Show A ROMA a sa i i aw 1 X continued I 1 why are you yon not with mrs wilden waldea and the others 1 lie he continues kindly fla afi he be follows follos shell into the diaming draft ing room which looks bare and depolite de solite for shell has hag not found courage even to renew the flowers during the past part few daas 1 I did not wish to go she bile explains vaguely as she seats beats herself on oil a low chair and tikes puw puss on her knee 1 I thought it boull bo be BO 90 stupid and dull on the moor robert Cb Champ ampley lcy stares at her with an amused smile surely it could not bo be in much uch duller than man you are here he be ventures wit a laugh and then adds almost sternly I 1 y you ought not to have been left here alone but I 1 wouldn t go I 1 I 1 reiterates shell decidedly it is nobody a fault but my own they were all very much ve vecea bec with me for not cot going only only I 1 preferred remaining behind I 1 am afraid you must be a very de ter mined young lady Y yea e a I 1 am very obstinate assents shell appa ing the most obnoxious term bhe can think ot of to her decision ot 0 character then anxious to bo be done with personalities she continues but you came with a message ilow how aro are they all getting on at Oakford Oak tord 9 lor for a moment there la Is a look ot of keen annoyance on robert champley a face then he laughs off the question guily gadly ob your sister bister seems charmed with the moor mrs wilden not quite so be enchanted whilst miss rioter Flo iNer I 1 hear has bus threatened more than once to run awall amongst other troubles it seems she Is suffering buffering intensely flom cold not having como come sufficiently supplied with wraps for the keen bracing air I 1 am charged with ith a note begging you to send her all the furs you can lay your hands on she declares the arctic regions roust must bo be tropical com compared parea with Oak moor I 1 VI Is alwa always s shivery laughs shell as aim she ta takes kea the sn small tinted note redolent of orrisroot orris root and scans the hastily scrawled lines well it won t take me long to gather up her bundle of wraps ilow how does she want them sent I 1 wonder by train to limply station thence uw b 7 abi carrier to oakford Oak tord I 1 suppose Bup pose answers answers mr champley briskly then seeing shells involuntary start of sur 1 prise prime he adds I 1 should have been very pleased to take them had I 1 been going that way 1 I shell still stares at him in open eyed amazement 1 I thought you were going to spend the summer at Oah Oak moor I 1 she falters and then a faint smile puckers up her mouth she cannot help feeling amused at the unexpected turn events are taking yes true I 1 had intended to do so BO answers robert champley in a slow thoughtful voice but I 1 have changed my mind the children seem so BO thoroughly happy at the farm that I 1 thought I 1 would take advantage of their being there to take a short run ran on the continent your ter miss wilden has been as usual particularly kind she has offered to keep an eye on the little ones so I 1 feel that they are perfectly sate safe ile he finishes his statement with mith a deep drawn et at gh and shell blushes crimson in the gathering twilight as she realizes the fact that he has been driven abroad by ru bys pertinacity would they ther not have been safer at champley ampley Cb house with mrs tolley to look after them ventures shell dubiously piously again the father st elgba ba I 1 I 1 think the air up there to la good tor for meg he be ans answers viers drawing his hand band clowley across his big brow I 1 the child has not been herself ot of late even rob has baa turned listless with the heat beat but I 1 don t of doubt oil bt I 1 s shall h al I 1 find them strong enough on my return the air la Is better than any medicine I 1 and yet you are running away from iti laughs shell mischievously A week of it e seemed emed enough tor for tel ted explains mr champley throwing the onus of hla his departure dep artura on h hla is brothers othera br innocent shoulders we wa thought we should have time for a rush through switzerland before tho the lone bonx vacation ted has never been to switzerland I 1 hope you both will enjoy it remarks m rk shell tamely then there ensues an awkward d pause delther guest nor hostess seems to have any further remilk to make till robert champley a s eyes traveling round tho the room in search of an oh object light upon the piano you were discoursing very sweet music when I 1 broke in upon your solitude he says