The Princeton union., 1905-05-04

and deliberate You do not know what
It is to hate-or to care"
Perhaps we do, . said Maggie. .sbut
we say less about It,"
Catrina turned and looked at her
with a queer smile.
| "Less" she laughed. "Nothing-you
say nothing Paul is the same have
seen. know. You have said nothing
since you came to Thors. You have
talked and laughed, you have given
opinions, you have spoken of many
things, but you have said nothing.
You are the same as Paul-one never
knows. know nothing about you.
But like you. You are her cousin?"
eyes"
"And hate her!'
Maggie laughed. She was quite
steady and loyal.
"When you get to know her you will
change, perhaps" she said.
''That seems hardly likely, consider
ing that I have known her since we
were children
Catrina shrugged her shoulders in an
honest if somewhat mannerless refusal
to discuss the side issue. She return
ed to the main question with character
| ist1c stubbornness
II shall always hate her, she said
Il am sorry she is your cousin. I shall
always regret that, and I shall always
hate her. There is something wrong
about her-something none Of you
know except Karl Steinmetz. He
knows everything-Herr Steinmetz.
"He knows a great DEAL" admitted
Maggie.
eyes, and that is why he is sad. Is
it not so?''
| Catrina sat staring into the fire, her
strange, earnest eyes almost fierce in
their concentration.
''Did she pretend that she loved him
at first?" she asked suddenly.
Receiving no answer, she looked up
and fixed her searching gaze on the
face of her companion. Maggie was
looking straight in front of her in the
direction Of the fire. but not with eyes
focused to see anything so near at
hand. She bore the scrutiny without
finching. AS soon as Catrina's eyes
were averted the masklike stiffness of
her features relaxed
"She does not take that trouble now" ,"
added the Russian girl, in reply to her
own question. did you see her to-
night when we were at the piano? NJ.
de ChauXville was talking to her. They
were keeping two conversations going
at the same time. I could see by their
faces. They said different things when
the music was loud. hate her. She
Is not true TO Paul. NJ. de Chauxville
knows something about, her. They
have something in common which is
not known to Paul or to any Of us!
Why do yoa not speak? Why do you
sit staring into the fire with your lips
so close together?'
Because do not think that we shall
gain anything by discussing Paul and
his wife. 1t is no business Of ours"
Catrina laughed-a lamentable, mlrth-
less laugh. II
THAT is because she is your cousin,
and he-he is nothing to you. You do
not care whether he is happy or not!
Catrina had turned upon her COM
panion f1ercely. Maggie swung around
in her chair to pick up her bracelets,
which had slipped from her knees to
the floor
'You exaggerate things" she said
quietly. II see no reason to suppose
that Paul is unhappy. 1t is because
you have taken this unreasonable dis
| like to her.
| She took long time to collect three
bracelets. Then she rose and placed
them on the dressing table.
DO you want me to go?' asked Ca
trina in her blunt way.
no. answered Maggie civilly
enough. But she extracted couple
Of hairpins rather obviously.
| Catrina needed the voice and not the
action
"Do you like NJ. de Chauxville?" she
asked
| NO.
"Dces Paul like him?''
II don't know
! Catrina looked up for moment only.
Then her eyes returned to the contem-
platiOn Of the burning pine logs
~ wonder why you will not talk of
! Paul." she said in voice requiring no
answer.
! Maggie moved rather uneasily. She
had her back turned toward Catrina.
81 am afraid am rather dull per-
son. she answered. Il have not much
to say abont anybody"
"And nothing about Paul?" suggest
ed Catrina.
Nothing. We were talking about NJ.
de Chauxville."
Yes. l Go not understand NJ. de
Chauxville. He seems to me to be the
incarnation of insincerity. He poses
even to himself. He is always watch
Ing for the effect I wonder what the
effect of himself upon himself NAV
be-"
Maggie laughed.
'That is rather complicated" she
said. 1T requires working out. l
think he is deeply impressed with his
| own astuteness. If he were simpler.
1