,
and she shall grow up without the
knowledge of care or evil, except the |
sorrows of others, and these she shall |
heal; and she shall marry man she
loves, whether he is rich or poor, for | |
am sure my sweet one would never
love bad man.
Il don't say that ma am, reiterated |
Martha looks are so deceiving. I'm
sure there was my own cousin, on the |
fathers side, Susan Tadgers, married |
the handsomest young man in March
brook village, and before they'd been
two years married he took to drinking,
and was so neglectful of himself YOU
wouldn't have known him; and his
whiskers, that he used to take such |
pride in, are all brown and shaggy,
like straw Scotch terrier"
The day after that somewhat un-
pleasant tete,a-tete between husband
and wife, Gilbert Sinclair announced |
bis intention of going back to England |
for the Leger.
Il have never missed Leger," he
said, as if attendance at that race we're
q pious duty, like the Combination
service on Wednesday, "and | /
shouldn't like to miss this race"
Hadn't we better go home at once,
then, Gilbert? l am quite ready to re-
turn"
Nonsense. I've taken this place
till the Goth of October, and shall have
to pay pretty stidly for it. I shall come
back directly after the Doncaster."
"But it will be fatiguing journey
for you"
I'D Just as soon be sitting in rail-
way train as anywhere else."
"Does Mr. Wyatt go back with you?"
"Nc: Wyatt stays at Baden for the
next week or so. He pretends to be
here for the sake Of the water, goes
very little to the Kursaal, and lives
quietly like a careful Old bachelor who
wished to mend a damaged constitu-
tion, but should rather think he had
some deeper game than water-drink-
ing"
Gilhapt danarted. and Constance was