The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-10-06
nv brother-in-law-elect.

You have not
Phyllis laughed outright
mo. my dear, l have not; one does
not wear ones fiance's counterfeit pre-
sentiment near ones heart nowadays.
But possess your soul in patience. :
told Mark you might come in presently,
and you would give him some tea. !
! wonder ii you'll like him?"
Phyllis sat back little and glanced
round her sisters room.
He'll like your room, at any rate
It's wonderfully pretty and restful. this
room of yours, Clare; and it suits you
exactly. Yes, 1 think Mark will like
you, too; he'll appreciate your sense OF
the fitness Of things. Mark is exceed
ingly artistic"
"Yes?"
"Its rather a WEAKNESS Of the spirit
occasionally" continued Phyllis, with a
sigh. 'You know-or, rather, you don't,
because, although we are sisters, we
have not met for five years, and SO we
really don't know each other much
| well, l have not much soul for picture
galleries and autumn tints. and that
| sort of thing. Art is all very well when
| it's got out of the West Hampstead
stage, and come west really; but it is
| a little trying when one is expected to
| enthuse over impossible Madonnas with
woodworking babies in their arms,
and that sort Of thing"
| Miss Graham looked at her sister
wistfully, but Lady Ellsworth only
laughed.
! poor Phyl! Is he trying to educate
| you? 1t sounds rather awful"
mo, that's the worst of it! He Inn
AGNES the education, artistic feeling,
and all the rest of it, is there. That's
| the fault of what mother calls the
of appearing intelligently sympathetic;
and because we are pretty people take
us for granted. Haven't you found
| that?"
Lady Ellsworth nodded, and slight
color rose in her cheeks.
I'VE can't help it," went on Phyllis
but they have nasty knack Of turn
ing round on us when they find us out
and being generally horrid"
"And you think Mark"
"Oh, he won't find out for ever so
long. He's very much in love and L
| well, like him well enough to try and
| live up to him, for a time, at any rate.
But it's good stretch on ones nerves
to be always on the tiptoe of admira-
| ton about things one really does not
care a button for. I'm afraid It's the
beauties of nature that will bowl me
| over. A sunset at his majesty's, where
it's well done, is pretty enough one
in way. But you know, honestly, I'd
street any day than on the finest seen
cry anywhere. I'm afraid 1t will be
shock to Mark when he grasps the
fact"
What is he exactly?"
"He's rather ugly, and ridiculously
ricn; colonial, you know, proprietor
of mines, and all the rest of it. His
manners are not quite like everyone
else's. Oh, you need not raise your
eyebrows; it is not in that way l mean
at all. Only 1 don't think he'd have
careu tue least bit If I'd been a butch
er's or a bakers daughter. If he'd
cared for me, he'd have married me
just the same. I'm afraid I'm rather
proud of the fact"
You do care for him, then?' Lady
Elmsworth stopped little toward her
sister and looked into her face.
"I"-Phyllis blushed well, yes,
think do, because, II l did not, l
don't suppose should care whether he
discovered what shallow little soul
am or not after we are safely mar
RED"
Clare bent and kissed her sister.
me won't find it out IL you love him,
Phyl! Oh, you don't know how glad
am!''
Phyllis was startled at her sisters
sudden earnestness. What she had
said was quite true. The four years
difference in their ages had always kept
them apart. Phyllis remembered dis
tinctly the time when Clare had been
"out" when she herself was In the
schoolroom. She remembered, too, all
the talk she had overheard as to her
sisters successes. Looking back, she
realized that Glare must have refused
many opportunities Of brilliant matches,
although she had finally done exceed
ingly well for herself in marrying Lord
Elmsworth. True, he was nearly twen-
ty years older than Clare; and surely
among those she had refused before
Suddenly Phyllis started. What had
there been at the bottom of Clare's be-
ing ordered off to winter at Davos the
year before she married? 1t had never
occurred to the girl. But had there
really been anything the matter with
her sisters lungs7
"Clare," she said, impulsively, tell
me something. Were you really III when
you went to Davos that time, Or"
Lady ElmswOrth laughed outright.
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