The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-06-29

i
round her sisters room.
Hell like your room. at any rate.
It's wonderfully pretty and restful.
this room of yours, Clare; and it suits
you exactly. Yes, I think Mark will
like you, too; he'll appreciate your
sense Of the fitness of things. Mark
is exceedingly artistic"
"Yes?;'
.sIt's rather a WEAKNESS to the spirit
occasionally" continued Phyllis, with
a sigh. You knOw-or, rather, you
don't, because, although We are sis
tiers, we have not met for five years,
and SO we really don't know each
other much-well, I have not mucA
! soul for picture galleries and autumn
tints, and that sort Of thing. Art is
all very we'll when it's got out OF
the West Hampstead stage, and come
west really; but it is little tryins
when one is expected to enthuse over
impossible Madonnas with wooden.
looking babies in their arms, and
that sort Of thing"
Miss Graham looked at her siste.
wistfully; but Lady Elmsworth only
laughed.
Poor Phyl! Is he trying to edu-
cate you? 1t sounds rather awful
mo, that's the worst of it! He
imagines the education, artistic feel
ing. and all the rest Of it, is there.
That's the fault of what mother calls
the Graham manner We've got q
! knack of appearing intelligently sym
pathetic; and because We are pretty
people take us for granted. Haven't
you found that?"
Lady Elmsworth nodded, and a
slight color rose in her cheeks.
I'VE can't help it," went On Phyl-
lis; "but they have a nasty knack
OF turning round on us when they
find US out, and being generally
| horrid.''
"And you think Mark"
ooh, he won't find out for ever so
| long He's very much in love; and l
well, like him we'll enough to try
and live up to him. for a time, at
any rate. But it's a good stretch on
ones nerves to be always on the tip
toe of admiration 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, once in way. But
you know, honestly, I'd rather look
at a bonnet shop in Bond street any
day than on the finest scenery any
where. I'm afraid it will be shock
to Mark when he grasps the fact"
what is he exactly?'
Hes rather ugly, and ridicnlously
rich; colonial, you know, proprietor
of mines, and all the rest Of it. His
manners are not quite like every one
elses. oh, you need not raise your
eyebrows; it is not in that way
mean at all. Only, don't think he'd
have cared the least bit if I'd been a
butchers or a bakers daughter, II
he'd cared for me, he'd have married
| just the same. I'm afraid I'm rather
proud OF the fact"
You do care for him. them" Lady
Elmsworth stopped a little toward her
sister, and looked into her face.
Il" Phyllis blushed. well,
! yes, think I do, because, if did not.
I don't suppose / should care whethe:
he discovered what shallow little
soul I am or not after We are safely
married"
Clare bent and kissed her sister.
"He won't find out if you love him.
Phyl! Oh, you don't know how glad
I ami"
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 rather apart And now
that they were respectively twenty
one and twenty-five, and that the gull
was bridged, there were the five
years separation to hold them apart
Phyllis remembered distinctly the
| time when Glare had been tout" when
| she herself was in the school room
She remembered, too, all the talk
she had overheard as to her sisters
successes. Looking back, she realiz
ed that Clare must have refused many
opportunities of brilliant matches. al
though she had finally done exceed
ingly well for herself in marrying
Lord Elmsworth. True, he was near
" twenty wears older than Clare;
and surely among those she had re-
| fused before
Suddenly Phyllis started. What
had there been at the bottom OF
Clare's being ordered off to winter a.
Davos the year before she married:
It had never occurred to the girl