The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-17

oaL1OD UuI oAS ooAaDt
in the depths of her mind put a diff
ferent meaning to words from that
| which Tom adopted. 1t was possible
that his point of view might be right
for him-about giving ones word
to a master or to Beau; but her mind
returned to the question that con-
cerned herself, with a keener senti-
ment.
Il don't know about that" she
said, but you needn't surely have
said it was mel"
why, I did ito please you'll"
cried Tom. II thought you'd rather.
They can't do anything to you. And
you promised. And they can
do a deal to me-" said the boy, re-
fectively. They can stop all my fun
or nearly. They've got all my
money, and whatever I say, it does
matter. People will take Beau's word
sooner than mine. But they car do
nothing to you-a girl at home.
Mother would neve put you on bread
and water, or shut you up in your
room, or that sort of thing. You'll
have a jaw, and that will be all.
Now, they would eve let me OF
with a jaw. I thought you'd be the
first to say I should put it upon you,
jan"
Once more Janet was silenced. She
felt vaguely that to take it upon her
self, and to bear the blame thrown
upon her by another, were two diff
ferent things, but at the same time
she felt the imputation Of not having
put herself in the breach at once to
defend her brother. She had done
so to her own consciousness, falter-
ingly putting forth Charlie Black
more's fb. But Tom did not know
that, and he thought her ungenerous,
wanting to vindicate herself, not
ready to screen him; so that she was
silenced on all sides of the question,
and could not make any stand. But
in her heart, Janet still felt the
startling pang with which she heard
him make his excuse. No doubt there
had been already similar crises In
her life; but she was no longer In
the nursery age This made her less
anxious for his company during the
rest Of his stay before he went back
to school; though Janet was stanch
to his side, and refused to breathe a
word to his disadvantage-even dur
ing the serious Jaw" which she re-
ceived. Even Lady Cars 1'jaw" was
very mild. She put her arm round
the passively resisting girl, and talked
to her Of what was a woman's duty.
"a sister Is such a thing for a
boy!" she said. "Often,' while he
will not listen to anybody with au-
thority, he will listen to his sister;
If, instead Of going with him on wild
expeditions, she tries to persuade him
the other way-rather to go with
her"
Janet listened with a great sense
of wrong in her heart, but she e
strained everything that would harm
Tom. All that she said was:
I'VE went out merely for a ride,
mother. We did not mean-to go
anywhere"
Il am willing to believe that,
Janet" said Lady Car. And there
the incident ended, but not the effects
of it. Nothing more followed, indeed,
till Tom had gone, but the next day
after that, Janet, going to her cousins
at Dalmylian, where she was allowed
to ride alone upon the old pony, sud-
denly came upon Charlie Blackmore
walking along the road. She recog-
nized him with a leap of her heart.
Oh, would he stop and talk? Oh,
what would he say to her and she to
him? 1t was with terror, yet with
a thrill Of pleasure as we'll, that
Janet saw him start, as If he had
suddenly seen her, and stand still
until she came up. He meant to
keep up the acquaintance it was
clear.
Miss Torrance, I scarcely hoped
I would have had this chance. It
seemed owre good to be true"
"Oh, yes, it Is me-" said Janet.
embarrassed.
You need not tell me that; l saw
1t was you as far OF as cen could
carry" said Charlie, forgetting his
dramatic start. Il hope you are quite
we'll; but I medina ask, for you're
blooming like any rose"
Janet felt herself grow red in re-
ply to his compliment. She knew
that she was usually pale, and did not
bloom like the rose, but it was kind
OF him to say so. She had a con-
s%ciousness that in books girls had
generallys things like this said to
them, and she was not i'll pleased.
Il hope" said Charlie, "all passed
off we'll, Miss Janet. yon night"
"Oh, yes" said Janet, quite we'll"
"Mr. Tom never came back to bid
US good-by; and deed it was better
not, for there's always a rabble OF
loose fellows about a stable yard.
and he was Just as we'll away. Young
lads at his age are better to keep
out OF misch;ef-as long as they
can"
tom has gone back to school,"
said Janet demurely.
"Dod," cried Charlie, cts a droll
thing to hear of a lad going to school
that's man-grown like Mr.. Tom. ]
had the care of all the beasts on my
hands at his age; but he'll be going
in for Parliament and that kind O.
thing. and much learning no doubt"
q no caid Ianat. .thn carc ~