The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-01-16

| the Office. I must be In the yard early,
too. l shall not even be able to speak
/ to Missile"
II will tell her what you say, and
then, of course, she will be obliged to give
it up" returned Alison, not relishing her
task at all, but counting, nevertheless, on
an easy victory. Missile had put herself
so completely in the wrong that no. choice
but submission was left to her. Roger,
who knew Missile perfectly, was not SO
| sanguine.
| "Tell her that If she goes l shall GER
tainly inform father, and then he will
put stop to her visits to Maplewood,
and tell her, too, that I am perfectly
Disguised at her conduct. I am afraid
you must do it, Allie"
Every well,'' she sighed. But she lay
| awake long time revolving what words
| she would use.
Alison awoke with a strange oppres-
| sion upon her-a sense of difficulty, that
| made the daylight seem less bright. She
| became nervously conscious that she might
fail. What if her severity were of no
| avail, and Missile should persist in going?
She was little later than usual in going
|
fast and had gone to the mill, and the
meal was half over before she suggested
that Poppie should knock at Mabels door.
"Oh, forgot" returned Poppie, in a
stricken voice, laying down her slice of
bread and jam: "Missie came into my
room before l was dressed, and told me
to tell you she would not want any
breakfast-she was going to have it at
Maplewood. She looked so smart. Alison,
in her new blue dress. It. was rather
funny of her to put it on for breakfast"
| Miss Leigh, will you come into the
school room moment, if you have I'm
ished?" said Alison, quietly; but the gov
erness noticed that she looked rather pale,
and rose at once, but she was even more
| shocked than Alison when she heard the
whole story.
| my dear, your papa will never for
| give us if we do not prevent it," she said,
very solemnly. You none of you know
how particular he is and this will seem
dreadful to him. You must go to Maple
wood yourself, Alison, and speak to Mrs.
| Hardwick. She is the only one who can
| do anything. Anna can go in Mabel's
place, but you must insist on bringing
| Mabel home. l will not answer for the
| consequences if this affair comes to your
| fathers ears" continued the governess,
| moved to tears at this fresh instance OF
| Missiles self-will.
| that she put on her hat at once and
walked over to Maplewood. 1t was not a
| pleasant errand, she felt, and she hardly
knew what she would say to Mrs. Hard
| wick. She only knew she would refuse
| to return without Missile, even if she had
to brave the obnoxious Captain Harper
himself. But her face fell when she en-
tered the morning room and found Mrs.
Hardwick and Anna alone; the others
had just driven from the door. Seeing
that her visit was useless Alison returned
home Roger met her at the gate with
the news that Mr.. Merle had returned.
81 have not seen him yet, Allie; have
only just come across from the MILL" he
continued. would you like me to tell
him. dear, or do you think you can do it
better?"
I'VE will go together" returned Ali
son, uneasily. II am so afraid that he
will put himself out, and then you will
know what to say" And Roger acquiesc-
| ed.
They found Mr.. Merle in his study,
| looking somewhat tagged and weary, but
| he held out his hand with a smile, as
| though he were pleased to see them after
| his brief absence.
"Where is Pussie?" he asked; "she is
generally the first to welcome me-" And
| he looked round as though he were disap-
| pointed.
Dear papa returned Alison, bravely,
II am afraid you will be vexed about
something. We have none of us seen
| Mabel this morning; she breakfasted at
| Maplewood. Roger met Anna at the
Meredith's last night, and she told him
that Mabel had promised to join Eva and
her cousin in an excursion to Durbans.
l went over to speak to Mrs. Hardwick
and bring Mabel back, but they had al
ready started
| "Whatv tbundered Mr.. Merle, and the
| blackness of his brow was dreadful to
| Alison, do you dare to tell me that Ma
bel has gone over to Durbans in that
mans company, when l forbade any in
tercourse with him?
captain Harper is driving them in his
dog-cart,' rejoined Roger, coming to his
sisters relief. 1T seems a very silly af-
fair, and l begged her to stop it; it is no
fault. of hers or of mine, father. Missile
slipped out of the house while they were
J at breakfast, and though Alison started
off to Maplewood as soon as she could
she was just too late"
mo, it is not your fault" returned
Mr.. Merle, gloomily. mabel must bear
the brunt of her own disobedience Miss
Hardwick shall never enter this house
again"
Would you like me to take an early
afternoon train to Durbans?" interrupt
ed Roger, who had already conceived this
plan, land when l could join them; there
is vacant seat in the dog cart"
"Look out train in the time table, "
he said, suddenly; Il will go myself, Rog-
er. Mabel shall not return in the dog
cart; l shall bring her back by train"
ru,r0Y,