Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07

Oh her breast. Il Know you nave dona
something said something foolish of
which he has a knowledge. And l know.
my dear one. that whatever it was. and no
matter how foolish il may have been. 4
was not a wrong thing. Gcd knows. we
are all apt to do wrong things we'll as
foolish ones; the best of us. But such is
not for you. Your race your father and
mother. your upbring ng. yourself and
the truth and purity which ara yours
whieh are. your inheritance and Your
which was in itself wrnnE. That know,
my dear. we'll as know myself. All,
better. far better. for the gods did not
think it we'll to dowsr me as they kavo
lowered you. The God of all the gods
has given yon the ten talents to guard.
and He knows. as do. that you VIII be
faithful to your trust"
There was a solemn ring in her voice
as the words were spoken which Wen
through the young girls heart. Love and
confidence demanded in return that she
should have at least the relief of certain
acquieScfnca: there is possible note Of
pain In the tensi:y Il every s.r'ng. Ste
phen lifted her head proudly and hon
'sily. though her checks wer, scarlet.
and locked in the loving eyes which were
trimming with emotion. saying with a
consciousness OF integrity which spck
directly soul. to soul:
You are right. dear. I have dom
sonnet hing very foolish: very, very fool
could call wrong. DO not ask me what
1t was. l need only tell you this-that 1t
was an outrage on convention. 1t was so
foolish and base on such foolish m Soon
CRption: it sprang from such overween-
ing. arrogant self-opinion. that 1t deserves
the bitter punishment which will come:
which is coming: which is with me now!
1t was the cause of something whose
blackness can't yet realize. but of which
] will tell you when ! can speak of It.
But IL in 1T self ha
eyes Of God or man. The cid woman
said not word. No word was needed.
for had she not already expressed her
belief. But Stephen felt her relief IN tho
glad pressure of her finger tips In a
voice less strained and tense Miss Rowly
went on:
What need have for money. my Ear?
Here have all that any woman. and
especially at my age. can need. There
is no room even for charity: YOU ara 80
good to all your people that my help is
hardly required. And. my dear one.
know know she empha sized the, word
as she stroked the beautiful hair that
when / am gone my own poor. the few
that l have looked after all my life. VIII
not suffer when my darling thinks of
me- Stephen would fain hav, held her
more closely. but she feared to exercis,
her young strength on her aunts feeblar
body: but she fairly climbed upon her as
she said. looking In the brave old eyes.
My darling. they shall never want
Silence for time. and then Miss Row
ly's voice again:
Though 1t would net do for the world
to know that a young maiden lady had
paid the debts of a vicious young man
II makes no matter # they he paid by an
old woman. be the same maid. wife or
widow! And really. my dear l do not
see now any money l might have could
be better spent than in keeping harm
away from you"
There need not be any harm at ALL
aunt e.
perhaps not. GEAR, ! hope not with
ali my heart. But fear that young man.
He is a bitter bad one, feel just fancy
him threatening you. and in your own
house: in my very presence, Oh. yes
my dear He meant to threaten any
how. Though l could not exactly under
stand what he was driving at. ] could
see that he was driving at something.
That he was in antagonism wi h you.
though only for moment, was enough
for me. And after all that you were de-
Ing for him. and had done for him, l
mean. of course. after all that had don.
for him. and was doing for him 1t Is
mean enough. surely. for man to beg.
and from woman: but to threaten after
ward. Ach. 1t is blackmail and moth
ing else, And in all the catalogue of
crime I do not think there IS anything
more bose But ! think my dear. 1t 10
checkmate to him this time. All along
the line the only proof that Is Of there
being any friendliness toward him from
this hous' points to me. And moreover,
my dear. ! have a little plan in my head
that will tend TO show him up even bet
ter, In case he may ever try to annoy
US. Look at me when next he is here.
! mean tn do a little play-acting which
will astonish him, | can tell YOU IL il
doesn't frghten him out of the house
altogether But we won't talk of that
yet. You will understand when you SEA
IT. Her eyes twinkled and her mouth
shut with loud snap as she spoke Then
for a while she was silent.
After few minutes of rapose. which
was like glimpse of heaven to Ste
phens aching heart. she spoke again:
There was something else that trou-
bled you more than even this. You said
you would tell me when you were able
to speak of it. = Why not speak now?
Oh. my dear. our hearts are close to-
gether tonight. and In all your life you
will never have any one who will listen
with, greater sympathy than will or deal
more tenderiy with your fault whatever
II may have been. Tell me- dear. Dear
she whispered after a pause during
which she realized the depth of the girls
emotion by her convusive struggling TO
keep herself In check.
All at nnca the tortur d girl seemed
10 yield herself and slipped inertly from
her grasp till kneeling down she laid her
head in the others lap and sohbed Miss
Rowly kept strokine her hair In silence
Presently the g RI looked up. and with
pang the aunt saw that her eyes were
dry. In her pain she said:
You sob like that. my child and vet
you are not crying: what Is it, oh! my
dear one? WhaA Is 1t that hurts you so
that you cannot cry?'
And then the bitter sobbing broke out
again. but STILL alas. without tears
Crouching low. and st II inclcsing her
aunts waist with her outstretch I'd arms
and hiding her head in her breast, she
said:
"Oh. auntie, have sent Harold away"
What my dear? WHAT" said the old
lady. astonished. why thought there
was no one in the world that you trusted
so much as Harold
1T is true There was-there is no one
except you whom trust so much. But
mistook something he sa d. / was in a
blind fury at the time. and I sad things
that | thought my fathers daughter
never could rave said. And she never
thought them. even then. On. auntie.
drove him away with all the horrible
wound him most. And all because he
acted in way that l see now was the
most noble and knightly IN which any
man could act. He that my dear father
had loved and hcnored. and trusted as
another son. He that was a real son to
him. and not meek son like me. l sent
him away with such fierce and bitter pain
that his poor face was ashen gray. and
there was woe in his eyes that shall max.
In my mind. waking or sleeping Which
will be always! II the sunshine. and the
twilight. and the dark. He. the truest
friend the most faithful, the most
tender. the most strong. the most un-
selfish: Oh! Auntie. auntie. he just turned