Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-10

I'm not either. and I'll just send away
Eulalie. and Wen go into my room and
talk
Poseys heart Hghtened with pleasure as
she followed Miss Carstairs inside the
pretty bower Eulale's skill had contrived
from her young lady's belongings for the
dull inside cabin which Mr. Wnstanley, in
his simplicity. had accepted for Posey from
the agent of whom he had purchased
places; with the spinster room mate
bumped under the bedclothes on the sofa;
her clothes and hats hanging overhead dis
tractedly: their steamer trunks and bags
incumbering the narrow space between
hers and Posey's berths.
Here were unimagned comforts order
nicely, little brass bed with f1owery cur
tains, softest pillows and duvets, a bath
room opening out. with porcelain tub; an
equipment for the toilet that astounded
Posey, till then content with her little cot
ton nightgown trimmed with tatting, her
kimono Of cheap blue flannel, bought
ready made; her one brush and comb. and
tooth brush. and bottle of tooth powder, her
knitted slippers, and the steamer-pocket
of blue denim with the motto, bon voy-
age. presented to her on leaving Alison's
Cross Roads by her friend the dress
maker! But she showed no more surprise
than an Indian does on his first visit to the
glories of the White Father at Washington.
Truth to tell. she had already arrived at
the stage of development where things
tangible have become of secondary i'm
portance to feelings and emotions. She had
passed that evening through SO many vary
ing phases of mental experience that Helen
CarStairs' new kindness seemed the OPEN
ing the gate of heaven.
Now, if You feel like it, and think it will
do you good said Helen, installing her in
a cushioned chair of Madeira wicker-work
and, herself, perching school girl fashion
on the settee, you must tell me what
troubled you. though 1 think 1 can guess"
He tried to kiss me, that hateful old
mummy. that I've done nothing but make
fun of on the voyage cried the girl, fiery
bushes streaming into her face. IF he
hadn't said such fool words when he did it,
| might have thought he was just like old
Grandfather Billings of our town, that al
ways dodders along in the sunshine and
kisses the girls when they stop to speak to
him, thinking they're their own grand
mothers. But even Grandfather Billings
has never kissed me. l hate it, and never
would put up with it from living soul, so
when old Vereker tried it on. 1 boxed his
ears, and boxed to hurt, too, and then
ran away. What business had he following
me out on deck. anyway, when I'd said [
wanted to be by myself? If daddy knew
but he shant know, he's too good to trou-
self"
She ended bravely but one glance into
Helen's grave, kind face sent her again into
tears.
"Oh, Miss Carstairs, don't mind me Let
me be little while and I'll promise not to
bother you again. After you looked at me
that time at supper, l seemed to shrink up
into such a poor pretending creature.
saw in flash how cheaply I'd been show
ing Off. 1t was mostly to make those peo-
pie that looked down on me sit up on their
hind legs, anyway. / felt common and
half beside you. whom I'd been irving
SO hard to initiate since we came aboard. I
do want to be lady, your kind / do.
do. Not only for my own sake and my
mother s, who was real one, but be-
cause-if you Only knew"
Il am ready to know, said Helen after
pause her voice, in spite of her, GU
riously fiattened
Il am engaged to marry man to whom
1t will mean everything that l shall be- let
reason why. / should try to please him in
| those things. low strange that l should
want to tell You such an intimate secret
out of my very heart, But there is no other
woman / can talk to. and that look Won
gave me seemed to open every door within
met
II will help you il | can" Helen breatbed
| rather than spoke. Her spirit. wrestling
with the certainty that crushed it was vet
ready to rise to generosity Was il not
what she had bid John GIynn do in the mo-
rnent of his acutest suffering? Find
younger, fresher. more trustful life-partner
than herself and put swiftly out of mind
their disastrous venture together that could
not end in happiness, What right had she
to be feeling these fierce heart-beats of re-
bellion against the childs superior claim
upon him. these desperate warnings to
| have him back again?
y am ashamed to let you know what will
make you think even less of me than Won
do. When J promised myself to John
Giynn-there. I've told you his name hut il
doesn't matter-I did so because / thought
IL would make my dear daddy, who was In
some sort his guardian and his fathers