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

ing down her eyes, and lingering the ivy
shyly. Tears seemed nearer to her now
than laughter. In the little pause that fol-
lowed, the robin few from the thorn tree,
perched on the balustrade, and piped its
p~laintive note.
Ninian looked up at the sound and shivered
the robin is a winsome bird, but an eerie
one. Suddenly she tossed her head, the hard
brightness coming back into her eyes.
"Oh," she cried, IF you begin to drag
Cornelius Greatorex into this! My dear, he
is a soldier and a gentleman
There was defiance in the infection, pride.
self-scorn.
"A soldier and a gentleman, indeed!'
echoed Miss Asshe, almost angrily for her.
And your faithful lover to boot. The ro-
nance of degradation is all very well, as
romance, granted a little loves mixed up
with it, but you don't really care a straw
for Curtius King, and never did, and now
-there'H be no more nonsense, I do hope,
Ninian, you've done with him?'
All at once Ninian clenched her hands;
she shook, she gasped with sudden fury.
Done with him." she cried, stamping her
! foot. Yes. yes, 1 have. If I ever see him
again I will strike him in the face. He is
an unspeakable villain; there is not a good
thought in him. He wanted money-mine
-anybody's. Oh, the knave, the knave!
And fool, fool, he lacked the wit to secure
it, Oh, the poor, despicable, incompetent
villain! I could kill him! I could grind him
with my heel"
When Evangeline returned to the drawing
room to bid Mrs. Kettle goodbye, that lady
looked up with a slightly hooking smile.
We'll my dear, and how do you think
Ninian takes it,"
MY dear Mrs. Kettle, I don't think that
Ninian is taking it. at all. She'll marry
Cornelius Greatorex. AS far as Currius
King is concerned, all that remains in
Ninian's mind is a little uncertainty how
best to pretend to end something that really
never existed. Goodbye"
But a little later Miss Asshe was express
ing herself very differently. She hates
him." she was saying to a young woman of
her own age and school" IT'S a curious
state of affairs. Turn it over in your
mind a little with all it involves. She hates
him."
If iteration prove sincerity she did. For
an hour after Evangeline had left her,
Ninian paced the terrace, or leaned upon
the balustrade. staring at the thorn bush
with hard, bright eyes.
Il hate him, 1 hate him." it went on in
cessantly.
She held a piece of crumpled paper, and
from time to time she smoothed it out and
read the scrawl on it afresh:
9Th is all rubbish-rubbish. Give me
a chance, and I'll explain the whole thing.
Don't listen to anybody. I shall be at the
usual place to-day at sunset, in the sure and
certain hope of seeing you"
Ninian looked from the writing to the
sky-the sun was dropping redly into low,
dun clouds; she turned and met the smoky
glow Of it in the three great windows Of
the library. Inside one of them a wrap
was lying ready. She put it on, went down
the terrace steps, gathered her dress about
her %petulantly with impatient hands, and
struck across the park.
The park was almost dark when she
reached the rendezvous. Curtius King came
forward from a grove of firs-a fnely-made
man with a sinister, clear~shaven face. He
held out his hand in silence. Ninian came
to a sudden stand and flashed over him a
keen and bitter glance.
You have been drinking she cried i'm
petuously, you couldn't even face me with
out it. oh, heaven. what a poor wretch you
are!"
He came nearer, showing no surprise at
the outbreak.
Don't call names, little GIRL he said, cit
doesn't become you; and what you say isn't
true. I've touched nothing. Won't you shake
hands?"
Ninian threw back her wrap theatrically.
Il wonder you dare" she cried; Il wonder
you dare!'
Nonsense! When are we to sail for Amer
lea, child ?" And he laid a hand lightly on
her shoulder. The girl dashed it down and
started from him. There could be no doubt
of the genuine contempt of her gesture, the
savage scorn of her look.
81 have sometimes thought these last few
days that I could kill you,' she said, but
you are too-abject!"
The mans lips whitened, and he turned
his face away. There was a long silence,
broken only by the girls hurried breathing,
and the light rattle of dead leaves. At last
an uncomfortable sound broke from Curtius.
He coughed, and moved fiercely, as if to hide
it, but when he spoke his voice was broken.
you know you love me, Ninian,' he said.
But she turned upon him in a very ecstasy
of rage.
Il know 1 hate you" she cried. Il hate
you! You have imposed upon me; made me
demean myself. Contact with you has be-
smirched me, mind and soul. You are with
out honor, or pride, or a grain of ~self-es-
TEEN; and you have lied; you are a coward,
you would have married me-
The man laughed queerly. You would
have married me-" he interposed.
THAT is a worthy taunt. Yes. 1 would
have married you. You know why-at least,
you don't. You could never understand it.
You made me pity ~you-pity you-pity you.
1t degrades me to own it. 1 am not fit for
a mans respect after having pitied such
as you; but l did; I would nave married
you-to save you from the loneliness Of be-
ing lonely with yourself. l would nave
stayed with you; yes. l pitied you so much;
1 would have married you, stayed with
you" She broke into wild weeping. but
when he tried to touch her, she fought him
from her. You had not even the courage
of your own villainy." She sobbed. "Oh, if
1 had only never seen you"
"Or 1 you" responded King, with his
queer inlpenitent bitterness. You're upset
tonight" he went on presently, its very
natural, but you don't mean all you're say
ing. You know you're fond of me, and out
side the one fact of yourself there's moth
ing on Gods earth for me, body or soul.
Perdition take your friends and your money.
l want you. You say you pity me; add TO
that, that you'll trust me, and I'll make the
angels envy your existence. I'm not maud
lin. 1 know what I'm saying. Come with
me to" And he stopped, reading her
face. the last word unsaid.
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