Show I 1 lk X X A X AIR ra MCA wit X IF sir 43 W 44 aa eid aa ROMANCE R id a clfon CHAPTER ii 11 now VI abis ruby a few evenings I 1 iter seeking tier her cochin a room and speaking to her in ft a tone of confidence I 1 want rant you to do me a favor this evening all right dear answers violet rolling coiling up the long plaits of her flaxen hair bair with artistic precision how can I 1 oblige you well as you yen know the champley Cham are coming in this evening tor for some me music and I 1 want you to prevent shell from putting herself form forward ard in any ay and talking to them she has stich edich a strange blunt way with strangers that I 1 am aiwas afraid of 0 her doing something outrageous im sure you bell be responds VI looking rather astonished she m was as well named I 1 earl for she hides bides herself in her shell as persistently as elmr namesake ile he who finds out ont her true value will have to be a very persistent roan man 11 oh ob she Is a goo gool I 1 deal sharper than you think saas gas a ruby ft ath a little sneer and at the same time she bhe Is so extremely odd that I 1 never feel sate safe as to what she might say I 1 actually heard her con confiding fading to the recur a wife the other lay day that our stair carpet bad been turned tour four times well and if she did there waa mas no harm barm in it declare vialet who Is far more attached to shell than to the brilliant ruby of couise coin se you don t care because it it Is not your our own home wu iou are only staying help retorts rubb bitterly but tor for my own pait I 1 think Is no need that our poverty should be exposed to strangers sti angers if she gets in to conversation with mith either elthor of the champley a I 1 t in the least wonder at tier her telling them that oui dinner Is always badly cooked because wo me cant afford a new litt kitchen lien ringe ring I 1 ion don t think she would laughed violet she is quite capable of it she la Is so BO OLn hat other girl would mould in upon acing called shell when she has such a name nothing could be sa sweeter peter than peal I 1 and yet it if one dales daies to call her by her light name it she he flies into one of hei bei tantrums she he Is of a practical turn of mind laughs VI sho she thinks pearl too tul ful a n nime line tor for a A workaday mortal I 1 wonder what induced aunt to name you birre garla after 1 I really can t say returns ruby rather coldly perhaps the same rea son that induced sour mathei to name you you violet oh I 1 m BBS as called violet because my surname Is Ilo rioter Nerl explains VI a shadow stealing over her face ai a hei thoughts fly back to her bolt mother it used to be a joke of papa a that even wit when ell I 1 man led I 1 should not notecase cease to be a flower 11 you are a flower of which I 1 should te be uncommonly afraid it if you were not engaged laughs ruby afraid abrald why asks violet opening wide her blue pies ees because you are so terribly pretty answers ruby truthfully violet knows full well mell that she la Is pretty her minor tells her so morning noon and night yet she elbe likes to hear bear it again even it if only from ruby so bo she waxes amiable and gives her cousin a faithful promise that any show of forwardness on shells part shall be instantly suppressed As violet foresaw however there Is little cause to tear fear any attempt at familiarity mili mil arity larity on shell 9 pat pa t the girl has gleaned from rubys rabys constant allusion to the ampleys champneys Ch since their return home that her elder sister contemplates with hopeful confidence tho the possibility of becoming mistress of champley chample y house so disgusted does shell feel at her bar sisters sister 9 scarcely concealed that she ehe firmly resolves to adopt a line of conduct so totally at variance to tint thit of ruby that even the most obtuse man on earth see at least that she has no bestre to steal from mm hat his freedom even when she hears that ted champley the boy with whom she aho used to go black and nutting Is coming down with ith robert she makes up her sen sensible little mind to be civil to him nothing more so as tho the evening wears hm aw ay both brothers after ineffectual attempts to hit bit on a congenial topic of conversation come to the conclusion that the younger daughter of the house Is either cither somewhat deficient in In intellect t or ha has developed such an alarming spirit ot of contradiction that she la Is decidedly a young woman oman N to be avoided rubya amiable manner and social sympathy stand out in str ding contrast to shells almost rough brusqueness of manner violet too does her utmost to render