The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-09-10

HGu, HC deserves IL. re treated nor
rather badly"
my mind these last two days much
more than l should care to confess to
everybody All, WELL I'll say no more
about that. 1t caunot be that sne is so
bad as they make out. 1 am quite sure
that a girl of her good sense would
know better than to get entangled with
any of those Hanoverian soldiers.
won't believe it of her, and there's an
end ont. -
More words i'll the same strain were
casually dropped as the two men waited
words which revealed to her, as by
sudden illumination, the enormity Of
her conduct. The conversation was at
length cut off by the arrival of the man
with the vehicle. The luggage was
placed in it, and they mounted and
were driven on in the direction from
which she had just come.
Phyllis was so conscience stricken
that she was at first inclined to follow
them, but moments reflection led her
to feel that it would only be bare justice
to Matthaus to wait till he arrived and
explain candidly that she had changed
her mind, difficult as the struggle
would be when she stood face to face
with him. She bitterly reproached her
self for having believed reports which
represented Humphrey Gould as false to
his engagement, when, from what she
now heard from his own lips, she gath
cred that he had been living full of
trust i'll her, but she knew well enough
who had won her love- Without him
her life seemed a dreary prospect, yet
the more she looked at his proposal the
more she feared to accept it, so wild as
it was, SO vague, so venturesome. She
had promised Humphrey Gould, and it
was only his assumed faithlessness
which had led her to treat that promise
as naught. His solicitude in bringing
her these gifts touched her; her promise
must be kept, and esteem must take the
place of love. She would preserve her
self respect. She would stay at home
and marry him and suffer.
Phyllis had thus braced herself to an
exceptional fortitude when, u few min
utes later, the outline of Matthaus Tina
appeared behind field gate, over which
he lightly leaped as she stepped forward.
There was no evading it; he pressed
her to his breast.
''It is the first and last time, p" she
wildly thought as she stood encircled
by his arms.
How Phyllis got through the terrible
ordeal of that night she could never
clearly recollect. She always attributed
her success i'll carrying out her resolve
to her lovers honor, for as soon as she
declared to him in feeble words that she
had changed her mind and felt that she
could not, dared not, fly with him he
forbore to urge her, grieved as he was
at her decision. Inscriptions pressure
on his part, seeing how romantically
she had become attached to him, would
no doubt have turned the balance III his
favor. But he did nothing to tempt her
unduly or unfairly.
On her side, fearing for his safety,
} she begged him to remain This, he de-
: clared, could not be. 81 cannot break
faith with my friend, ~ said he Had he
stood alone he would have abandoned
his plan; go he must
, A dark shape, similar to his own,
/ joined him in the highway, 1t was
) Christoph, his friend. She could see nc
, more. They had FASTENED ON i'll the di-
rection of the harbor. With feeling
} akin to despair she turned and slowly
pursued her way homeward.
Tattoo sounded in the camp, but there
, was no camp for her now. 1t was as
/ dead as the camp of the Assyrians after
the passage Of the destroying angel
: She noiselessly entered the house, see
ing nobody, and went to bed. Grief,
, which kept her awake at first, ultimate
, ly wrapped her in heavy sleep. The
, next morning her father met her at the
; foot of the stairs.
, "Mr. Gould is comep' he said trium.
| phantly.
|; Humphrey was staying at the inn and
had already called to inquire for her.
, He had brought her present of a very
handsome looking glass i'll frame OF
repousse silver work, which her father
held in his hand He had promised tt
, call again in the course Of an hour tC
ask Phyllis to walk with him.
; Pretty mirrors We're rarer i'll country
houses at that day than they are now
and the one before her won Phyllis ad
, miration. She looked into it, saw how
: heavy her eyes were, and endeavored t.
brighten them. She was in that wretcheC
state Of mind which leads a woman Il
! move mechanically onward in what she
cOnceives to be her allotted path. Mr.
Humphrey had in his undemonstrativt
way been adhering all along to the ole
) understanding. 1t was for her to do the
same and to say not a word Ct her owl
lapse. She put on her bonnet and tip
pet, and when he arrived at the hom
named she was at the door awaiting
him.
) RIO be Co ntinued1