Middletown transcript., 1904-03-12

comfortable wicker chair. was startled q
little later by clear voice speaking
at her elbow.
i Mrs. Deane, ! am sorry to leeve go
soon, but mustgo back now. Alan is
coming.
| Then Of course you must 60, my dear,
said Mrs. Deane, sitting up and smiling
drowsily at her. wish he could have
come with You, but don't suppose he
would care for this sort of thing
| ! don't suppose he would, said Stella
rather drily. No-please don't get up
/ 7Tou must be very tired. But am sure
that the girls have enjoyed themselves
hugely.
| Yes-it has been great success, I
think. thanks to you and the others, my
dear. Give my love to Molly. I shall
come to see her tomorrow. Iwish she
could 60 away for change. She looks
worn out with anxiety.
| Stella sighed.
am sure that she feels go. but she
4 won't confess it !; she says that she gets
plenty of rest. Do come and lecture her
tomorrow, Mrs. Deane. Now / must be
| off.
She went out by the little gate farthest
from the tennis-ground. A glance over
her shoulder had shown her that the
game was over and that Nina and An
thony were standing together again and
were absorbed in merry talk. She held
her little head high, and there was
scarlet flush in her cheeks as she went
quickly up the valley path. ItSwas noth-
ing to her whom Anthony chose to amuse
himself with-of course. But after being
away for whole week he might have
talked to her little before devoting
himself SO entirely to Nina. The next
time they met she would show him what
she thought ofhis behavior.
Suddenly the sound of an eager step
behind her made her heart leap. She
walked on however as though she had
not heard it, with a satisfied smile steal
ing over her face. She had not expected
to have an opportunity of Furnishing Mr..
Anthony SO soon. In moment he was
by her side.
Let me carry that basket, he said, try
ing to take it from her. Are these pansies
for Miss Mary Mrs. Deane's pansies are
finer than anybody's. But how soon you
are going homel You have left them all
bewailing.
Stella would not give up her basket.
There is no reason why You should be
torn away from them as we'll, she said
coldly. Please go back.
Anthony looked at her wonderingly
Her voice was not as cool as she fancied
there was Enthusiastically temper in it.
Let me walk little way with you, he
said. have not seen you for week. /
want to know more exactly how Miss
Catherine is.
Stella made no attempt TO walk on,
and her gray eyes were as cold and as
unreeponslve as pebbles.
The doctor says that che is better, but
we can see no change. told you that
just now. Molly looks very pale. But
you will gee for yourself tomorrow. OF
course she will expect you. We heard
that You were coming back to-day.
came back two hours ago. / was.
thinking OF walking to the Grange with
You to see Miss Mary, but if you would |
rather did not
This was taking her at her word far too
readily. Stella felt that if he had really |
wanted to accompany her he would have |
shown much more eagerRess.
No-please 60 back she said sharply.
There may be other pupils waiting for
you and Miss Chiicot. 1t would be pity |!
to disappoint them.
She gave him a cool little nod, and |
walked on with her head in the air. An
thony gazed after her for moment and |
then slowly retraced his steps. 1t was
perfectly plain to him that Stella was
very much vexed about something.
Could she possibly suppose that he had |
wanted to play that stupid game with |
Nina Chilcot instead of talking to her |
Was she angry with him because she be-
lieyed that2 The mere thought sent a |
throb Of delight through him. For Stella |
angry with him was better than Stella |
Indifferent. But the next moment he |
laughed bitterly at himself for his foolish |
presumption. A thousand things might |
have happened to annoy Stella that he |
knew nothing of. And probably Creigh-
ton was waiting for her in the woods. |
What fool he had been to offer to &C. |
company her! OF course she did not |
want him.
Stella went homewards along narrow
footpath that led by roundabout way |
through the woods to the back of the |
house. II was the sweetest of woodland |
paths, carpeted with soft turf on which |
the sunlight played through interIacing
boughs. After some distance it opened |
iHto o iaify-iihS SpdCc Sffufeu Dy Olu
trees, where spring of clean water
bubbled up continually in mossy basin |
sunk deep in the turf under the shade Of
mountain-ash.
This was the /" Wishing Well.n Years
ago Stella had crept out at sunrise one
midsummer morning to wish that Tony
would spend his holidays at Deepdene
and not with his uncle in Yorkshire, as
had been arranged, and thrill of won
dering belief in the virtues OF the old |
well had gone through her when she
heard few days afterwards that Sir
George HALEY had been ordered to
Homburg, and that Tony was conse-
quentIy coming home as usual.
She had told Anthony about this as
they had stood by the well the last time
she had come this way. It was one of the
walks which, she had forbidden herself
when with Alan. She felt as if some
sweet hidden charm would vanish for
ever il she brought him thara