The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-02-22

touch Of reality in Shsila's life. the first
time that the responsibility of woman
hood was plain to her. She grew shy
suddenly and looked away. The eyes
that were so childish filled with tears,
and he felt a brute. Listen" she said.
"You are not right, you are not kind to
blame me. 1t isn't my fault. Do you
want to marry an undine, a girl without
q souli At least listen first. It is now
more than IS years ago that was born
on All Hallows' eve. Well, perhaps you
know-no, Of course you don't-that if a
newborn babe is not carefully watched
on that night the fairies who are always
seeking for human souls will come and
steal its soul away and give in exchange
the mind of one Of their own little ones.
My nurse, my old Norah, has often told
me how she was called away that night
just as my mother died, and / was left
for a few minutes, alone, unmatched.
And then, when she came back, she said
there was q wild. frightened look in my
face, q look Of loss-it may have been
caused by the passing Of my mothers
soul, but she thinks it was Of sorrow fog
my own. OF course she did not tell me
this as little thing, but she would often
or thoughtless, 'Ah, but it is not the
mavourneen's fault And 30, when ]
grew older, found out why she never
scolded me. And you know I think she
probably was right I never was as
other children are, never chung to or
cared for those who cared for me. Like
them, never wanted comfort or consol.
ing from human beings. / would always
wander out alone into the woods, when
would hear the little people laughing in
the ferns, and the birds would come and
sing to me. Why, you must see the ami
mails do not treat me as they do the rest
of you. They know. And do you sup
pose the flowers and the leaves whisper
you the same stories they do to me? All,
no! I am better off in many ways. And
then l read In books that there Is a voice
inside people telling them what is right
and wrong-I never hear it-and that
there Is a God above whom we should
thank for all our happiness-I can't see
why we should not rather blame him II
we were unhappy-and that we should
love human beings better than animals.
Again, can't see why. Birds are much
more beautiful, and they love me just as
well. Don't you see how different l am
from you? know nothing, but should
like to learn. If you care to teach me,
you may, Ronald, but remember I have
warned you. 1 have never learned to
love, and it won't be all my fault II we
do fail"
Her speech had not all been made at
once-he had stopped her several times
with EXPLANATIONS of doubt and of dis
sent-but when she had finished he drew
her close to him "I'll take the risk" he
said.
But oftener In the summer that follow
ed this spring, while the pale green turn
ed to a darker hue and the cornhelds
changed the color of their sheen, did
Ronald Greville wonder whether he had
done well. At the time he had answered
with SOOTHING at the fairy lore, with faith
In the power of his love. But sometimes
even his heart sank. She was such q
child; her moods passed away quickly as
the ripples on the water caused by a
summer wind. Never did he see her SO
serious again. Often did he wonder how
anything SO lovable could seem to have SO
little love to give. True. when he would
snatch some days from his regimental
duties to visit them, she would meet him
with sparkling eyes and laughing lips,
but so, too, would she bid him farewell
and welcome the next guest, and never
could Ronald convince himself that she
treated him otherwise than as a spoiled
child might treat some indulgent big
brother obedient to her whims, and never
could he discern in her music, the only
true mirror of her mind, trace Of
Infinite passion and the pain
OF finite hearts that yearn-
And then the war broke out, and he
had to go. He had only one day to spend
with her after he received the news that
his regiment was next on the list for en-
barkation. He told her hesitatingly. won
dering what she would say to him, hard
~ knowing what he hoped; whether for
q clinging of soft arms and imploring not
to 90 or courage BETTING a soldiers wife.
She listened, interested as a child in a
fairy tale, little excited too. Then at
the end of his explanations as to duty
coming first, and so forth, she sang
brightly in her clear, birdlike treble:
could not love thee. dear, so much,
Loved ! not honor more.
''That's about it, isn't it. Ronnie?"
With a quick sound he turned on his
heel and left her wondering. The next
morning he went away. Other visitors
were in the house. so they had little op-
portunity for private talk. and neither
sought it. He was hurt-hurt as he did
not think any woman could have power
to hurt him-and she-well, she had new
er seen him angry before and was half
frightened. So, womanlike, she firted
outrageously with a boy cousin all
through breakfast time and said goodby
to Ronald In the front hall-Ladies'
Field.
Secret of BaEgy English Clothes.