The Red Cloud chief., 1899-09-22

a ~sad-looking man, with a sun
Drowned face. bearing an OLD organ and
a very wizened, mouriful little
monkey.
"Will he stop?" | exclaimed. with
sudden well-simulated eagerness. "No
-yes' Yes. he is going to stop"
Kitty. what a child you are!" said
John Mortimer, in a quiet. wondering.
half-tender tone: and the tone or the
words sent the hot blood rushing to
my cheeks and get all my pulses throb-
bling.
IL know I am a child" I said quiet
ly, almost fiercely. IL like being a
child. | don't want to grow up. ! will
be a child as long as ever | can be-"
He was looking down at me with an
observant glance. though | looked 80
steadily away from him There was a
suspicion of laughter in his voice
when. after a moment. he spoke again.
I'm spite OF yourself, Kitty. z Is
creeping upon you. In our mothers
and grandmothers' days seventeen, ]
believe, was a very mature age, In
deed"
But not now" | said eagerly, with
too much earnestness. Seventeen Is
nothing nowadays. You're only old
enough at seventeen to go In for senior
Cambridge examinations. II you want
to go to college, you ~can't-they won't
have you because you're so young. Hol-
loway will take you. but Girton and
NEWMAN won't. Do you know how old
our sixth form girls are? I'm the
youngest; some are eighteen. some are
nineteen, and some are over"
Although my face was turned toward
the dusty, out-of-door world, and my
back toward the drawing-room. I WA
conscious that Uncle Richard had been
sent away by Aunt Jane. and that
Aunt Jane was preparing to follow
him. In another minute we were left
clone. My cheeks were burning. my
heart was beating angrily at the con-
sciousness Of why W. were left alone.
81 never realized before the extreme
youthfulness OF seventeen" said John
Mortimer gravely. But, looking around
at him, / caught the amused smile
with which he was regarding me. why
have made you so indignant, Kitty?'
he continued, in a different tone. why
have I brought this severe lecture upon
myself? Is 1t all apropos OF the organ
man."
Its apropos Of nothing"
81 knew an old man OF seventy-seven
Aano ,,hn COULD napar ,aao a Dtvnnb
and Judy in the street. II he came In
only for the end OF the performance
he would trudge along with the urchins
to the next street to hear the begin.
ming. II seventy-seven takes delight In
a Punch and Judy, seventeen may sure
ly be allowed an organ-man and a
monkey. Did I imply otherwise? II
did, I retract."
He opened the window az he spoke
and threw out a little silver coin,
which the organ-man. smiling sudden
ly but somewhat sadly, moved hastily
to secure.
The window, once opened, remained
open; the room was a little less sitting
than before. A soft evening breeze that
was almost cool stole in. Across the
square. beyond the houses. the sky
was red; indoors the light was begin
ming to grow dim.
Dim light improved Aunt James
drawing-room. But even in the gray
est twilight it remained an ugly room.
It's ugliness was hopeless, without one
redeeming feature.
| seated myself at the foot of the
twisted little sofa, close to the open
window, and took up my sewing, which
l had dropped just now to listen to
Aunt Jane. John Mortimer sat down
opposite me In Aunt James chair. He
leaned his elbow on the arm, and sat
in a thoughtful. observant attitude, his
head resting against his hand.
CTo Be Continued.)