The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-06-22
MRS. KILBORN'S SISTER


whats the use2' he defended.
You're homesick," said Maisie
wisely
"And what would be the use, if
were?" said Terence.
A week later he CHANGED upon an
empty moment of Mrs Kilborn's.
q like your little sister," he said
frankly. shes like you-rather
"She is a dear" said Mrs. Kilborn
gaily, but not in the least like me
Terence"
ooh yes, rather" he insisted "Hei
laugh, now
Mrs. Kilborn let the point go. ITS
nice of you to take her about SC
much. She rides well, doesn't she?'
Like a boy" said Terence. we
rode all of fifteen miles yesterday.
Come out Saturday and stay till
Monday morning. said Mrs Kilborn
'In have the Raynors to dinner
Saturday night, and Sunday we can
go over to Hanalei in the car
Terence said he would come. lie
added rather more naturally than he
would have done a week ago that he
never got word in edgewise with
Mrs. Kilborn nowadays
81 am a very busy lady," said Mrs
Kilborn, and smiled, and called Mai
sic to talk to him while she saw to
something that had never needed see
ing to-
Maisie came, with exceeding will
ingness. Upon a number Of subse
quent occasions she came after the
same fashion, and Terence by nc
means suspected that Mrs Kilborn
arranged these occasions.
Because Maisie rode well, he lent
her his own horse, borrowed anoth.
er not nearly so good, and spent
hours in the saddle with the girl
Because she danced well, he swung
her down the long hall of the Kilborn
house, to music that Mrs. Kilborns
white, nervous fingers afforded sweet
~ and, because she read too little
he brought her his own O. Henry
Kipling, Thackeray, and Yeats.
For all this, however, he stood yet
within the borderland of platonism
but that border Mrs. Kilborn lured
him across.
1t was she who told him that Mai
sic had an unaccepted sutton in the
States
Not anything definite, she de
MED, subtly. But he's the decent
est sort of boy, and | think she's
fond of him He's wanted for years
to marry her-his people are old, old
friends of ours; it would be a per
feet match, as far as one can tel
about such things. Maisie puts min
off. Still I think she will-even
tually.'
She's too young" said Terence,
frowning a little.
Mrs. Knborn saw the frown and
WINGED to see it,
Twenty; that's not so dreadfully
young"
Not old enough TO know her Owl
mind" he objected brusquely.
she knew her own mind wher
she was ten, said Mrs Kilborn, will
the poignant insight of one sister in
to another sisters soul--an insigh
which may not as a rule, however
be successfully communicated to the
bystander man without exposing Cne
self to an accusation of felinity.
She added softly 'Maisie has more
strength Of character than that sof
little face gives her credit for
q think she shows it," said Ter
ence.
He had not, as matter of fact
thought much about it, regardinl
Maisie Unfortunately as buttel
fly, a kitten, "A pleasing little tune, o
a small red rose of the sort tina
blossoms plentiGmly in any man
garden. With Mrs. Kilborn's hint q
the sutton in the background, hi
thoughts focused, as it were, une'
pectedly. He began to see in MNsi
evidences of deeper strain, higl
er destiny: in her childish laugh, a
undreamed-of innocence; in the SOM
time capricious desires OF her &C
ouetry a reaching after wider emf
tions. He had thought Maisie
child, and behold, in the skilfully "a,
justed spotlight of Mrs, i<iloorn
placing stood a woman.
J He told himself that because Ma
! sic was so elusively like her sist'
but the truth is he was very net
forgetting her likeness to any OF
save herself.
To all of which Mrs. Kilborn pr
! scented the smiling front OF an o
server pleased with what he see
! If she remembered the twilight
which Terence had laid his chez
against her picture, she gave no sig
If the Inconsistency of man made al
. wound within her soul, she hid
|. and laughed above it convincing