The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-15

As the cab from the station turned
into the leaf deadened drive there
arose between Bah and her conscience
q final discussion as to the exact man.
ner in which she was to account to her
Aunt Barbara for this wholly unex-
pected Thanksgiving visit The debate
had arisen at intervals ever since her
departure from Boston three hours be-
fore, but the whirllng autumn land
seape and the mingled consideration of
other matters had diverted the point
at issue. Now decision could no longer
be deferred, for the gaunt brown home
stead among the brown, half disman-
tied trees was drawing nearer with ev-
cry stride of the gaunt brown cab
horse, and another moment would
bring her face to face with Aunt Bar
bara and the situation.
Upon two things she was resolved:
She would tell Aunt Barbara the truth,
and she would not tell her about Phil
not now. The first was imperative as
being altogether in keeping with her
sterling character and traditions. The
second she had convinced herself. was
not the necessary result of the first and
certainly not desirable. Aunt Barbara,
something of whose temperament as
well as name Bah was supposed to
have inherited, was always so anhesi-
Eating and thorough in her interests.
She would want to know all about Phil.
and Bah was not altogether sure that
her relative would approve of her part
in the episode from beginning to end.
especially the end She had come to
Aunt Barbaras for little quiet in
which to rest and think. 1t was highly
desirable that these processes should
not be interfered with by a discussion
of personalities and motives from the
standpoint of one not having an intl-
mate acquaintance with the subtler
phases of the situation.
Phil was such a fine, manly fellow.
Bah felt that Aunt Barbara would be
almost certain to fall in love with any
description she could give of him. She
would not understand his worldly, real
" his almost heartless lack of apprecia-
ton of the higher ideals. and, oh, any
number of things which to Bah seemed
so vital as betty the means of clearer
understanding OF the deeper problems
of life. She recalled how fresh and
handsome he had looked yesterday
when he told her laughingly that the
solution of the vague unguesSed would
have more attraction for him IL II
would only tell whether or not Black
bird was going to beat Snowflake in to-
morrow's handicap. and how when
she rather coldly refused to go and had
insisted upon him keeping his engage
ment with the Castles he had been con-
trite and left her reluctantly.
She then reviewed for the twentieth
time the noble manner in which he had
accorded her her freedom when on his
return last night she told him that aft
err careful thought and introspection
she was convinced that their separate
ways OF life ran each in lines too dis
tinctly divided ever TO converge. There
was really nothing that she could~tell
Aunt Barbara that would not appeal
for him either to her admiration or
sympathy. Not that she would have
had it otherwise-poor old Phil How
pale and handsome he had looked as he
left her! He would get over 1t soon
sooner than she would. Natures like
his did The Castle girl was far more
TO his taste and was wild for him and
horses and all that. Phil did not care
for her particle. of course; not In that
way, but they had been thrown togeth-
er good deal Of late. Perhaps If they
had not been Well, matters might
have drifted little longer. AS 1t was
Bah leaned back in the cushions and
sighed. Then suddenly she sat bolt up
right. The cab was turning before the
long veranda. and Aunt Barbara her
self was standing In the door. Then
there came a hustle of surprise and
greeting amid which whatever words
OF explanation Bah had fixed upon took
flight like startled sparrows, and she
found herself falterlng out guiltily
something about its being somber
season of the year and of fearing that
her aunt might be lonely on Thanksgiv-
ing and not being very we'll herself,
which was not at all what she had in
tended TO say If she had ever known
really what explanation she had in
tended to make.
Her aunt's warm appreciation Of the
visit and quick sympathy with her
dropping health did not add to her
peace of mind, and as the day passed
and numerous tender provisions were
made for her comfort she felt more and
more that her position was false one
and that only the whole truth and
nothing but the truth now would re-
lieveit.
1t was with this end In view that
somewhat later she led Aunt Barbara
into speaking of her own youth and its
trials. She had not expected anything
in the way of romance, for Aunt Bar
bara was a spinster of whom there had
never come to Bab's ears the least hint
of a love AFFAIR. She had hoped at most
that some trlfiing and half forgotten en-
ror In the elder wOman's girlhood