Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-09


perfectly justified 1 won't repress my
feelings for the sake of that vulgar piece
of modern Sevres-that is what she looks
like! L won't fight with myself. l won't be
ccol toward him when l don't want to be!
1t is a duel between us two, Miss Bella Car
stairs; you have the advantage up to the
present, for he is silly enough 10 care for
you. but 1 shall win and 1 will beat You
yeti"
The writer is not sure that she was wrong
but wrong right, 1t can only be recorded
that she followed the program she had laid
down for herself to the letter
Skillfully; Oh, yes, Skillfully! She was far
too much grande dame, Miss Driilingham, to
f1irt openly, to encourage with cOnSpic
ucusness. Hopetoun was never able to say
that the change which occurred between
them began at any particular hour, or even
on any particular day. He only realized by
degrees that change had come.
And it was difficult to define what the
change was. Well, perhaps for one thing
they talked less of Bella-for Kate would
have scorned to dlsparage Ter to him. how.
ever artistcally. Perhaps also they did not
refer so frequentlN to their mock betrothal
the TESTING illusions to it were absent from
their conversations now. But still it was
hard to express the new difference in words:
he merely realized that they talked together
more like any other man and woman who
are seeing a lot of each other; for example
he could not have told her today that she
made him think of her "chum''-"a jolly
gccd 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 agreeable.
far from it. He had never liked her so
much, never before known she was so
charming. so graceful, so witty. She had
rot mentioned her fatefu visit to the Car
stairs to him, and when he heard of it, it
was fortnight afterwari, and from Bella
herself.
He received the news with complex emo
ticns. Euphemistically as the interview
was described, he was intelligent enough
to comprehend that his cousin could not
have an opinion in it altogether favorable
to his fiancee, and this view was confirmed,
moreover. by the silence she had maintained
on the subject
1t had been very tactful of her, very nice.
to have said nothing to him. Another wo-
to further your interests, and the girl would
rot listen to me-" Of course. Bella was help
less in the matter-it was her mothers in
f1uence that was to blame-but Kate could
not be expected to know that. and she had
certainly displayed great delicacy toward
him.
Next time he saw her he thanked her for
it. by the way he said, II did not know
of your visit to Mrs. Carstairs and Bella
till the other day. 1t awfulIy good
of you, Kate. I am sorry you should have
had the trcuble-and for nothing
"Oh," she murmured, with a shrug 81
was in town. and thought it might be ad-
vlsable to let her know how things stood
On the whole, l think it was very plucky
OF Hef 10 CeclQe 10 walt Tor something here.
1t will be much more agreeable for you If
you get it." He kr ew that this was gra-
cious falsehood, but man-like, he continued
the subject instead of allowing it to drop.
But you never told ME CT your CALI
be said. Il had no idea you had been
there"
Didn't L." she said ct meant to-"
Both paused. and looked through the win
dow at the lawn.
What do you think of her?' he asked
''She is very delightful, very pretty
it was impossible to say less-and Il con-
graduate you heartily, Arnold"
But her tone lacked heartiness and he
felt it. She had formed wrong estimate
of Bella he must justify the girl at once.
Il hope he said, you do not think she
Is acting wrongly in declining to live
abroad? Really it is not she at all; it is the
old lady. Bella is very duttful daughter,
almost child in some things"
"Oh, l saw that, naturally"
You must not-of course you would not
Imagine that she is not fond of me- Girls
vary very much Bella's disposition Is not
strong one. And besides when it had come
to the point dare say you yourself would
have hesitated to leave England"
Il do not think that" answered his cous-
in; Il should not have advised anything
that 1 thought undesirable"
mo, no." put in Hopetoun, I'm sure you
wouldn't; but Of course your view is differ
ent under the circumstances. 1 mean there
is not the necessity fer you to weigh all
the pros and cons carefully, is there? If
you mad been Bella herself, you would feel
the gravity of the step, as you cannot be
expected 20 do as It is"
She did not reply, and he regarded her
uncertainty. Twilight was falling, and the
room was filling with shadow In the
vagueness her face looked softer and more
beautiful, he thought; the proud mouth
was more gentle. He felt very tender to-
ward her, very affect.onate. He remember
ed that she was doing much for him, and
that such return had received had
given her the right to make him a reproach
that she had not uttered. An impulse that
be could not resist urged him to contra
dict his last words.
Il believe you would have gone" he MUIR
INJURED. Il beg your pardon! If you had
cared for me, I believe you would have
gone, Kate"
She neither acknowledged nor denied
THANK YOU" she said; but don't let us