The Western news., 1907-07-24


You have not"
Phyllis laughed outright
mo, my dear, have not; one does
not wear ones flance'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.
Hell like your room, at any rate
It's wonderfully pretty and restful this
room of yours, Glare; and it suits you
exactly. Yes, l 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
we'll, have not much 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 1t Is
little trying 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 sister
wistfully. but Lady Elmsworth only
laughed.
Poor Phyl! Is he trying to educate
you? 1t sounds rather awful"
NO. that's the worst Of 1t! He i'm
AGNES the education, artistic feeling,
and all the rest Of 1t, is there. That's
the fault of what mother calls the
Graham manner We've got knack
Of appearing intelligentiy sympathetic
and because we are pretty people take
us for granted Haven't you found
, that?
Lady Elmsworth nodded, and slight
color rose in her cheeks.
I'VE can't help it." went ON Phyllis
-but they have nasty Rnack 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 sc
long. He's very much In love; and l.
! well, like him we'll enough to try and
live up to him, for time, at any rate
But it's a good stretch on ones nerves
9 to be always on the tiptoe Of admira
|, tion about things one really does moi
] care button for. I'm afraid It's the
4 beauties Of nature that will bowl mt
+ over. A sunset at his maJesty's, where
: it's well done, Is a pretty enough one
e in way. But you know, honestly, Tt
: rather look at bonnet shop in Bono
street any day than on the finest seen
cry anywhere I'm afraid it will be {
shock to Mark when he grasps the
fact"
What Is he exactly?"
He's rather ugly, and ridiculously
ricn; colonial, you know, proprietol
of mines, and all the rest Of 1t. Hit
manners are not quite like everyone
else's. Oh, you need not raise you
eyebrows; it Is not in that way l meal
at all: Only l don't think he'd hav'
careu the least bit If I'd been butch
er's or a bakers daughter. If he't
cared for me, he'd have married M
just the same. I'm afraid I'm rathe
proud of the fact"
"You do care for him, then?" Lad.
4 Elmsworth stopped a little toward he
sister and looked into her face.
"I"-Phyllis blushed. well, yes,
: think do, because, If l did not,
81 don't suppose l should care whether h
y discovered what a shallow little sou
~ l am or not after we are safely maj
J. ried."
e. Clare bent and kissed her sister.
ie me won't find 1t out If you love hin
Is Phyl! Oh, you don't know how glad
am"
d' Phyllis was startled at her sister
H. sudden earnestness. What she ha
said was quite true. The four years
difference in their ages had always keI
IL them apart. Phyllis remembered dis
tinctly the time when Glare had bee
| 'out" when she herself was In tn
schoolroom. She remembered, too, a
d. the talk she had overheard as to he
er sisters successes. Looking back, sh
realized that Glare must have refuse
ly many opportunities Of brilliant matches
e, although she had finally done exceed
lg lngly we'll for herself in marrying Lor
ElRsworth. True, he was nearly tweI
ou ty years older than Clare; and surel
" among those she had refused before
er Suddenly Phyllis started. What ha
IS there been at the bottom Of Clare's b
of ing ordered off to winter at Davos II
nd year before she married? 1t had nev,
occurred to the girl. But had thel
ed really been anything the matter wit
i'd her sisters lungs?