Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-06
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

CHAPTER VI-Continued.
With this object in view she took. when
the charm of the meeting began to lose
it's luster, the conversation in hand her.
self She felt that the time had come.
Well she understood when she saw on
Col. Ogilvies face the very faintest shade
of a shadow of that dark look which in
earlier years had meant trouble for some
one. 'Lucius is thinking" was the way
she put it to herself To a woman OF her
bringing up. the acts OF the men of the
family, and especially of its head. were
not within the womens sphere. In the
old slave-owning families there was per-
petuated something of the spirit of subor-
dination-some survival of old feudal
principle. This was especially SO in ev-
erything relating to quarrels or fight
ing. 1t was not women's work and
women were trained not to take any part
in 1t, not even to manifest any concern.
Indeed, the free-spirited Judy having
lived So many years in that particular
atmosphere, before being able to look
round her in wider communities, COM
pared the dominance of view of a man in
his own family life to that Of cock who
lords 1t over the farmyard, struts about
round him with no other purpose than his
own will. Woman-like she was content
TO yield herself to the situation.
We're all the same" she once said to
farmers wife, women are hens. When
the master clucks we comet
AS it was quite apparent to her that
both her sister and brother-in-1aw were
uneasy, she began TO take on herself the
responsibility of action, even if 1t should
have to be followed by the odium.
What's the use of being an old maid if
YOU can't do something." she said to her.
self as a sort of rallying cry to her own
nerves. Such gathering of ones coura ge
is not uncommon; 1t is. in unusual cir
cumstances, to many men and to most
women. 1t does not. as rule, apply to
professional or accustomed duties. To
the soldier, the lawyer, the engineer, the
man of commerce., each of such, the fac
ulties which wait on the intelligence are
always braced by habit. And to the
woman in her hours of social self-con-
sciousness the same applies. When a
woman puts on her best frock She is
armed and ready as completely as Is the
calva1ryman with the thunder of the
squadron behind him; as the artillery
man when "Action" has been sounded
Ordinarily Miss Judith was equal to all
demands made on her; now she was en-
gaging in a matter in which she did not
thoroughly understand either the pur-
pose the end. Now she spoke:
Have you been staying long in New
York, Mr.. Hardy?" At the moment Ath-
lyme was talking with his hostess and
said gently: Mr.. Hardly" He turned
suddenly red, even to his ears.
Il beg your pardon. ] didn't" There
he stopped, suddenly realizing that he
had almost betrayed himself. The fact
was that he heard the question but for
got for an instant the part he was play
ing. His ears had been tuned to the music
of joys voice. and he did not wake at
once to the less welcome sound. Partly 1t
was, of course due to the fact that as
vat bc bod h,,f nf nd Tvs
speech: her intentional silence had a
drawback as we'll an advantage. He
stopped his explanation just In time to
save suspicion from the rest of the fam
lily. but not from Judy, who having Am
intention of her own was alert to every
thing. She made mental note to be
afterward exooginated: Il didn't
what?"
ed with what nonchalance he could:
NO. Only a few days"
do you remain long?"
Il am sorry to say that 1 cannot. 1
had promised myself few days after
grizzlies, but that has to be foregone
for the present. Something has happened
which requires my going back at once.
But l hope to renew my visit before
long, He was pleased with himself for
the verbal accuracy of the statement,
and this treasured him.
What a pity you have to give up your
hunting said Col. Ogilvie. heartily.
You would find it really excellent sport.
I haven't had any of 1t for twenty years.
but I'd dearly like to have another turn
at it If / could
What boat do you go by?" asked Mrs.
Ogilvie.
by the French boat. the Mignouette.
which sails on Saturday" He answered
with confidence, for he had spent a quar-
ter Of an hour looking 1t up before he
had dressed. and had already posted a
letter to the office asking to have the
best cabin open kept for him.
What pity said JOY. I'VE are 60
ing on the Graphic on the Wednesday
after. you might have come with US. She
colored up as she became conscious OF
the dead silence-lasting for a few Sec
onds-of the rest of the party.
I'm said the colonel.
Perhaps. dear. Mr.. Hardy has reasons
of his own for choosing his own route. .
said Mrs. Ogilvie. determined that her
daughter should not appear to be too
ardent in pressing the new acquaintance
ship.
Athyne fastened to set matters right.
as well as he could. He knew from his
own bringing up that such a request
should come rather from the parents
than from the girl herself, but he under
| stood and tried to protect her. He ad-
dressed himself therefore to Mrs. Ogilvie
and not her daughter as he spoke:
1T would, l assure you. be delight
to me to go on your ship. But unhappily
1t would not be possible. Some business
matters, not altogether my own, are de-
pendent on my arriving in England. If
had only known that you we're gOing-in-
deed. l may say" he added. with smile
| which all three women accepted as win
ning.' that if l had known. to begin
with. that such delightful people existed.
But until that-that accident, l had no
such knowledge. l must not say that
| happy accident. for it was fraught with
| such danger to one whom you hold dear.
But, that apart. it was a happy accident
to me that has given me the opportunity
of making friends whom l already value
SO highly" This was. for him, quite a
long speech: he breathed more freely
when it was over.
| When the ladies had gone. he and his
host had a long chat over their cigars.
He was now more at ease, and as the
conversation was all about sports and
horses, matters in which he was thor
oughly at home. he could speak more free
ly and more naturally than he had yet
done. There was not any personal ele-
ment which would require him TO be on
guard and SO cause constraint. The re-
suit was that Col. Ogilvie got quite over
his stiffness and began to warm to his
genial Influence