The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-03-14

| that her apparently sudden giving up
of her life as it faced this other life
was wrong. There was a tremor in
the thought of unseemly haste un-
| worthy of SO sacred an event.
But, as the days went by, she found
it was not so. ole did not know all,
herself, but the experience that had
come to her lent strength to her re-
solve to prove herself worthy of the
faith he had said he had in that kind
of life, the life she had chosen. At
the same time, she faced with a gray
ity that was making her older than
her years, the fact that the very ma
ture of her position would make it
impossible fo~ her ever to realize an
answer to her own heart from his.
So it was with mingled feelings of
| ambition that Barbara took up the
daily round again. The results of the
evening so far as her own position
was concerned were insignificant.
Mrs. Dillingham; kept her word, and
called on Barbara's mother. She also
sent note to Barbara, inviting her
to call; and little later she even in
Guided her in a quiet afternoon tea
at her house.
Barbara ought to have accepted
these overtures, for they represented
good deal of courage on Mrs. Dill
ingham's part. Barbara regretted
little later that she had not gone.
But she had at the time, after that
one night at Mrs. Vane's, concluded
that she had attempted thing that
was of no value. She would approach
the matter from another side. She
was trying to think it all out, and
had many talks with Mrs. Ward and
Mrs. Vane about it, when an event oc-
Cured that threatened to interrupt
all her plans and prove a real and
serious crisis in her life as a servant.
1t must have been three weeks aft
er that evening at Mrs. Vane's when
Alfred came home from college for a
few days. He had not been in the
house an hour before Barbara was
annoyed by his attentions. They
were so marked that his mother no.
ticed it. Barbara was intensely in
dignant, and Mrs. Ward was much
disturbed over it. In the afternoon,
Barbara could hear loud voices in the
sitting-room; and in the midst of it
all Carl came out into the kitchen,
crying and trembling, and saying
that his mother and Alfred were
quarreling. Barbara, knowing what
it was all about, could not help feel
ing relieved when the voices ceased;
and after time Mrs. Ward came out
and had a talk with Barbara, apollo
giving for Alfred and promising that
there wOuIu be no recurrence of the
matter.
Barbara listened in silence, and
when Mrs. Ward was through she
said: "Alfred never. would have be-
haved as he did if he had not been
drinking"
do you mean to say that Alfred
drinks?" Mrs. Ward almost shrieked.
The experiences of the morning had
given her one of her headaches.
"He does. He drank when he was
here last fall"
81 can't believe it possible. He has
nervous headaches. He bathes his
head in alcohol to relieve it. He has
told me so many times" exclaimed
Mrs. Ward, Indignantly.
"But 1 know he was drinking this
haved so. No gentleman would ever
have spoken to me as he spoke, Mrs.
Ward, if he hadn't been under the in
1uence of liquor"
Mrs. Ward lost her temper. After
wards, in quiet thoughtfulness, Bar
bara knew that her nervous tension
was responsible for what she did.
Its not true! You are too much
given to thinking of yourself. You
are too good for your place..
"Then, if I'm too good for my
place, perhaps L had better not stay
in it," spoke up Barbara in a sudden
passion. But she was not an angel
nor perfect, only a girl, worn out,
perhaps, with the constant toll; and,
at any rate, she was sorry for it the
minute she spoke.
you can leave any time. The
sooner, the better!" Mrs. Ward said.
"I'm sorry" Barbara began.
''You needn't say anything. The
sooner you leave, the better. We
have all been worried to death over
you ever since you camel" CALCULATED
Mrs. Ward: and, bursting into a hys-
terical fit of weeping, she retired to
the lounge in the sitting-room.
If Barbara had waited until the
weeping was over, and then gone in
and told Mrs. Ward she had decided
not to leave until her week was out,
Mrs. Ward would have apologized.
But the quickest passion is reused