Middletown transcript., 1905-05-06
!. THAT GIRL AT THE COTTAGE !.
BY PHIL ALLSANDER
milne ~ she said.

"Mine ?" she said
"You have given it to me once before"
"Never |" she said. "You are dream
ing, Mr.. Moncrieff. We happened to,sit
side by side for four or five bitter hours a
year ago, but we spoke little, and gave
You nothing, am sure"
eyes, you did-a cup OF tea"
Christian Earle laughed lightly, and
was on her feet in moment.
1T won't seem odd to ask for it, be-
cause often have it here when there il
extra work to do," she said eagerly. If
YOU really want half an hour Of qnietnes>
will bring just the one cup, and then
no one will be any the wiser. Don't the
servants know that You are here ?'''
mo. | skulked into the house like
the veriest thief.
She laughed again and disappeared.
In surprisingly short time she returned
with tray in her hands, which she set
down at his side upon small table.
"There! But you mustn't be more
than half an hour. 1t would hurt your
mother if she knew. And | won't speak
a word while you are resting. Do yon
like sugar? p
Again the old astonishment stole over
him as he watched her in her little grace
full acts of ministration. This village
schoolmistress This the girl who was
dedicated to the dreariest OF dreary rou-
tines? Impossible
"How thin your hands are Y she said
involuntarily as she gave him his tea.
"You must have been very i'll, I'm afraid.
There, don't answer me, but sit quite
still for half an hour Twenty past four.
At ten minutes to five you must 60 to
Mrs. Moncrieff. So take care of your
minutes"
She returned TO the table, and the soft
click OF her pen was the only sound which
broke the stiffness.
"Do you know" he said abruptly be-
fore ten minutes had gone by, II shall be
in dead sleep in moment if you don't
turn around and talk to me and, once
asleep, can't answer for it that they
could arouse me before Doomsday"
She wheeled around with look OF
concern in her eyes, put down her pen,
and leaned her slim hands over the back
Of the old Chippendale chair. The faint
freight glimmered full on her large eyes
and white face.
"Tell me how the year has gone with
your he said suddenly. He found it
difficult to remember the difference in
their social standing. He was conscious
only that opposite to him sat girl whose
charm allured and whose glance subdued
"You didn't catch cold that night? You
like your pupils? You are happy here?"
Il am quite happy" she said meclan-
icalIy.
Happy people-unless they are people
who have been on battefields- -oughtn't
to look as white and thin as you do. fou
are a mere shadow Of the young lady
whom left behind year ago. Why
is that ?"
And because John Moncrieff's voice
had always note Of kindly chivalry in it
when lie spoke to women, and because
there was no one else in the wide world
who was concerned about her, Christian
Earles self-repression suddenly gave way,
and the next moment she had laid her
head on her arms and was sobbing bitterly.
In such woman such emotion spoke
volumes. But such woman had i'm
mense self-control. She got up after
moment, resting her hands on the table
for support. She kept her eyes away
from him.
81 am miserably ashamed that should
have given way so,'' she said. Il can
never forgive the selfishness of it. | am
unhappy, because | have great many
things on my mind. I'shall come and
tell them to your father soon but not
yet. Please forgive me, and forget it
It was just the unexpectedness of your
question and my physical weakness.
Goodbye! shall never forgive myself
if | have spoilt your half hour y
And, before he could anticipate her
movement, she was gone. lie sat down
and stared into the fire, thinking over
this curious Homecoming. He remem-
bered that for the first time she had
spoken to him frankly, unreservedv, and
as his equal. She was his equal-in tact,
in self-control, in gracious dignity, in fine
instincts. Schoolmistress or no, this was
the woman who had made deeper,
more permanent impression upon him
than any other woman in the world. lie
remembered tie ease with which she had
met those awkward jests OF Susan Merri-
Wales a year ago, the frank courage Of
her demeanor in danger, her charm Of
manner towards her interiors, all Of
which lie had then maryeled at.
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