Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-02
CHAPTER TX

tWtCu w III duu .NhuHle.
CHAPTER TX.
Il was tie hour Of siesta. In the
schoolroom the girls, languid with sum
mer heat, lolled ut such ease as their
uneasy chairs permitted, and orc of
them, her head in the lap Of her great
est friend, seemed fast asleep. Even
then Hagar did not cease the gertle
stroking Of the girls eyelids that had
produced such swift slumber, but pres
ently she stretched her long arms as one
sitting for air and freedom, and. Us usu-
nj, knocked over some trifie on . table
ncar her.
You're in luck" said q girl whose
every feature was beautiful, yet who
managed To achieve plainness, rs not
ono Of those features harmonized. lyon
will have elbow room, and to spare, at
Straubenzee, and possibly the refusal Of
some u Nannie's lovers. Who krNNxs:"
Possibly. And then farewell to q
set Of ignorant. brutal girls. who.meas-
ure their own importance by the'thick-
ness Of their fathers bankbooks. And
You will marry your redheaded man.
my poor Martha, without doubt. You
may possibly even attract some other
equally hideous person, bat 1t is the
quality Of ones lovers. not the guam
tity. that Signifies" retorted Hagar
calmly.
And you are 81, pupil govnrness
and unmarriedv' said Martha c,,ie,Iy.
"No wonder you have such q bitter
tongue -
Hagnr laughed, displaying the small
even teeth that ~ seldom outlast child
hood, and at the same moment Mamie
opened her brown eyes.
''what are YOU quarreling about:" she
said. looking up anximrly ut the face
above hers. for. IL the school adored
Mamie. Mamie adored Hagar and no
body else.
Hagar laughed again, but differently.
There was that in Mamie which made
gentler all who approached her, though
few could have told why. Perhaps it
was the intense femininity Of her, u wo-
manliness that was like a perfume
breathed on all who drew near AMI at
tracted to her the strongest and most
manly men.
Martha was saying Miss Gregorias
can suit herself out Of Your castoff
lovers" said u girl who sprawled at
distance. but that's absurd. You re
going to marry Will Cassilis straight
of and
But Mamie had started mp, and like
some frightened sprito vanished.
IT'S too much," grumbled another
girl, looks. money, position. and to
marry the man she loves at IL! II she
weren't such a real good sort. I'd loathe
her"
Don't envy her." said a curiorsly
quiet voice. You see her now. bat her
life's not done vet. Something may turn
up that will make everything she's got
dust and ashes. It's the biggest mistake
out tn count up your own OF any other
persons blessings. Providence has got a
mean way of ovcrhearinS the counting
proccss and docking you Of half Of them.
There's an ugly cross n.Nannie's hand,
and perhaps long after we've settled
down to our potty little lives, quite
happy in them. she'll come to envy u.s.
Don't you suppose that other women
Will try tn get her adored Willie away
from her: He wouldn't have caught
Mamie II he hadn't caush, lots of other
women too"
Hagar raised her brows.
What have you been reading" she
said. "or hearing, since newspapers are
forbidden bcro:''
She had risen and now stood confess.
cd in all her magnificence Of s feet &
above the lounging. commonplace FIG.
ures around. and as she put M bes
hands to smooth the plaits that coiled
heavily into the nape of her neck a sud.
den premoni,ion. a fear. seized upon
Martha Cane.
II wish YOU weren't going home
with Mamie. she said slowly. "Yor
have far too much influence over her.
and you may use 10 for harm yet. Sup.
posing Won fall in love with Will Cas-.
silis YOURSELF"
Hagar paused. door handle in hand.
'Or he with me:' she said and passed
out
Il hate her. cried Martha, sittins
erect as the door closed. 1T can't bt
risht for her to Get every one. body and
soul. under her thumb that she chooses.
I'm the only one who has stood M
against her. and she can't forgive me
never will
Whoever mnrries Mamie marie.
Hasar Gresorias, said the quiet voics
at n distance, but ! SIN by no mean.
sure that man Will be Will Cassilis.
les ahsens ont toujours tort, and Blake
Trelawny is great deal more in evi
dence than the barished one. Do you