The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-23

her." queried Kathryn, sauchy' f
some people do. Bee:'
mo, she didn't said Beatrice. cross
". The truth would not be at all
pleasant for her to tell to these girls
II was bad enough for her to have
to acknowledge even to herself.
Then. what did she say?" asked Al
thea. "Of course. she said something.
Bee Field"
How can you expect me to remem
Der what she said?' retorted Beatrice.
irritably. rising to leave the room. fear
ing lest she be too closely pressed.
Zone seldom remembers details At
such q time. Althea."
But you would" murmured Cora,
disappointedly. yet not daring to fur
ther question this willful sister oi
hers. For. II the truth must be known.
when Beatrice looked as she did at
that moment. Cora was considerably
afraid Of her. You never forget
Beer'
"Yes." said Beatrice. coldly. flashing
her eyes upon Cora. I'm that you are
right, Coral never do forgetr'
But, before you 60" Joined In
Marion. coolly, I'VE shall be glad to
learn what this mans mother does
look like. Beatrice. 1t should be .
qualification to you to describe her If
she is such a disagreeable person"
II did not say that she Is disagree
able. Marion" Beatrice paused in the
doorway.
"Oh. indeed! But you certainly in
sinuated 1t, Bee. You said that she
could not fail to be horrid. being his
mother What else were We led to
expect"
We'll. Of course, she Is horrid" de-
clared Beatrice, desperately. But she
doesn't look 50, Marion! Her face Is
very sweet In expression-mild. you
know-and her eyes are blue. like blue
bells-like Alecia's-and her nair is
the loveliest white. She's q Quaker.
too, and called me thee as though
she loved the word. There! Only
she Is just as horrid. Of course! She
cannot help being horrid, as ! said"
The girl vanished as the last word
was uttered. as though 1t were sorely
bitter for her to be obliged to yield
even this much to the mother Of John
Winthrop. and silence for q moment
fell upon the room.
"wellw exclaimed Cora at last, in
extreme establishment.
well" repeated Kathryn and Al.
thea, lost for any new expression In
the extremity of their curprise.
Beatrice has a way Of making such
mountains out Of mole hills"' said
Marion. scornfully. I'VE might have
known what to believe. 1t would be
well for her to break herself Of that
habit, among others, mamma"
1T Is because she lives and thinks
and feels so intensely. think, Mari.
on" said Frances. quietly. ''She
doesn't dissect what comes to her. as
q naturalist would do. but takes 1t
and lives 1t and feels 1t herself as only
such natures can. 1t isn't q sin In
Bee"
NO" added Alicia. very softly. very
sweetly. "She Is doing this for me.
Marion. Because"
And then silence fell between them.
eloquent with memory.
At that Slime hour. John Winthrop.
just returned to Paris to accompany
his mother and ward back to America
the following week. after their alb
sence Of two years. was sitting with
them at luncheon. discussing the event
Of the morning. He was very pale.
but 1t was the pallor Of strong passion.
and his eyes were flashing with a fire
equal to that Of Beatrice Field stand
ing In the doorway Of her sisters
room.
Jessica Gray. his ward. faced him at
the table. She was tall and graceful.
willowy in figure and movement, with
q subtle litheness about her that sug-
gested the nature Of an indolent
leopard. Her eyes showed this possi-
bility also in their opal calmness, and
the thin. rose-leaf lips were just now
curled In scorn.
She hai lived a quiet life among the
Berkshire Ellis with her guardians
mother, and yet this subtle fire and
ferceness could waken within her bril-.
liantly and her voice soften to q Ian
guor that was fascinating when she
would. She often startled the gentle
Quaker lady sitting near her son with
her snowy hair smooth and soft and
her gentle face pleading with them
for kindly thought Of the willful girl
who had uttered such reckless words.
You should not have ventured
alone. mother" said John Winthrop.
gravely. His voice was always gentle
addressed to this one woman. She
was the only woman, perhaps. whom
he fully loved and trusted. "Jessica
would have been glad to have accom-
panied you among the shops"
TO be conticued.}