The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-04-23

/ cried more than ever
"Naturally-you would!"
"It made him fancy J. was hurt.
and he lectured nurse quite severely
on the sinfulness of letting her an,
CRY passions rise. He told her she
ought to be patient with me and win
my affection, and govern me by kind.
ness, not by force. 1t made me feel
good to listen to him, and I know it
made me think what a bad woman
nurse really was"
self?"
son the contrary, she said a great
deal. She said I was willful and pas
sionate, and everything that was con-
Trajectory and unmanageable, and
there was only one way of dealing
with me, and that was by Furnishing
me and making me do as I was told"
"The dear old vicar didn't admit
that, I hope?"
HE was angry with her. He said
there were more ways than one in
which I could be managed. He said
I was high-spirited and self-willed
and obstinate"
"What a dear old friend!"
"He told her I was one of those
| who could not be driven, but 1 could
very easily be led, and all that was
necessary was a little tact"
II hope it did the Nurse good?"
"Only for a few minutes. AS soon
as we turned a bend of the road, and
were out of his sight, she shook her
finger at me, and said she didn't care
for the vicar, he was an old donkey,
and the next time I disobeyed her
she would make mt remember it,"
"What did you say to that?"
Charley at once"
II knew you would"
81 suppose I I'M naturally perverse.
It is always the same-if anybody is
anxious that I should do anything, T
feel a natural impulse not to do it;
and if anybody does not want me to
do it, then somehow I don't want to
do anything else. 1t was this feeling
that made me run off with Charley
almost before the nurse had finished
speaking"
"Did she punish you again?"
"She couldn't catch me-"
Il guessed as much. Who CAM"
He gazed at her meaningly, with a
wry shake of the head, and she
llushed and laughed, as understand
ing him.
Il ought to know" he sighed.
"Now you are going to be silly
again."
"No; I've given it up. I've been
silly twice, but I am trying to be
sensible now"
"You find it d%ificult?"
"It's not so easy as being silly. I
suppose it never is, for anyone. But
I've got to persevere-I've got to
make the best of my miserable lot
somehow, you know"
$50 very unhappy, is it?"
SAT present-yes. But I daresay I
shall get used to it. When one has
been living in the tropics, and is
banished to the North Pole, he feels
at first like perishing in the cold;
but in time he becomes so thoroughly
acclimatized that if ever he we're al
lowed to return he would certainly
die of a sunstroko."
"And are you thinking of going to
the North Pole?"
Il am there already" he said. 81
have been there for some weeks, and
am beginning to get reconciled to
the climate. I am making up my
mind to marry and settle down there,
and try to forget how happy I used
to be before I was an exile. You have
heard, no doubt?"
Heard what?"
"These things generally get about
fast enough. l made sure you would
have heard"
perhaps I have. When you tell
me what you are referring to"
81 thought I had. TO my marriage,
of course"
She gave him a quick, startled look,
but said nothing.
"You had heard?"
"No."
Her speech and manner had under
gone a sudden curious constraint;
when she spoke, her voice had such
a far-off, alien sound, she could
scarcely believe it was her own.
"Well, nov you have, you don't con.
graduate me-"
II do. Of course 1 do"
"Thanks-I had hoped"
"That I wouldn't? Why shouldn't
1 congratulate you, az much as any
n else, on your happiness?"
Because I am not happy"
"Not? Then why are you"
"For that very reason-because ]
am not happy. How can 1 be happy
while I am always in suspense, ant
hoping after the impossible? If
definitely cut myself off from that
happiness, and my last hope of it
1 may be able to settle down into
some sort of resigned peacefulness
you see. I can't hope for more thar
that now There was a time when
hoped-but you know what?"
She remained silent, clasping ant
unclasping her hands on her lap in
dreamy b~ewilderment.
"When I first told you that 1 lovet
you, Netta,"-all trace of gayety ant
Indifference seemed to have fallel