The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-09

answer to the few lines she had sent
/ him. Nothing could have been colder
than this letter.
/ Though he made no definite expression
of objection. the girl felt that AZ was
sharply annoyed at what she had done,
/ This fact annoyed her in it's turn
! so Mrs. Brent0n was right she said
/ to herself, "and he is angry. Il IS very
/ unreasonable and rather absurd l sup
pose he expects everybody to give mn
! the obedience of slaves. that any sort Of
/ Independence is Objectionable to him.
| Well. he Is mistaken as far as I am
| concerned. II is my business TO be indie
/ pendent, TO think and act for myself, and
! I am assuredly not going to throw up
| this work just TO please Mr.. Haverford.
/ She read the letter through twice
! He makes no mention of his mother
/ this time she unused, and her look took
/ smile that was half a sneer. PERHAPS
it vexes him that / should be with one
| OF his friends" was her next thought
| After all. he is Octsvia Baynhurst's son,
/ so there must be a good deal of objection
| able element in his composition"
] She made up the fire quietly. and then
/ sat staring into 1t till a late hour.
! This letter not only annoyed her It
disquieted her She realized In this mo-
| ment that she was changing, that the in
| Vulnerable new sensations through which
/ she was passing had taken from her
altogether that kind of sullenness. that
apathy that had fallen upon her hfe a
cloak during her stay with Mrs. Bayn-
/ hurst
/ As a schoolgirl she had been very high
/ spirited, and even intolerant Of restric-
/ ton; it was wonderful, all things con
! sidered, that she had not been caled gpon
/ to suffer for her strong will, her hot
! temper. and her defiant spirit. She was
very grateful now 10 the woman who had
/ guarded her and trained her all those
| years.
True. there had been no pretense Of af-
lection. sOftness. or gentle thought but
equally there had been no unnecessary
repression. no hardship.
Katherine had been allowed freedom
up to a certain point; her love of fields
and trees and flowers. and young ami
mails had never been curbed. In that
deserted old school garden chat now gave
her a pang to remember) there would be
found a plot that had belonged entirely
10 herself and where. with seeds and
plants begged from the gardener, she
had reared 10 herself a little world Of
flowers, as dear to her as human beings.
The change from this simple and health
giving life 10 the unnatural confinement.
the irritating atmosphere Of Mrs. Bayn-
bursts house had worked great III 10
the girl.
| Untitled and utterly uuprepaTed 90 carry
out the work Mrs. Baynhurst expected
lof her. she had shivered Ike a whipped
slave beneath the bitter. biting sarcasm
Of her employers tongue: she had been
scourged all the time by the sense OF her
own imperfcctions; another year of such
IA life and Katherine Granger would
have broken down in mind and body.
She was nervous in these days, but
only in a purely sympathetic way.
The generous affection of these little
creatures. who were already as Il were
dependent on her. brought from the
depths Of her heart hot flood of woman
Ily tenderness; awakened with JOY the
knowledge that II was given 10 her 20
be blessed with love. to be permitted u
give protective love in return: a won
drously beautiful gift TO one who had
never known love in any degree,
Then, again, contact with Camilla
charming personality was. like her briet
intercourse with Mrs. Brenton. an awak
ening influence.
To have been treated a she had beer
treated by these two women. sympatheti
Cally. COUrteously. to realize that they
recognized in her an equal. that friend
ship with her was not only possible. but
desirable. endowed life for her In thi,
, moment with an indescTibable grace.
After Dennis had left her this night she
, had sat thinking over the story she haC
heard; as she pondered it she felt she
had drawn perceptibly nearer 10 cOmpTe
hension of Camilla Laucing and her com
pick character. and the suggestion that j
was in her power to be helpful and com
forting TO the childrens mother had made
, her heart thrill.
, Haverford's cold words Of anuOyanC,
! came most inopportunely.
1t was only natural, perhaps that sh'
G should misunderstood him.
! Perhaps he thinks that I asked fO
! this work" she said 10 herself. ant
she flushed hotly with humiliation al
\ the thought came. II wish I had no
: gone to him, And yet, was her mex
o. quick thought IF I had not gone
r should not be here. Well, when ! havt
i paid him back the money he lent me
Y there will be no need to trouble abou
p him any more
D She laughed little shortly to herself.
e IF I had refused this work that would
e have been wrong
T 1t was growing late, so she turned tn
i light low, and then went to bed. Their
2 she lay thinking the matter over an,
: over again.
r. Il think I will send this letter on t
] Mrs Brenton," she decided, and ] vii
{ ask her to advise me what I ought T.
do" AS the heat died out Of her feeling
u and she grew calmer her mood change,
little She began to Judge Haverfor,
less sharply. Certainly he was kind 4
, me I'm his own peculiar way. and Their
/, was no need really for him to have don
: anything at all. l suppose I ought f
t, have consulted him" She sighed severa
times. Il knew it was all too pleasan
20 last" she said YEARLY; i knew some
! thing disagreeable would happen.
r II was very strange, but a decides
. feeling of regret came in place of an
noyance the more she thought over tn
e situation.
/ She had grown accustomed 20 hear Ru
pert Haverford discussed and denOunce
t in the bitterest fashion by his mother
2 Just for this very reason she had deter
3 mined that il was probable that thi
{ man would be rich in those qualities tha
r were so lacking in his mother. Indeed
5 il was the conviction that ne was jus
D and honest and straightforward that ha
j. driven her toward him when she ha
5 found herself so greatly in need OF help
And he had not belied this belief i
him. When he had convinced himsel
that she had an undoubted claim on hi
mother. he had without hesitation steppe
into the breach and taken upon himsel
. the right to protect and to provide 70
4 her And viewing the matter in thi
' quiet, practical way, il did not tax
. Katherine very long 10 assure herseI
Y that she had not done exactly what sh
\ ought 20 have done.
ii I shall write to him tomorrow. and
- shall try to let him feel that I an
d sorry Very probably he won't troubl