The National tribune., 1901-03-28
When Margaret had become quiet. and

e here"
Gilbert retorted that even Mrs. Kee
! had no terrors for him now, and they wer
1 still laughing at the joke, which was Gel
/ talnly not such a witty one, when the.
met the Ashbels hand in hand, for TIL
evenings entertainment was over. Th
, great organ was, pouring a flood of melOd,
out on the calm evening air. and tn
steamer lying-at the dock shrieked dis
! cordantly. Crowds burst from the corri
dors of the amphithehter, breaking lik,
spray as, they dissolved into narrow
streets. Some ran for the waiting boat
others -loiteFef around the hotel piazza,
for n little while until the chimes sounded
for 10 O'CLOCK ind:rang the curfew of the
little walled city. AT that hour the gates
are shut and barred alike for incomers and
-outgoers. the~src lights sinh sizzingly in
their globes, and it is night, and Chautau
qua slept. -
The next morning the Summerdale
party gathered ON the porch of their cot,
tage TO settle the plans for the day. Mrs
Ashbel remarked that they felt as much
at home if they--had been upon the
| grounds n years instead of barely "a
THAT is the peculiar quality of Chau-
| tauqua. said Margaret, laughing. And
you understand, Gilbert,""ashe added, turn
to the-lectHress with your eyes bandaged.' -
I've heard that's the way they teach
canary birds To sing remarked DIR. Ash
bel jocoscly, Don't see why it shouldn't
succeed with law-students."
Don't do it, Gilbert put in Mrs. Ash
bel, who had been listening with her eyes
| rather than with her ears Don't do il,
| if you value your future peace l tell
you'll who might have been your mother,
| and am only sorry l am not-that it
won't do TO trust yourself blindly to any
red-haired woman on earthi There. I've
done my duty and given fair warning.
Come, Julius. We are going to the Hall
of Philosophy, now, Margaret. At 8
o clock DIR. Harper talks on The InSpira-
ton of the Bible; where it begins and
where il ends. Mr.. Ashbel is very anX-
ious to hear it. / am not | don't care
whether the good book is every bit in
spired or NOT. | take what | want of it
and let the rest go until the next time,
just as one does any other panacea. So
you two Will have TO take care of your
selves this morning. Bye-by. Come
Julius"
She tr0tted off beside her husband.
twisting her neck TO look up at him and
twittering like bird all the time. Mr..
Ashbel smiled down on her. seldom speak
ing, but keeping hold of the hand on
his arm, lest he miss the connection for
lIt ldll-tOLStlUUs sSlBIl-luDgu1He WHICH lau
come TO mean SO much to them.
We'll, where can we go now?" asked
Margaret. Somewhere away from all
this crowd, l mean"
You don't know the story of the minis
ter, then, who complained that there were
so many people he could never pray, even
in a whisper without his words being crit
icised by half dozen experts before they
reached the ears they were intended for"
Margaret laughed. There's the lake,
Gilbert. You said you went on it great
deal. It's just the place. You can fish
while | read to you. Is that bargain?"
OF course Gilbert assented. By noon
whole chapter Of Blackstone had been
read to him clearly and intelligently. but
for some reason Gilbert found the memory
of it rather vague. The fog of happiness
which bathed him seemed TO act as n
butter to thought. And, very wisely, he
die not attempt to force serious thought |
through it. Content with the air, the sun
shine, the gentle presence of the girl who |
was half his life, he asked no questions of |
the future
garet persisted in reading the "Commen-
taries." and took an odd interest in those
abstrnse speeulations as TO the origin of !
the vague distinctions of the Common |
Law. Besides, she found it very pleasant |
to be out on the bright waters of the lit |
tie lake with its circlet Of verdant hills, |
whose chameleon hues rest the weary
brain and sink into the memory of an |
ideal picture of calmness and rest.
Now and then, when some particular |
entertainment. attracted them both. Mar |
garet and Gilbert joined DR.. and Mrs. !
Ashbel on the foremost seat on the right |
hand side of the center aisle of the am |
phitheater. Finally the great day came
when they sat there with Mrs. Ashbel |
n 1lpna xrhila ha L.
thither, by instinct, from the |
place where he stood behind the little |
desk ON the rostrum
See him look at his manuscript whis- |
pered Mrs. Ashbel on the first of these |
occasions. THE hypocritei He can't see |
4 word at that distance. But he doesn't |
need to. He knows more about the Ante |
Nicene Fathers than they did themselves. |
Isn't he doing splendidly? Oh, | knew he |
would" rs round of applause broke |
through the speakers words.
One evening the little lady complaining |
of headache that could not stand the |
grand oratorio which was to be given, |
though very anxious to hear it, Margaret |
offered to so with DIR. Ashbel to guide his |
literary benighted footsteps among the |
throngs, while Gilbert asked Mrs. Ash |
bel TO walk with him down by the shore, |
where there was less noise and movement |
Getting her salts and a little shawl, she |
trotted away, after many cautions to |
Julius" With her hand in the young |
mans she held her ear-trumpet poised ex-
pectantly.
did you know Margaret's mother is |
coming tomorrow she asked, as soon as |
they were out of hearing of the others. |
What! you didn'tT' as Gilbert's hand |
suddenly closed over hers with a double |
grip. We'll, you needn't squeeze my hand |
quite off, | can take a hint without hay-
ing my fingers crushed in wise. Oh |
you needn't kiss it, now. When you were |
a little shaver I've kissed your fingers to |
cure your bruises often enough, but that |
was long ago, Gilbert. 1t is great rem |
edy for children and young ladies; but |
there is thing woman can never make |
a mistake abOut-she knows in an instant |
whether the lips that touch her hand are |
moved with love for her, or thrill with the |
thought of another. Yes, / know, you've |
been the best of children to your auntie, |
both OF you, and now she's Just as sorry |
for you as she can be. 1t is a shame |
that money and n disgraceful old quarrel |
should stand between you. But you must |
be patient, Gilbert. OF course Margaret |
loves you, but you must let her take her |
own way about finding il out. You've been |
matter of course TO her for so long
that she doesn't realize things-and-and |
there's her mother. Mrs. Keep has not |
been the most judicious nor the most un- |
selfish parent in the world, but she meant |
to be, and. after all, ones mother is ones |
mother. So you must be indulgent with |
Margaret. I'm troubled, though, about |
Mr.. Bettson. He is, on the outside, a |
very fascinating man; and, then, be is so |