The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-26

Mrs. Rettie shrugged her shoulders.
My dear Evangeline, the method Of
feminine emotion nowadays is so absolutely
different from anything that 1 was ever
taught, and Ninian is at once SO foolish, so
Independent and so generally outside my no
lions altogether that 1 can only tell you I
don't know"
Mrs. Rettie was past middle life; she was
handsome and with the wit to disclaim for
herself anything less than the age she was.
Her manner conveyed some disdain of a
world that could survive with equanimity
her loss of youth, and was marked by that
delicate bitterness. on occasion ~undisgufsed
malice, with which women whose turn at
the game was under the old dispensation re-
gard their successors who come to it under
the new. Miss Asshe recognized the flavor
now in a moment and smiled with the COM
placency of her years and opportunities.
well, but, dear Mrs. Kettle, did she cry,
I mean?' she persisted. rs she much up
set. shut up in her room? Will she let me
see herr"
Mrs. Kettle laid down her work. Her
hands were lovely and she was always knit
ting something in silk-green or blue.
Dear child" she said, lis it you asking
such questions? Ninian may have shed
tears-of passion; ~obstinacy and willfulness
are generally enraged at being mastered;
out l have not seen them. She is not shut
up In her room, or was not ten minutes
since, and 1 am quite sure she will see you.
You will find her on the terrace, I believe"
1 suppose you're very pleased about il. -
said Evangeline, rising.
Pleased" And Mrs Rettia res,,nad 49,
work. You young people express your
selves with such irrelevancy. To me pleased
seems fba facf u,or7 4ot.,-
mas something to congratulate herself upon.
II she had married Curtius King-and, pre-
posterous as the notion was, she seemed bent
upon tit would have meant, as 1 never
tailed to tell her, lifelong misery. She has
been saved in time from her own folly
"Oh, you poor. self-suficient, psychologist
ally mole-blind person!" thought Miss
Asshe. Saved in time!' AS if you could
tell whether she is saved or not"
Miss Asshe was young; she was more
she was fin de steele; she thought self-anaI-
ysis revelation, and having no sentiments
she catalogued sensations. According to her
sequences, it did not in the least follow
that the preposterous fact land, of course.
1t was preposterous) of Ninian's engagement
TO a broken-down black sheep like <Curtius
King could be completely wiped out by the
mere other fact of a low-born woman having
come forward and proved herself Kings
wife. Ninian's liberation Of the fellow. TO
say nothing of her planning marriage with
him, had been mystery and scandal enough:
q mind like Evangeline's could not accept
such a simple solution OF it as the doing
away with a wedding.
She found Ninian on the terrace beauti-
ful place. The girl was leaning against the
old red brick balustrade. over which the ivy
hung and crept in shades Of ivory and green
and red.
1t was a day early in December, but the
weather mild as ideal May. Here and there
among the evergreens, dropping from a
spray of russell brown, was a show of red
made by little China roses still in bloom.
Ninian was in her house dress, and the
moist west wind was playing with her hair,
uncovered as if it had been haying time.
At the sound of -Evangeline's smart heel
taps, she turned her head and that was all
her greeting.
My dear child, you'll take cold,' said
Miss Asshe by way of greeting on her side,
and then silence followed. The park
stretched before them, its bare, distant
trees seeming to meet the faint, sad sky.
Evangeline's brown eyes roved a little
YEARLY. Ninian's were fixed upon a wicked
looking thorn bush that stood by itself about
a hundred yards away, girdled by a wide,
worn belt Of reddish, barren soil. Some bits
of sheep wool fluttered from the lower
twigs, and a robin fitted in and out, and
to and fro.
Still staring at the thorn, suddenly the girl
stood upright, her lips parted, and she broke
into a laugh that sounded as of genuine,
incredulous amusement.
Did you ever hear of such a thing!' she
cried.
"As what?' inquired Miss Asshe.
why, this affair of Curtius and a wife, of
course" and now Ninian looked at her COM
panion, her eyes clear and bright, her
mouth still showing genuine amusement.
Was there ever such a bungle; such stu
pidity-on his part, 1 mean? What could he
have been thinking about? From first to
last what a dunderhead he has been, never
asking me for secrecy about our engage
ment, nor observing it himself; never max
ing any attempt to compromise with the
woman, nor even TO deny anything, or
soften the facts when it all came out. And
the whole time. too. it seems, he has been
writing to this woman, seeing her, taking
no trouble whatever to conceal what he
was about. 1 don't know that he told her
himself that 1 was going to marry him
out ne uoeSn [ seem 10 nave MADE the
slightest effort to prevent any one else do
ing so. What an extraordinary man! He
must have known that if the woman didn't
speak before. she must after. How was he
going to manage them"
We'll, fortunately, she spoke before" re-
marked Miss Asshe, dryly. Surely that is
sufficiently inclusive. You may be very
glad"
Glad" echoed Ninian as if puzzled.
What about? Oh, / see, of course; glad-of
course I'm glad. The idea of it? But it's
been stupidity managed. What does this
woman gain, or anyone? Curtius hasn't a
penny. And there's the child-a little fellow,
three years old. What are they all to do?"
Ninian still stood very upright. Her bear
ing was animated. her tone eager. She still
produced the impression of being inwardly
scornfully amused, as at some incredulous
stupidity. Even Miss Asshe, to whom every
mood was a pose or an affectation. was
forced into feeling a little natural surprise.
She could quite understand Mrs. Kettle hav-
ing declined to commit herself as to how
her niece was taking it."
What are you talking about, Ninian?''
she said. What they are all going to do
is certainly no concern of yours. Listen to
me, my dear child. This freak you've in
dulged has been bad enough in respect to
Curtius King alone. don't burIesque the up
shot naore than vOn pap balm nv addiro