The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-08

Had Kate fulfilled her vow, or had des-
tiny fulfilled il for her? In either case
Hopetoun was in love with her, and
fiercely, desperately.
After the scene In the yellow draw.
ing-room-it had been in the yellow
drawing-room that she provoked him
she had refrained from teasing him
any more, but the recollection stayed
with him, nevertheless, and in mo-
ments he was angered with himself,
both for having strayed into his present
fickleness of mind and for having omit
ted TO kiss her as he threatened.
However, loving his cousin or not,
he was in honor bound to Bella, and
fifty times he determined to leave Deer
court at once, and broke his resolution
before the train started. He had no in
tention of confessing his weakness, and
be was frightened that Kate might sus-
pect it, lie did not want to leave her,
he did not want to be false TO Bella. His
condition, was, in a word, unenviable.
One afternoon he decided absolutely
go go. He had smoked at least six CT
gars since breakfast and thrashed the
thing completely out.
IF stay any longer" said Hopetoun
TO himself, 81 shall assuredly end by
| telling her I'm fond of her. That /
shall be fond of her here or there is true
enough, but away from her / may re-
cover my reason, at the present stage,
and, if | stop, shall get to care for her
so Internally that time will do nothing
for me. Hang that absurd inspiration
of mine! I'll never play with fire again
as long as live!"
She was in the grounds, lying in a
hammock, and he went out to her with
firrn step.
Kate" he said, I'm going back to
town tonight"
"Oh," she said, "are you?"
EYES," said Hopetoun, $50 be nice to
me this afternoon and put your book
| down."
"What am / to do then?"
| Talk"
| "What beautiful weather we're hav-
ing"
Don't be irritating" he said. talk
talk properly"
about yourself, suppose you mean
That's always an interesting subject "a
boy"
"A boy!' How old are you, Kate
forty?"
Forty years older than you, some
times think"
IL remember you," he said, musingiy
"whcn you wore a pinafore and open
work socks. and used to make yourself
sticky at dessert"
at isn't true"
"You were n nice girl then. You've
altered"
Eyes, I'm nicer"
"'Nice,'" he remarked, sis feminine
word which, as you once informed me
may mean many things. Nicer the
comparative, l know not"
"'Nicer?' Well, 1 am 'nicer!' All is
said .. Are you really gOng To ior
sake us to-night?"
"After dinner. I'll go up by the nine
fifteen"
"Why?"
"oh." he said, 81 have to! Shall you
miss me?"
|
the Hawksleys are coming next week,
and the Kingstons. The house will be.
gin TO ill directly. Do you know Percy
KingstonT
II believe I've met him. A pink man,
with single eyeglass and a perennial
cornflower in his buttonhole?"
II should not describe him like that.
He's very clever"
"Oh, is he! Is he coming too?"
| 'Yes, of course, and his sisters, En-
mie and Adeline, and papa expects one
or two people who may be useful for
you"
"IIo," he said. "But why did you ask
If I'd met Percy Kingston? You
aren't"
Don't be so ridiculous" she mur-
INJURED. "Mayn't a girl ask a questions?
Her tone did not allny his misgi7ing.
She was nothing to him--never could
! be--blt he should not like to see her
throw herself away on Hon. Percy
Kingston. That would hurt him
LET us talk about something else, y
he said. What were you reading?'
He picked the book up. "Rossetti!"
"les, Rossetti, but please don't let MS
talk about poetry; it would be too
dreadful with you."
"a stranger would certainly know we
were cousins" he said. 1T has been
thought by some people that possessed
fairly wide acquaintance with the
work of the English poets"
Really" said Miss Drillingham, "but
IL was not the extent of your reading
i doubted, it was your capablity for
criticism"
"We seem unhappy in our choice of
subjects this afternoon, don't we? How
about dogs?"
She was undeniably aggravating, and
to-day, Of all others. when he had been
anxious TO carry away a last pleasant
impression.
"If you'll excuse me-" he observed,
"Tll go out TO the kennel and look at
them. Allow me-"
n. A. f.l IA