Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
CHAPTER XIV.
Fairlie Takes Up the Tale.


trust has shown me the need of it. so as
best / may ] set to my task. Properly
l ought to begin with the first coming
among us of Mr.. Rupert Glendonwyn- But
that I need not do. for it has been told
already by more practiced pen than
mine.
Nevertheless It dweIls in my memory
strangely. for I seem to have grown up
from that night.
For the rest, all that follows came out
of Mr.. Rupert GlendonwYn's meeting with
me that night, following me home. be
cause tas he said afterward) he thought
me innocent and pretty-tOO good for John
which eventuated in the love he pro
fessed land l think had for our Kate-I
mean for my sister.
1t began. as | say. from that very first
Dight. Yes | can see it all now. and Won
der how l can have been so blind. But
Che truth is l was thinking of other things
sNselfsh things. For the school and my
cork there were especially interesting
Shout that time.
I could see however. even that first night
that Kate thought a great deal too much
about Mr.. Rupert Glendonwyn. She dis
liked him. she said. and that in itself was
n sign Before she went out she whispered
to me not to leave her alone. Yet for all
that. she went to the stable door and held
the lantern for him while he got his beast
ready. ] think. now that she was afraid
of him. and Vet never have felt afraid of
any one before in her life she wanted to
find cut what it meant. and so played with
the fire tin 1t burnt her
Well when at last they were gone. my
father and 7 stood looking after them.
There gangs a GlerdOnwyn like to rane
ever set eye upon he said, but my
father used 10 tell me tales of one such"
"Oh. tell me about him. father" I cried.
clappinS my hands For anything that
concerned the Glendonwyns pleased me at
that tine-heCaUse We were really Of the
same family. that il.
1T would little conduce to edifyirg," he
said, sternIy. get thee to thy bed lass.
and give God thanks for thy ignorancei
Where is that bosom Kate-already nested,
I warrant. the slug-a-bedt'
This was my fathers ordinary way Of
showing his love for US, which, indeed, We
never doubted.
Then. when I went upstairs I began pratt
Ting like foolish child about the brothers
while I was letting down my hair. And
Kate was cross. saying from her pillow, IF
you are going to speak nonsense, take the
hairpins out of Your mouth first / hate
your GIendonwyns. JaCk-master and Jack
man. But if It pleases you to talk, pray do
# Ike a Christian"
Whereat. thinking that perhaps she was
tired with her baking and spinning, 1 went
TO the bedside to kiss her. when, 10. she
would not let me, but pushed me pettishly
with her elbow telling me not to worry
her. And then again in a minute when
waxed silent with the rebuff, she bust out
that every one was uukind to her and that
she would not speak a word without its
being misunderstood
So I went and kissed her again, whether
she would or no. putting my arms about
her and brushing her. And in another mo-
ment she laughed and pretended that she
Just did It all to tease me. But / knew bet
ter, oh. so much better l knew exactly
why she did 1t, and how she felt: but there
Is no good In setting 1t down here. A man
could never understand If one explained
for q year, and no woman would need to
be told.
Talk all YOU want to talk about your
great. foolish John" she said He has q s
much romance about him as a plate of por-
ridge"
Now that provoked me. for had always
liked John GlendOnwyn, and of late Cwhy
need I hide IT'D I had begun to respect him.
He was so kind about carrying my books
for me and about the Latin.
So when ] retorted on Kate that John was
worth a thousand OF people who curled
their hair and made eyes and were for
ever paving compliments Kate sat up in
bed and laughed aloud.
How can you compare them" she said,
81 cannot think. John is we'll enough. He
IS as 1 say. like a plate of porridge and
has about as much favor. But Mr. Rupert
Is Travelled gentleman. He looks Just like
one of the old crusaders who carried the
GlendOnwyn arms on their knightly shields
10 Palestine and died charging into hosts
of Saracens upon the plains of-well. upon
some plains. anyway"
At this point I could not help smiling at
Hates enthusiasm.
"Oh. you need not taught am not speak
ing for myself" she cried. Il did not like
him at all at first. and now I hate him;
yes. absolutely. But yet one cannot help
seeing that he IS very different from the
other young men who come here. And
what voice.
And so on till I could not help saving:
We'll. Kate. you are not asked to have
John Glendonwyn that I know Of He does
not trouble you much"
Whereat she turned quickly Cbeing of a
very affeCtiOuate nature realy) ana, CRYING
why. Fairlie." she kissed me into good
humor again.
Ny poor poor darling Kate, Often. often
IN the weary days that We're coming have
thought over these things. and wondered II
you yourself would not have preferred the
lack of romance and mystery to all the ro-
mantle and mysterious things which hap
pened TO US. But will own that she never
said So and even when far away was never
tired of Joking me about my plate of por-
ridge" as she was pleased to call the
truest and most loyal of friends.
! did not notice much that went on be-
tween Mr.. Rupert and my sister till John
went away back to college on the morning
Of the 18th of January. 1 remember the
date because I had worn all my pretty
things during the first fortnight of the wear
and Kate lent me a pink bodice of hers that
she had only worn twice. I said that l
might be rObbing her. And she answered,
ION, You are welcome to 1t. Rupert does
not Ike
And then stopped short in confusion l
looked at her in amazement, but did not say
anything then. For l wanted to be down
at the school early that morning-before the
coach started, indeed, when John would
come into the school to say goodbye to the
rector. ! had promised him and / knew
that he would be dreadfully disappointed II
] were not IN the infant department
So ! put on Hates bodice with the sash
John liked. and went off, but In my heart
boarded her words concerning Rupert and
meant TO speak to her about them at
night For. though IL was very well for
John to be fond OF me, It was not at all the
Same thing for his brother to make love 10
Kate. And afterward l found out that
John had said just the same things to Mr..
Rupert GlendOnwyn that l meant to say 70
Kate-which is a strange thing. and shows
how the mind of two such friends as We
were may run upon the same lines
John did come into the Infants depart
rnent. ] was getting down the maps which
were always rolled up from Friday nigh,
TO Monday morning. / always liked well
enough to roll them up at the week-ends
but the days never seemed so long as when
I was taking them down on Monday morn
ing.
/ observed in Johns old diary the entry
FOR the 18th Of January runs thus: Found
F in schoOlroOm. Helped her unroll maps,'