The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-03-10

N0H. sotI VI SRI, the memory OF II
ought to keep her awake for mauv
nights. This did not appear to i'm
press her i'll the least. She only
laughed. very much doubt whether
/ Mary has conscience.
Things went on pretty quietly, until
LtheN Eawlins took that journey TO
Australia. She hal married sister
y living In New South Wales. who. being
rather out OF health, hal asked Ethel
10 come and stay for six months or SO,
! anu heIp her with her household
dnues. Ethel accepted the invitation.
don't deny that felt bit sorry at
the prospect of losing her. She was
my most sensible companion, and the
girl whose rational conversation so
often soothed me when I had been
nearly irritated to madness by the
orainiess vaporings OF my sister. or
course, 1T was not for me to interfere
with her movements. / did, however.
take the opportunity OF having "A con
versation-an almost fatherly CONVEX
sation-with her, on the day bero- g
che sailed.
told her plainly that she was the
most sensible and companiouablc girl
hau ever come across. | said that
III was on account of these qualities
That L entertained for her SO high n
regard as l did. / ventured TO ex-
press hope that she would always
continue in the same path. and wouId
not permit herself to be drawn aside
thereirom by any sentimental com
panions whom she might chance TO
meet. L pointed ont to her, in this
connection, the perils of a sen voyare.
There was n subtle sentimentalitv
about the sea that was fearfully IN.
sldlous. And then those Australian
sheep stations. She mightn't think
1t, but they were downright hotbeds
OF sentiment Australia was nearly ns
bad as India in that way. 1t wanted
an unusually strong minded girl to
visit either the one or the other, and
to come back homo without HAVING
been let in. She. however. was I'M,
usually strong-minded. And tboucbt
could trust her to be true to her
colors.
She was very humble. She took nv
advice gratefully. L believe she would
have liked some more OF it. At least.
she seemed rs though she expected me
to say more. But | didn't. thought
that was enough. SO l simply be-
slowed my blessing upon her, aud we
said good-by. Was deceived? Were
those tears shining in her eyes. as |
pressed her hand? hoped | was mis-.
taken. A girl who could be BETRAYED
into sentimental exhibition, upon so
| trliilng cause, was scarcely fit to lie
trusted In the insiduous surroundings
of sea voyage and sheep farm.
| L had not asked Ethel TO write TO
me; and did not write to her. Prob.
ably should have corresponded with
her, but did not wish to Law myself
open to misconstruction. When a fel.
low mas lot of sisters who overhaul
his letters before ne comes down in
the morning, and examine the hand
writings and pOstmarks, to see whom
they are from, he is bound to be very
careful. III the sisters are decent girls
1T doesn't so much matter. But when
there is Mary among them, with
| gosslpinG tongue and flipDant disre.
gard for veracity, too much caution
cannot be exercised. So / heard moth.
ing direct from Ethel. But as she
wrote pretty frequently to my eldest
sister Katie, | was kept tolerably well
informed OF her movements ana occu.
| pations.
1t was not long before the contents
OF these letters to Katie began to
awaken In me a serious apprehension.
There was fellow named Bowlev who
had gone out in the same ship with
Ethel, and whose destination nan.
pened to be the farm adjacent to
| EthePs brother-iu-la He was Mr.
Bowley during the voyage. For the
/ first month on the sheep farm he was
| Charley Bowley. After that he became
| Charlie. / am bound to say TINT
EtheIs mode Of abiding to him in her
letters caused me decided ANNOYANCE
1t is such bad form for girls TO call
comparatively strange men by their
| Christian names. / should have ey
pected 1T OF Mary, or indeed of most
other girls OF my acquaintance. But
! Ethel-who had always been the per.
sonitication OF form well, it was
falling off for her. OF that there could
! be no doubt.
nut IL was not merely this that veXed
me. Apart from the question of form.
there was tone in Ethels letters-a
dreadtully sickly, sentimental tone
which showed mo clearly that her
sound sense and her practical chnrac-
/ ter had become seriously undermined.
1t occurred to me that something must
| be done to stop it, An ordinary fell
\ low IN my position would have written
\ her a lofty rebuSe. / am man Of
deeper resource than that. 7 hit upon
much more effective way Of bringing
nome her folly TO her. It is a matter
OF common kuowle lge that sinners in
/ whom any spark OF better feeling re-
mains will pause aud turn from their
downward career when they see chat
they are dragging with them TO their
ruin one for whom they entertain
/ true regard. I determined 10 conn.
terfeit; to make Ethel believe that her
| falling away into the evils of senti
mentality had exercised a debasing in
/ huence on myself If that would not
pull her mp nothing would.
With this end IN view, I went TO my
| dressing case one night and fished out