Middletown transcript., 1900-11-17
Forbidden Fruit.
BY MABEL Fl. ROBINS.

/.
II have asked Paul Kesterton down to
join our house-party, Nancy" said old
Mr.. Carew to his favorite granddaughter.
"He will be here in time for the dance
tonight, but want to talk to you about
him before he arrives"
Nancy lifted her pretty face with inter
est. "Who is he?' she asked. "He
sounds nice"
"That is just what l am afraid he
is not" replied the old man gravely
"From allthe tales have heard, he is
not at all nice. Indeed, I should not ask
him down, except for the sake of my old
friend Kesterton, whose nephew and
heir he is"
"And do you want to warn me against
him, then?" asked Nancy, smiling.
The old man looked at her lovely face
and dainty figure, and his shaggy eye
brows met in an anxious frown.
"That is exactly what 1 want to do"
he said. "The man may be all very well
in his way. He is, I believe, very good
to look at, and from all accounts has a
charming voice, but
"But And what is the but p"
"Well, he is very fast he keeps race
horses, and is altogether undesirable, and
not at all a fit companion for a young
girl. That is why I thought it better to
warn you, dear. It would be so dread
full if-if you lost your heart to him /;
because, of course, marriage with
such man I could not allow, and I
should not like my little Nancy to suffer.
So thought it would be better to advise
you to have as little to do with him as
possible"
The girl laughed amusedly as she threw
her arms around the old mans neck and
kissed him.
"All right, grandfather" she cried
~ shall be able to take care Of myselfr'
But all the time persistent longing as
sailed her to see this bold, bad, yet appar-
6IlLly lTT0SlSbdUl6 Ludll.
1t was later in the afternoon and Mr..
Carew was driving Paul Kesterton up
from the station.
"The Grange is quite FULL" the old
man said. '1 daresay you will find many
acquaintance among the guests"
"And your little granddaughter Nancy?
! suppose she is quite grown up? Ire
member her as fluffy golden-haired baby
when I was boy; and, being asked to
kiss her, / remember how very much l
objected to the performance"
Sir George laughed. ~ am afraid you |
would not object so much now," he said. |
''Nancy has grown up very pretty. 1 |
hope we shall be able to keep her near us
always. Young Borthwick Of the Manor
is very much epris, and it would be a
most suitable match altogether. Nothing
would please her grandmother and my
self better. Hwould be most satisfactory
in every way only trust nothing will |
happen to prevent it."
"And Miss Carew? Is she content to
fall in with the arrangement
The old man pursed up his lips.
'Nancy, of course, will consent to what
every my wife and l think best"
And Paul shrugged his shoulders.
II.
The fiddlers had struck up and the dance |
had begun. Nancy had scarcely spoken
to the new arrival; but she looked at him
with interest after her grandfather's con-
versation, and his tall figure and strong
face found favor in her eyes.
She was, indeed, little piqued that he
did not ask her to dance. The evening
went on, and she saw him going round
with all her cousins, and she knew she
could dance better than they.
A waltz had begun, and she was stand
ing by herself for few minutes. She
turned round suddenly, and found Paul
watching her from the door.
She tiled her chin little higher, and
then he came up to her.
"May I have the pleasure of this
dance ?" he asked.
81 have already promised it to some
one" said Nancy ungraciously.
'That some one does not seem anxious
to claim it, does he? The dance has be-
gun some time.
Nancy flashed an indignant look at him,
but meeting the laughter in his eyes, she
smiled too, and placed her hand on his
arm without another word
It was certainly the best dance she had
had that evening. On and on they went,
moving round in perfect harmony to the
music, until the fiddles, suddenly growing
quicker, broke forth in presto, and hur-
ried away into silence. Then Kesterton
and Nancy stopped, and he took her out
into the cool hail. +,
"You can't think what bad things 1
have heard Of you," said Nancy with
glance, as they sat down.
"Indeed?'' he answered, as he turned
to look at her with his dark eyes "I
hardly think my peccadillos would form
a very interesting topic. Perhaps you
have undertaken to reform me?"
There was underlying amusement in
his tone, which annoyed Nancy.
Before wishing to reform any one,"
she retorted, zone would take some in
terest in the person. 1 have not the
slightest desire to reform you, but mean
to make study of you all the same. You
are rara aUis-a specimen have never
yet come across"
He watched her varying color with en-
ioyment, and smiled.
"You are not consistent" he said.
=" You contradict yourself. Surely you
must take some interest in thing of s
which you make study?
She shook her head with mischievous
smile. Not at all" she replied. zone
has to study the most uninteresting things
II II