The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-05-17

position once more,
Sir Frederic is staring at her with
considerable interest. She has taken
up the terrier-now reformed charac-
Ter and somewhat ashamed of himself
and Is talking to him with a grave air.
rms gives Steyne time for contempla-
ton. Whois she?Why had not Julia said
sne was expecting guests? Odd, as II
sounds, it never once occurs to him
tnat this beautiful little girl caresslng
her dog, IS the dreaded country cousin
from Wiltshire.
Hes sorry-he's quite sorry" saws
the unknown, looking over the dogs
head at Steyne.
That's comfort" says Steyne, per
haps he won't do it again."
"Oh. yes he will. the next opportun.
ity." She throws back her head and
laughs gaily. II shouldn't like him so
well if l didn't know that. I like
naughty things don't you?"
I'm not sure" says Steyne. It is on
the tip of his tongue to say to her, "Are
you naughty?" but all at once It
seems to him to be a silly rejoinder.
He smiles at her. instead, and says,
lightly. I'VE ought to be friends,
oughtn't we?"
Friends! That's a great deal" says
she.
That's an ungrateful speech, at all
events. Do you mean to tell me that
was not the means of saving you from
an untimely death?"
She laughs again.
We'll, YOU saved my petticoat's life,
anyway" says she. Yes" frankly, Il
will be friends with you"
Then, how do you do?" says Steyne,
holding out his hand.
Quite well, thank you.'
$50 glad" says Steyne. This idiotic
remark evidently puzzles the pretty
child staring at him.
"Why?" asks she; and then, as il
ashamed of herself, goes on hurriedly,
how do you do?' says she, as If de.
termined to be as polite as he
II am alive" says Sir Frederic, dis
consolately, "and that is as much as
especially if one has a disagreeable
task before one"
"And you have?"
"Oh, yes, my sister has asked me to
come here to-day to entertain a country
cousin of ours-a girl of some sort-an
awful sort. no doubt. She is to appear
at luncheon, I believe. You-you'll be
at luncheon, too?"
Eyes" slowly. She Is looking at him
as if in great perplexity.
What blessing" says the young
man. Il have been quite dreading the
hour with this fearful overgrown dam
Sci from some dark corner of our nat
i've land. l can imagine her-can't you?
A huge, unsophisticated, loud-voIced
girl, with big red hands, and bigger
redder-oh, well, it's a comfort that
civilization has removed the necessity
of our seeing her feet. Don't you pity
me, when you think of my having tc
help my sister put such an importation
through a season?"
There is a dead silence then.
II am afraid am the cousin" says
she, slow ".
"Oh, no! oh don't say that" says
he, dark red covering his brow He
looks inexpresibly shocked.
II am afraid l must. 1 can of course
sympathise with you-a country cousin
is an intliction, no doubt
you should have some mercy" says
he. After all didn't know, how coulC
/ II"
Perhaps l am not your cousin, after
all" says she. coldly. ut may be al
surmise on my part-only 1t seemed tc
me that you were a little like Mrs
Dalton-Herne, and she certainly is my
cousin"
80 am l." says Sir Frederic, quickly
However angry you may be with me
you can't alter that fact. I am youl
cousin. I have no prouder boast.
suppose you will never forgive me, but
l think you ought to go into the matter
a bit. Julia has off and on so many
visitors, that l took you for one OF
them, and"
But your cousin would be a visitor
too"
Certainly. only more of a one, don't
you know; and 1 never connected you
with the picture we had drawn Of the
Impossible she" from Wiltshire"
If he has hoped to provoke her to a
smile here, he finds himself mistaken.
She has taken the dog into her arms
once more, and her eyes are bent upon
his head.
"I am sorry came" says she, at last.
"I am not surprised that you say that.
quite feel that my conduct is unpar-
donable," returns he
His manner is so really miserable that
she softens-in degree. She looks
up at him.
"You mustn't say that" says she,
coldly, but civilly "It was not real
fault of yours. 1t was a misfortune
only. l have no right to be aggrieved"
For all that you are"
mo, mol think not"
Give me your hand in token ofamity,
then
She extends her hand-a small, limp,
cold, unforgiving little hand.
"Ah! 1 knew it," says he dropping 1t.
"yet, If you would think"
II don't want to think" says she.
with a sudden burst of passion. Her
large blue eyes are now directed fun
on his, her lips are firm. rs 1t such
pleasant thinking? -" She stops sud-
denly and in marvellous manner, for
me so young controls herself. | should
ike to forget" says she. evenly, 80
would you, I'm sure. Let us talk of
other things.
"As you will" says Steyne. A sense
of anger has risen within him. This
child-this baby-to so put him down,
He had been in the wrong no doubt,
but he had explained, apologized-and
she would have none Of his apologies!
Her whole manner points to the fact
that she wishes him for the future to
be a mere acquaintance-not cousin.
Well. why not accept the fiat? He
thpows off the touch of offence that has
marked his latest manner, and COM
ing nearer to her strokes the dogs head
with a smiling air of perfect indiffer-