The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-02-26
CHAPTER XNU.

do not suspect you Ol any iiihS'
June. with culver in her voice, but l
know that hateful woman has got some
dreadful influence over you, ana Is al
ways plotting to cause unhappiheSs De
tween us. Here | have been away ana
was coming back happy and Delighted 10
see YOU, and | am made wretched the
instant | set foot in the house, ana all
through herr
"No. no." said Tom. BE just. Put the
saddle on the right horse. All through
Madge. If she hadn't come sneaking ana
spyiug up here this morning she wouluh [
have got my back up and made me say
what | did, and which she most richly
deserved. AS for the other poor girl, no
one was ever more mistaken III this "orld
than YOU are about her. Why, she speaks
of you in the Hndest way
"And." proceeded June, working her-
self up more and more, and tears again
rushing to her eyes, "now you have oe,
prived me of my only friend here, ana
the only person | have to amuse me-
hope You will be happy
AT this last stab, given merely IN
naughtiness of temper, Tom rose, might
ily grieved and wrathful. He never SAID
momentary pleasure of wounding, but,
on the other hand, he rarely could be
brought TO retract anything he had once
said.
.Then." he said, ''if that is the case,
heaven help your husband and chlld!
And, with that, he strobe from the room,
leaving June with a sickening sense OF
general misery.
June had some sound good sense when
II was not obscured by temper, as the
sky is blue though the clouds hide its
color. And presently she told herself
that this state of things must be stopped,
and stopped ut once.
So. suddenly she rose, and fled down
stairs TO Toms room. He was sitting
staring goomily in the fire, absorbed, no
doubt, in reflections as miserable rs those
in which she had been indulging upstairs,
but he had refuge and resource which
she had MOTHS pipe.
June had not come to argue, to fight,
the quarrel over again, and possibly to
make worse ending than before; she
had brought flag of truce. and left all
explanations for future time. She sat
herself down on his knee, took the pipe
from his mouth. put her pretty arms
round his neck and her red lips to his, and
said, with Il faltering voice:
"My darling. don't let us have any more
misunderstandings.
And. with that. Tom clasped her pas
sionately to his heart and a sob rose in
his throat. and for the moment they forgot
everything but that they loved each other.
When June paid her promised visit to
\ 4 f.,I4 ha. nh
and uncomfortable in her mind. Madge
would of course expect to hear that she
had vanquished Tom in single combat,
and had come to take her back in triumph
10 the Hall, from which yesterday she had
been so ANONYMOUSLY turned away. But
June was painfully conscious that it was
she who had been vanqushed, for, fear
full of any rupture of their newborn har-
mony, she had not mentioned the name of
either cousin to Tom. She knew instinc-
lively that he would not give in; il he
made any amende to Madge, it would
only be on condition of his wife doing the
same to Agnes.
Her ladyship, therefore, was forced to
answer Madge's eager cross-Questioning
somewhat lamely and haltingly, and grad
ually there came into that shrewd young
lady's face an expression of profound dis
appointment
Then" she said in a mortified tone.
''you did not take my part, and you have
not been even with Tom
MY dear child" replied June, desper-
ately. III you are married to a man, it is
impossible to live in a state of strife ana
Quarrelng with him. unless you want to
hr.a H.. :. H..
gained by my being on bad terms with
Tom
We'll" replied Madge, II don't under
stand it. should have thought you, who
are fifty times cleverer and have fifty
times more spirit than Tom, would have
turned him round your finger. Why, any
child could do IT,"
Two days passed. and. though Sir
Thomas and Lady Nevil were apparently
on the best of terms. neither was really
at ease. June missed Madge and wanted
70 have her back at the Hall, but was
afraid TO breach the subject, and Tom
knew that she missed her cousin. and felt
vexed about the misunderstanding but
was convinced that he would be doing
wrong 10 Agnes and conniving at an in
justice if MRdge returned to her old rela-
tons at the house while Agnes was left
out in the cold.
On the third day June, feeling the hope
lessness of the situation, said. in a mat
ter-of-fact voice at luncheon, in the pres
ence OF the servants:
Shall We ask them all at the rectory
70 come mp and dine tomorrow
And Tom responded most heartily, and
VIVA an enormous sense Of relief: