The Washington herald., 1908-01-15
CHAPTER X-COntinued.

said 70 Haverford, for Dennis has told
me that she gets very heavy colds at
times. and she seemed really rather fever
ish tonight"
As he remembered the interview with
his mother the day before. he found him
self looking every now and then with
real interest at the girl beside him.
I can't think why you want TO bother
about Katherine Granger. I gave her a
fair trial" Mrs Baynhurst had said, fret
fully; but she is a fool, and l hate
fools"
There seemed 10 be nothing foolish or
weak or hesitating about Katherine as
he saw her, but In the hours that had
followed on his visit to his mother, he
had been able to I'LL in the empty spaces
that she had left, and he seemed to un-
derstand all at once why it was that Oc-
tavia Baynhurst had set herself so reso-
lutely against Katherine. both as little
child and a growing girl.
Undoubtedly there must have been an
old and bitter feeling ranking In her
heart for Gerald Baynhursts sister.
It was inevitable that the love which
the man had evidently lavished on his
sister had been a source OF resentment
and misery TO such a woman as his wife.
On Katherine, the helpless child, there
fore. had the accumulation Of this bitter
anger and jealousy been poured out.
He broke the silence after a long and
busily filed pause.
My mother has new secretary" he
said, and as their eyes met they both
very attractive when ne smiled.
I saw her. She is middle-aged and
very alarming looking, It is my impress
sion that my mother is going 10 be man
aged for the first time in her existence.
You will be well avenged, Miss Granger"
When all the little parcels were made
ready. and they filed the table, he got
up.
Well, I suppose I ought to go down
stairs again. You are very cozy here
am so glad the children are not in
London this dismal weather"
Before going he asked permission TO look
at Betty and Baby as they slept When
he reJoined Katherine he said-there was
very tender look in his eyes:
feel quite important tonight, for
now 1 have three wards; those two tiny
souls and yourself, and If one can go by
tradition, the life of a guardian is not
entirely free from anxiety"
don't require a guardian" said Kath-
crime, but she said it shyly, not sharply.
1 have always taken care Of myself. and
am sure 1 can do it now"
L am afraid that argument does not
move me- he answered, and with a smile
he held out bis hand and said, Good
night"
When he was gone Katherine Gran
iger sat down and thought about him
She felt sorry for him.
1 do wish she had come" she mused
to herself. Il wonder why she did not?
He looks miserable when he is not talk
Ing. ] should like him to have happy
Christmas; he certainly has helped to
give me one, and I expect 7 am only one
OF hundreds. / remembered last Christ
mas how his mother grumbled at all
his charities ] little thought then that
he and I should be together for this
Christmas; so everything is coming with
rush." the girl mused on. Tonight I
discovered that I actually had a mother
and father, and now I have a guard
ian, and then she laughed outright,
''and Of course Cuthbert Baynhurst is
my cousin! that sounds funny How
pleased he VIII be"' She reverted again
~ LllG GGBJCLL u I 0dlllAl-4 ldleI on. NJ III
she come tomorrow? Oh. surely yes!
She could not let Christmas go without
seeing the children"
As a matter of fact it was only when
Camilla had been on the point of start
ing for Yelverton that she changed her
plans. She was in very nervous mood
these days; Il mood the expression OF
which found a vent in irritation. Haver-
ford had been with her all the morning
he had arrived with a cab load Of small
parcels which were destined TO be scat
tered broadcast among the servants in
town and at YelvertOn. Several days be-
fore he had asked Camilla 10 make a
list of all the things she wanted anG
there had been a glow in the mans
heart as he had busted himself in full
filling her wishes. He was far very fal
from even imagining that this close at
tentiOn 10 her slightest whim was becom-
ing so irksOme, that the woman COun
at times have screamed with the force
Of the nervousness he provoked
II he would only go north for two
days, OF have influenza or somethingr
she said to herself over and over again
But he never went away, and Camilla
found herself at times literally sighing
for the old life TO come back again, not
withstanding that the burden Of RESPONSE
httftiF9 anu tic thA tatIiE care OF TINS Ol0
life had been lifted from her absolutely
She had been independent so long, the
sense Of being encompassed about by un-
renting thoughtfulness and anxious care
was almost uncomfortable
Not that she forgot for an instant the
wonderful help this man had given her;
she was truly and sincerely grateful tC
him. To be free Of the Lancing yoke. tc
pe able 70 stand and defy the old man
who had so embittered her life this sig
nihed great joy, an almost unmeasur-
able satisfaction for q time at least. but
Camilla too quickly slipped away from
this JOY. As she grew accustomed to the
easy conditions of her new life the re-
membrance Of that brief spell of veritable
heart anguish which had preceded her
engagement to Rupert Haverford became
blurred its significance was diminished
When he made her rich he took from her
one Of the nOblest of sentiments which
despite her former follies and extrava-
gances had really never been absent from
her thoughts and her schemes. the senti-
ment of self-sacTiace, the determination
of making some stupendOus effort on her
part which should safeguard her children
in years 10 come
The knowledge Of her wealth and Of the
money settled on the children engendered
certain kind of indifference, and Hav-
erford's eagerness TO be in truth a father
and protector to these little creatures took
from Camilla, naturally enough that
weighty sense of responsibility where
Betty and Baby were concerned. Just al
first she had reveled in the command OF
money. and she had squandered to her
hearts content. but she had been livlne
for so long in an atmosphere Of difficulty
her personal wants had been gTatifed al
such an enormous cost. and Life itself sus-