tho the evening a pleasant one for the tha bi others whilst mrs wilden backs them both up as far as her natural want of energy will allow ydo you remember those jolly times wo we used need to have out black berry ing and what particularly delicious blackberry jam your cook used to make I 1 asks the younger brother taking a seat beside shell toward the end of the evening bedward edward Is a true english pvn and although three times already h has abandoned that seat scat in despair unwilling to acknowledge himself beaten she does not reply tor for a moment she is in the act of picking out a knot 41 in the silk she is using and till kahe his has fully accomplished d that cate feat she ignores the fact een that she has been hooken to then tu turning upon him with keen eyes which look almost dark in the lamp light she sh 0 says quietly I 1 beg your pardon ted champley feels taken back ila hla remark which a savors in ills his own mind slightly of the sentimental and indeed was made in somewhat sentimental tone cannot be repeated in face of that stolid air of indifference on oil shell a part so he changes hla his former conver ballon for another you seem scent to have become monder wonderfully industrious since I 1 saw you last he says glancing anything but admiringly at the pretty g garland a rland of il lowers ow e rs that Is gaoing gi ov ing under her white fingers yes I 1 am very fond of wa work k when you saw mo me last I 1 was mas a efird child and children are so BO stupid they never think of anything but play I 1 returns shell scornfully pin pili suing her occupation as though her living depended upon it upon my word i ord laughs ted I 1 it Is my belief th tint thit it a good many children tire wiser thin than their elders so abir observant you know and all that kind hind of thing I 1 leally don t think iou would class all together again as b ba ing stupid it if iou only knew those little kids of s they are aw awful ful little shar pers I 1 suppose their father takes quite quit an Int interest elest in them remarks shell in a bored tone ller her companion stares at her for some moments in amazement then breaks into a rather mocking laugh 1 ell 3 ies es robert does take a do aided intel abt in doi bob and meg bieg seeing that are lin own children per haps it Is not to be wondered N condei ed at 11 no of course that boull account for it responds respond it shell quietly 3 and ig noting the ling of sarcasm sai casin in teds beds N olce I 1 don t see how any orie ons could clotild help liking them poor little beg gaist I 1 con unites the oung boung man bluntly and in a voice that speaks volumes of avon conler ler at his companions beat he shell bi beeaks cals into rather an affected little laugh I 1 dear me she sas wonderingly I 1 b have ave I 1 shocked 3 loua ou 9 it so BO you must please forgive me for I 1 don t like children dr lu ted makes no remark for a few moments but sits witching matching her with keen scrutinizing eyes expecting every in beant that some le ie lenting dimple round her lips would belle belie her wordy words but no shell works on in serene un with her well poised head a little on one side and all liar attention apparently fixed upon her work ork I 1 Is there anything under the sun that you do liked asks ted at last la in a tone of 0 desperation oh yes several things answers shell briskly let me see reflectively 1 I like work and reading and I 1 am awfully fond of goose bet ry tart ted bursts into such a hearty peril of laughter that ruby who Is engaged in singing a trio with VI and Cli champley ampley give utterance to a false note nole shell after a futile effort to con ciol her trembling lips joins in III his merriment ment no but he says when they have both done dona laughing you must have I 1 know a few artistic tastes I 1 remember you used to play some very jolly pieces so you must bo be fond ot of music shell shakes her head in a despondent manner no she answers carelessly I 1 have no talent tor for anything in particular cular of course I 1 ply play a little and I 1 sketch a little but I 1 do nothing well enough for it to be pleasing to anybody but myself how do aou ou know that it if you never give your friends the chance of judging I 1 asks tell ted still trying to strike ke some ot of emotion out ot of this stolid maiden I 1 oh they are quite at liberty to judge tor for ahr themselves melves it if they like only nobody wants m ants to hear bear me play twice answers shell in a tone of til fil endly warning will boulet me hear you play once asks ted eagerly oh certainly it if iou wish only wont won t it be rather en cri el in infliction