Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
knew all too %eln But even then my


She stood looking at 4le with wide, shiny
eyes-something 90 hunted and desperate
In them that / shiverede Yet there was
certain strange pride and pleasure in them
as wen. thougnt She was not going to
speak to me, SO r crfed%again, holding her
by the arm: III
''Kate-tell me1speakl.!.to mel What are
you doing dressed like this? Where are you
She answered me in one sentence. still
fixing me with that fascinated. half-uncon-
scious gaze: M sH
II am going away toobe married to Ru-
Married. I erfed. "Kate-and you never
told me! Oh. Kates'.r
He would not let ine,s' she answered. "1
was coming back tonight. No one is to
And our fatheE?' I said. For he never
could abide either Of US long out Of his
sight
MY father is gone to Drumfern on busi-
ness, she said. He will not be back to-
night. I have left a note with VIII telling
him had gone out to see a friend, and
that the tea was In the teapot, and every
thing ready for you and the boys. Why
could you not have stayed till your usual
timer could have got back without any
one knowing. Rupert will be SO angry"
All this she said without touch Of her
old, defiant self, speaking almost like one
in Dream. with difference very obvious
to me. yet somehow difflcult to express.
Instantly I took my resolution. In some
things John says I am much more deter
mined than either Kate or himself And
from that hour of my asserting myself I
took a new place with her.
Kate l said, "if you go, I am going
with you, understand that. What is right
for You to do Is right for me to see! will
not leave you till you go off with the man
who Is your husband before all the world"
Kate-our Independent Kate-so proud
and disdainful, lifted her hands in fright
ened fashion and cried: "Oh, Fairlie, Fair
lie-wlat will Rupert SaE?'
We had not long to wait for what Rupert
said A carriage came along with the Win
dows up, and stopped a hundred yards OPP
posite the clump of great, neglected trees
which had grown up about the neglected
burying ground of the Glendonwyns.
THAT is the signal" she said. Il am to
go to meet him now
She lifted her bahdbox, and turning to-
ward me, she opened her lips as If to make
a last appeal.
IT wish you would go home, Fairlie," she
cried Il am afraid that Rupert will be SO
Let him. I answered hoping to stir her
out of her strange insensbility by sharp
ness. eff he is ashamed Of getting you for
his wife, he is not worth having for hus-
band.
"Ah, you do not know-you do not
know" she said earnestly, laying her hand
on my breast. He is all that is noble and
good. And I love him.
"Well," said I, at Is high time for him
to show his goodness and nobility now.
My sister Is not going to be married with
out having me for a bridesmaid! So much
Is very clear to me-"
All the while we had been walking to-
ward the old mausoleum, the white walls
Of which cleaned above the trees. Kate
stepped aside, turned sharply round the
trunk of a tree which in the course of
years had pushed its way through the wall
and then moldered partly away leaving
narrow passage, by which 1t was easy
enough to enter the inclosure. followed
her toward the little chapel by a trodden
path, and, lol there on a stone seat In the
deep embrasure of the porch sat Mr.. Ru-
pert GlendonWyn smoking a cigarette, and
apparently dreaming.
At our approach, however, he threw down
the little bit Of lighted paper and sprang
to his feet. I think he was just going to
clasp Kate in his arms, with rapturous
cry when he caught sight Of me on the
path a step or two behind. His arms drop
ped promptly to his side, and he turned
upon my sister with look half savage,
half inQuiring.
Il knew it kneH it, she cried. knitting
her hands piteously. IT told Fairlie SO.
could not help Fairlie coming, Do not be
SO angry. Rupertl She, will go back If you
ask her!" -
She laid her hand on his arm as she
spoke. He touched her cheek lightly with
his lips, and then looked over her shoulder
at me.
Your company does us an unexpected
honor. mademoiseile!' he said.
But would not be, put down. least Of all
by Mr.. Rupert Glendenwyn.
Not more unexpected than the honor
you have done me, SIR said.
What do you mean?' he asked. frown
gathering between his handsome brows.
II mean the honor Of taking away my
sister from her family to cheat her with
clandestine marriager' I said boldly. 1.-THE
honor Of meeting her here, when you have
reason to know that my father and have
been hoodwinked and got rid Of
think I said these words
Mr.. Rupert Gendonwyn blushed for the
first and only time in his life. He looked
at me. and started back at him.
"Mademoiselle" he said, you do me
wrong. 1 will tell you in a word how mat
tiers stand with 1 love your sister-love
her as l never thought to love woman.
(She drew nearer to him as he spoke, and
he put a protecting arm about her waist)
But l dare not-cannot marry her openly
at present. Yet to marry we are resolved
We will not chance losing one another. My
father wishes me to marry for money. My
careless folly before I had this to live for
Che patted Kates cheek has crippled the
family estate. My father has sacrificed a
large sum (and it may be more than that
to save me from ruin I cannot in justice
make his efforts vain. In year or so the
need for concealment will pass away-in-
deed, things will be better soon as my
brother is settled in his parish. Kate will
then be my wife before all the world as
today l am going to make her in law and
in fact"
And as he bent down to kiss her she
looked up at him with the same great
adoring eyes. ] stood in wonderment. In
this fascinated love-sick girl l could not
see our swift, nervous, free-spoken Kate
But none knows till the thing is tried how
love will take any woman when it comes
to her once for all.
OF course when I heard these things I
had nothing more to say, save that l would
go with them to be Hates witness and
bridesmaid, as we had always promised
each other should be the case.
To my surprise, Mr.. Rupert Glendonwyn
made no objections He only said, II
brought Warner with to drive I think
you have met him. You will in that case
have no objections to a little of his society.
1t Is true, we need couple Of witnesses"
where is the marriage to take placer"
I asked and at the question Mr.. Rupert,
who was walking in front, with Kate on
his arm, half turned his head and smiled
quzZically over at me-.
Trust me-" he said. See how Kate
trusts me- Take little lesson, pray you,
mademoiselle from your elder sister"
Nay" l answered sharply; that Is Just
the very reason why ! cannot trust you at
all-not one inch farther than l can see
you"
I'm that case I can only ask mademoiselle
to do me the honor to wait and be con-
vinced," he replied, and in another moment
he had passed out of the private pathway
leading from what had evidently been their
Sr,k, -