with a quick smile yes I 1 wasi was making as much noise as ag possible to drown mv feeling or of loneliness laughs shell perhaps etwas it was indiscreet of me tint but I 1 listened to your music tor for fully ton ten r tilt before knocking at the door I 1 am particularly partial to good music ind nd it la Is not aften that I 1 get a hanco chanco of listening to any po BO ft ell worth hearing bearing I 1 could not imagine who was waa playing somehow I 1 was under an erroneous Impre aron that widen was par excellence the musician ot at the tha family y oh my placing is nothing much answers shell bru quely you are moun wounding ding my fL tidings elings tor for I 1 consider ma m self a good judge laughs her companion only I 1 should very much like to know why you so per put yourself in tho the background oh because putting oneself onese forward is such a bore scoffs shell it f people know you can play you are always being made useful lu in one way or another 11 isn t that rather a selfish way to look at it asks mr Cli Chain ampley pley grae araie ly IT surely it was intended that we should all be useful to our fellow creatures so far as lies in our power er 11 shell laughs a little mocking laugh of course it Is very lous to be bo unselfish she says flippantly but I 1 ain not given to self sacrifice and I 1 am afraid I 1 don dont t love my fellow ci chea ca tures tares as I 1 ought whilst she la Is speaking a single knock at the door Is heard and again she ehe breaks into a laugh ali ah there la is susan she la Is a fellow creature of course arid and at the present moment I 1 feel full of love for alove her but bu t I 1 am afraid my mo motive ve Is a selfish one you see eee I 1 was A as so BO awfully afraid that something had happened to her which would have been awk ward ard for me to say the least of it and she hurries into the hall to admit the long looked for susan you are an enigma remarks robert champley Gli ampley who having followed follone d shell to the door now holds her iain hind in ills his and gazes down at her wit with thoughtful puzzled eyes am I 1 ilow how horrid I 1 I 1 never found out an enigma in the whole bole course ot of my lily life I 1 think them so dreadfully stupid you are not stupid and I 1 r etther like enig returned robert champley falling into a reflection of her own mood that Is it amuses me to find them wt out by the way dob bob and meg loaded me with the most affectionate messages tor for 5 3 ou 11 did they how queer I 1 answers shell carelessly 1 I don dont t see anything queer about it says saya robert Cli champley ampley coldly they have iery affectionate natures poor little things and I 1 imagine that you have been kind to them I 1 have I 1 muses shell in speculative tones it if so BO it must have been ver very Y passive kindness 1 I am not so sure sura of that but I 1 must be going now I 1 feel that I 1 leave you in some kind of safety now your maid has returned but really this place Is in too lonely a position for aou to be living as you are doing almost alone oh we are safe enough laughs shell there Is nothing at the wilderness to tempt robbers and I 1 am not inot no t as a rule a nervous person although you found me in such an abject fright good night and she holds out hei bet hand band in a limp and 1 in different way to be shaken good night he be says earnestly as he presses it good night laughs shell and happy journey I 1 you are rather premature in n your wish I 1 shall not be leaving home tor for tw tv 0 or three days never mind happy journey when aou do persists shell with a careless nod as he moves away amay A strange girl muses robert champley Ca Cli ampley as he pauses in the drive to light a cigar one of the most unaccountable characters I 1 ever came across she makes herself out a kind of savage and yet the children adore her I 1 wonder what induced her to remain all alone in that big house when the rest took to the moor by the way ay what a nuisance that they fixed upon my neighborhood and so eo literally drove me away from my hiding pla place c e I 1 I 1 hope the children will be all right I 1 do wish ish miss wilden would leave them alone however that sho she evidently wont do I 1 think I 1 shall have to charter a yacht the coulden couldn rit t follow us then with an all impatient laugh I 1 by the way how bow remarkably well that little shell plays I 1 have halt half a mind to make same excuse for a call cal at the wilderness in the morn morning ing wonder it if she would play lor for me don t think so BO but have a try |