The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-09

PART ".
One must not play with love. The
old adnge has told us so, and Kate Drill
llngham at least had proved its truth by
her own experience. Perhaps she had a
slight penchant for her cousin before
the farce had begun. but at any rate the
performance OF Il had done serious
damage The interview ut Hampstead
had shown her the fRct beyond the pos
slbllity Of any further selt-decepuon,
and she knew now-acknowledGed now
the motive Of her recent anxiety 20 see
Arnold and Miss carstnlrs quickly mar
rIed.
Well, the young lady. the devoted
Bella. was less anxious! That WAS per-
fectly evident. She was not disposed TO
make anything even family resembling
q sacrifice for the sake OF the man
to whom she was engaged Then,
said Miss DrililBghnm, why should
make one for hers? ! viii mott 1 am
doing whit Arnold asked OF me with
her own approval. II my compliance
should lead TO his failing In love with
me and telling me SO. he will receive an
answer very different from the one he
would have received yesterday. con-
slider i am perfectly justified / won't
repress my feelings for the sake OF that
vulgar piece OF modern Sevres-thnt Is
what she looks like! won't fight with
myself I won't ba cool towards him
when don't want to be! II Is duel
between us two. Miss Bella CarstairS;
YOU have the advantage up to the pres
emit, for he is silly enough TO care for
you. but shall win and will beat you
yeti"
wrong, but wrong or right. II can only
\. ahA fnItnNyRd the nFfS-
Eramme she had laid down for herself
TO the letter.
skiIlfully, oh yes, skIllfuily! She was
far too much grande dame, Miss Drill
bingham. to flirt openly. or to encourage
with consciousness. Hopetoun was
never able TO say that the change which
occurred between them began at any
particular hour. or even on any particu-
lar day. He only realized by degrees
that change had come.
And II was difficult TO define what the
change was. Well. perhaps for one
thing they talked less OF Bella-for Kate
would have scorned to disparage her TO
him. however artIstcally. Perhaps
aiso they aid not refer so frequently TO
their mock betrothal-the Jesting allu-
sions TO Il were absent from their con-
versatIons now. But still It was hard 20
express the new difference in words; he
merely realized that they talked to-
cether more like any other man and
woman who are seeing lot>ot each
other; for example, he could not have
told her to-day that she made him
think OF her as a "chum''-'a jolly good
fellow" He remembered that he had
said that once. and wondered why he
did not think so still.
Not that she was any the less agree
able-far from II. He had never liked
her so much, never before known she
was so charming. so graceful. 50 witty:
She had not mentioned her fnteful visit
10 the carstaIrs TO him. and when he
heard OF Il. II was fortnight after
wards, and from Bella herself
He received the news with complex
emotions. systematically Us the In
tervlew was described, he was tnteih-
gent enough to comprehend that his
cousin could not have an opinion In u
altogether favorable to his fiancee, and
this Interview was confirmed, moreover.
by the silence she had maintained on
the subject.
II had been very tactful OF her, very
nice. TO have said nothing TO him. An
other woman would have said: Il went
10 endeayor TO further your interests.
and the girl would not listen TO me"
OF course Bella was helpless In the mat
ter-It was her mothers influence that
was to blame-but Kate could not be cx-
pected 10 know that. and she had GER
tninIy displayed great delicacy towards
him.
Next time he saw her he thanked her
Tor n "Ry the way" he said. II did not
know OF your visit TO Mrs, Carstairs and
Bella till the other day. II was Rwfully
good OF you, Kate. am sorry you
should have had the trouble-and for
"Oh," she murmured. with n shrug. 81
was in town, and thought Il might be
advisable to let her know how things
stood. on the whole I think II was very
pluclSy OF her 10 decide to wait for some
thing here. il VIII be much moro
agreeable for you II you get II" He
knew that this was n gracious false
hood, but, mnn-like. he continued the
subject, instead OF allowing Il TO drop:
"But you never told me Of your cnll.
he snld. "I had no idea you had been
there"
"Dldn't II" she said: 81 meant to-"
Both paused, and looked through the
window ut the lawn.
what do you think of herr" he
asked.
.she ia very delightful. very pretty
Is was Impossible to say less-'1 con-
graduate you heartily. Arnold"
But her tone lacked heartiness, and
he felt It. She had formed wrong esti-