for everybody else slays shell naively I 1 no I 1 am sure it wont ont answers her companion in a volelle vole of such utter confidence that puckers of amusement gather around shell a lips after tho the most wicked fashion great to la ruby a s consternation and annoyance when she leave the plano piano to see eee shell down on her knees beside the music st ind turning a er the locae music in the drawer starly star ly 3 oil are not going to play she exclaims ir in a tone of mingled disapproval and annoyance tor for rubys rabys music Is her one strong point and she hates to be cast into the shade by her younger sister As a rule shell Is wont to bide her light under a bushel ind it la Is provoking to say the least that she aha should depart depa t from her usual course on the present occasion occa alon i oh ob yes I 1 arn am going to play I 1 have hava beon been astedt responds shell innocent laiq 11 1 with a r u g of her shoulders auby ll 11 passes ou on whilst shell selecting from the long disused contents of the drawer a dreary singsong sing song air sits bits down at the piano and commences to wada aade la and in a very way may through its twelve variations it is a piece that requires ulrea practice rid and very quick playing to render it even bearable bearl ble as shell hid bad neier neer had pa tience to rend read it quite through until this evening bet performance la Is anything but a brilliant one in III edward champley who has taken up his beside the piano in expectation pec tation of a buical treat does his best to look heet tu ful under the infliction but his most determined efforts at politeness criess cannot c a faint gleam of 0 hore hope stealing into his eyes at the end of each variation even anee he vultures on a rapturous thanks it la Is when to his horror he sees a minor key arrangement of the lie air looming up beffie him but shell only glances up for a moment and says quietly oh ob I 1 haven t halt half finished yet NN V hereupon her victim offers an apology apolo 0 gy and smiles a sickly smile as he vainly tiles to count how many more mor pages there are to get through and whilst edward is 19 enduring his self inflicted martyrdom at 0 one tie end of the room his brother robert Is being flattered battered petted and a little bit lectured at the other end by ruby it was really too bad of you to stop a way away from champley house so londt she I 1 he says reproachfully robert champley looks at her for a few moments before making any answer unfortunately for ruby scheme he be Is a man mho ft ho generally stops to think beffie he speaks even on trivial subjects I 1 t have como come back now it if it hadn haan t been tor for the children he 8 a a at length with mith i a sigh ruby catches the echo of that sigh and a n d Is all sympathy s no one knows better than I 1 how very painful lour return home must have been to you she remarks in a low and almost tone whilst her white eyelids veil liei bet ekes in seemingly sad introspect letro again lie he looks at tier her then somewhat coldly ches utterance to the one word m ord 1 llian hanks ks as it if she blip had made mada him a speech which though distasteful must be responded to in some way or other I 1 I 1 hope you found the dear children all that iou ou pictured them ruby soft 13 yes oh 3 PS they are merry little and seem jut about as happy as the day is long answers mr champley ampley Cli whilst a softening smile relaxes his somewhat some whit stein mouth it Is a tei terrible ble charge for sou observes ruby her tone and looks full of the most profound pity row how soa asks her companion la in evident sur surprise ruby feels somewhat taken abacuc abaca oh it ahaas seems to me such an impossible thing for a man to know about children a nants or waysl she ehe replies with till a little head shake champley gives a slight blight laugh I 1 assure sou 3 all both dob bob and meg have neither of them any scruples about epi essiri easing g their wants m ants he sais a gaily and as you know I 1 am ery fortunate la in my old housekeeper mrs mra tolley she is a perfect mother to the whole lot of us the babies have a treasure of a nurse too a sensible middle aged woman moman so on the whole I 1 dare say vie me shall tub lub along very well ell 1 I dont don t believe in any servants being treasures remarks ruby skeptic la tally ily and besides your children must mus t be too old now to be left entirely to the charge ot of servants 11 do jou ou think so asks mr Cli champley ampley in ili a pondering tone that Is what I 1 have been mathei afield of myself dob la is just seven and poor little meg alve 11 10 ro lo be continued |