The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10

l dldn Know that / was doing wrong"
Not know that you were doing wrong
indeedr' scoffed my aunt. What next?
You must have been aware-we have made
no secret of it-you must have been aware.
l say. of the match which your uncle
and 1 have arranged for Ralph"
II knew. Of course. that you
w-wanted R-Ralph to marry L-Lady
Gwendolen; but he d-doesn't i-love her.
and"
Good heavensr' CALCULATED my aunt.
throwing up her hands in gesture of
shocked and scornful amazement. Ralph
not love heri Well. WE'LL What can the
world be coming TO. 1 wonder, when a
chit of a girl, mere schoolroom miss,
talks openly about love in connection with
a young MANI"
lin grown up. aunt" l faltered.
I'm eighteen, you know"
when I was eighteen. Katherine.
would have died sooner than have said
anything so indeiieate.
At that minute my uncle came in My
aunt at once addressed herself to him
Rupert she said, Il have just been
telling Katherine what we think of her
disgraceful conduct 1 am sorry to say.
however, that she does not at all realize
the Nervousness of her offence. She has
even told me that she did not know she
was doing wrong.
"Nonsensel humbug!'' said my uncle.
sternly. "Of course. she knew
And she has had the face to assure me,
in so many words. that Ralph does not
love Lady Gwendolen. A nice state OF
affairs, when naidens in their teens con-
stitute themselves the critics of young
mems Affections
''scandafous,'' assented my uncle.
But as have explained to Katherine
went on my aunt, "this-this affair with
Ralph must cease at once. Our boys
mr. a
any such prepoSterous nonsense
II should think not, said my uncle, de-
cideily. This marriage with Lady Gwen
dolen will be the making of Ralph. With
aspire to anything
There, Katherine. you hear what your
uncle says. Now, surely, after that, you
viii have sufficient proper feeling to give
up all idea of Ralph. Even Thoughts I
fear is the case--you have an appalling
lack of due maidenly reserve, yet you
will not wish your uncle and me to feel
that in giving you home We have nour-
ished a serpent in our BOSOM"
NO. hang it," said my uncle. don't
be little serpent, Kittie."
II am not a little serpent" / Sobbed,
land / wish | had never come to be nour-
ished in your bosom. And OH Tll-Pn-gO
away this very day and never see any Of
you again
Pooh, Katheriner retorted my aunt
Don't be absurd and fly into Mysteries.
just because you are spoken to. Go away?
Indeed you will not. You are still under
my control, you foolish child, though you
are eighteen. Now dry your eyes, ike
sensible girl, and get ready to accompany
me to church"
Church, eh?' exclaimed my uncle.
" i-isnt Sunday. What are you going to
church for?'
For a very good reason. Rupert. Be-
cause 1t is the Feast OF the Epiphany"
Cad, Maria" laughed my uncle, twirl-
ing his mustache. No half measures will
do for you, by Jove. And ever since
you've been bitten with the High Church
manila
Silence, Rupert 1 will not hear you
talking of sacred things with such shock
ing levity. 1t would do you all the good
in the world to accompany us to church
But l suppose 1t is useless to ask you?
"Quitei' rejoined my uncle, quickly.
mo time, you see. | shall be awfully
busy helping the young people get ready
for our tableaux vivants and other
Twelfth Night revels.
81 wish you would think more of the
Christian aspect of the festival" re-
marked my aunt, severely. land less of its
heather side. AS churchman. 1t Is your
bounden duty 10 observe the Church's
featsts.
"Ah. we'll" said my uncle "The old
ways are good enough for me, Maria
And so they used to be for you. by Jove,
And when you were a girl, I'll be sworn,
you scarcely knew that there was such a
feast as the Epiphany; but you always re-
served it con amOre. too
Il was guilty of many frivolities in my
youth for which l am sorry now, Ru-
pert"
"Egad," continued my uncle, what pip
ing jaunts those were! We knew how TO
enjoy ourselves then better than the
young people do now, in these days of
blase swells and used-up bellies You rec
ollect the Twelfth Night, Maria-the
Twelfth Night-when we sat out Sir Roger
de Coverley. and you were such an I'M
considerable time making up your mind
to say yeS-eh?"
You need not allude to that now. Ru-
pert"
..Ah. what rout that was, And what
a ravishins little witch you looked, in
your shOrtwaisted muslin, and ringlets,
and sandals, and frilled what-d'ye-call-
'emsi"
Hush, hush, Rupert"
My aunt blushed little. But ! thought
that she seemed not altogether ilI-pleased
at the picture which my uncle was recall
ing.
"Gadi You were the image of Kittie,
here-only prettier And what q dickens
of a buck l was, in my pdntaloons and
bottle green swallowtail and shirt fr.-lsi
| felt a match for our then most Teli s.Ols
and gracious king-the first gentleman in
Europe. And 'slife | dare swear that If
even he had been a sutton for your hand,
you'd still have chosen mech, Maria?'
"Of course. | should, Rupert"
Lord Lord chuckled my uncle.
that night. He had made sure you'd have
him. And you gave him the gO-by for
me-a mere nobody. 'Gomned coatful of
detrimental impertnence. as his lordship
was pleased TO style me in very audible
aside All. neither you nor | remembered
much about the Epiphany that nighti'
Il sometimes wish that the SWail0wtailS
and pantaloons would come into vogue
again." said Aunt Maria; you have never
looked so well as you did In them, Ru-
pert. All. you We're a handsome man
then. my dear."
Yes. yes: so I was And, by the Lord.
I knew it, But. alas, youth anu beauty
fly all too quickly" said my uncle, with
Il sigh and sentsutious wag of his head
My aunt now looked at her watch.
Dear mer' she exclaimed. "Half past
10. Unless We make haste. we shall be
late for church. Katherine. Sun and put
on your bonnet Mt once"
During our walk to church Aunt Maria
continued her remarks about my cousin
Ralph. Besides decauting on the absurd
ity of our attachment and making much
capital out of the supposed fact that I
was too young to know my own mind, she
ad1ured me again by my gratitude 10 her
self. my regard for Ralph. to do my OBJ
vious duty in the matter. and give him up.
She also added that my uncles heart was
set on the match with Lady Gwendolen;
and that If Ralph married against his
will he would certainly disinherit him.
And surely 1 would not bring that calam-
ity on one for whom | prOfessed to care.
The right course lay pam before me II
| was a girl of any proper feeling l should
not hesitate to follow II.
l felt awfully miserable. OF course-in
the circumstances could not attend to
word of the service; I was thinking all
the while of Ralph, and what l really
ought to do. 1t was cruel, unfeelng, I'M
reasonable of aunt and uncle. II was I'M
like them, too. to be so hard. Perhaps
they might come around after all But
MOI I was afraid they would not. Their
hearts were so thoroughly set on the
match with Lady Gwendolen, who. as