Show Is amis am 0 00 M shell e EA bilg A ROMANCE wilden 1 0 o I 1 d e n CHAPTER XIII continued and risk bringing back the infection here no thank you cries ruby hotly I 1 ahall ask mamma to forbid you my dear ruby interposes mrs wilden B s voice with unusual firmness it shell thinks it her duty to so go I 1 shall certainly not try to stop her I 1 shall ahall feel fed terribly anxious but it mill ft only bo be for a day or so and I 1 believe the disease in its ito first stage is not very infectious do you mean that you would take her back hire amongst us after being with the children asks aaka ruby aghast of boorse she will return when the nurse arrives there Is no need to run unnecessary risk it if you and violet feel fee nervous we wed d betted return to the wilderness and shell can stop here until the doctor warrants her safe 1 I have such a horror of smallpox small pox that I 1 really think that would be the better plan remarks ruby with a sigh of relief what do you say VIV VI oh let us start for mudford by all deanal means I 1 am not particularly timid but I 1 feel fael that I 1 ought to so go tor for edwins sake edwin Is her fiance it would be such a sell for him it if he bo came home and found me disfigured shell dear pressing a hasty kiss on her cousins cousin s cheek check you are a heroine heroina but the world la Is made up of 0 all sorts and I 1 am the sort that runs away I 1 am not a bit heroic I 1 should run away too it if I 1 felt afraid laughs shell but I 1 don t and therefore I 1 shall take no harm harin so it is arranged shell after gathering a lew few necessaries together and receiving a tearful embrace from her mother hurries back to her sleeping charges and during the afternoon ruby and violet take their departure while mrs mra wilden allden to Is left to bemoan the fact that she ever allowed herself to be worried into taking a critt the moor 11 1111 1 ani wil tl CHAPTER XIV two days and nights have elapsed no answer has been received to the doctors hastily telegram and shell sitting patiently beside her charges begins to think link t that the address given by piper must have been an erroneous one nor has a professional dional nurse put in her the children are going on so favorably that the doctor deems the services of one unnecessary since shell Is determined ter mined not to quit her post and indeed has haa given a promise to that effect to her little patients she Is quite isolated from tho the rest ot of the household the children are installed la in a large room at the end of the passage which on their arrival was fitted up as a night nursery shell Is with them all day at night she occupies tho the roomy old sofa in the adjoining room leaving the door of communication muni cation open all intercourse with the outer world is IB carried on cautiously round the saturated at sheet which milich cuts her off from the household in general yet somehow shell has no feeling of isolation she has books in plenty to occupy her when tho the chi chelten leven sleep and during their waking hurs she has work enough to keep keel them amused she Is sitting at the ivy wreathed casement on the third morning looking out tor for the doctor a visit when a hired carriage drawn by a pair of horses turns suddenly caly into the front yard she cannot see sea the occupants occupant a as it passes beneath the window and the tha front ot of tho the house ts Is also out of 0 bight she rises from her seat beat with a strange fooling feeling of confusion and nervousness ous nesa ness she would give worlds to become invisible she even glances out ot of the window as it if meditating escape in that direction then steps are heard dom down n the pas sage aage alia door handle turns and the next robert Chain pley enters the room followed by the housekeeper at champley house ra rava papa shriek shrley two shrill little voices I 1 and tolley dear old tol to loyl the children are caressed and quieted whilst mrs airs tolley delights them with a huge bunch of flowers flowena which she has brought with her then robert champley erases over to the window where shell Is standing mg in the background the girl looks pale and almost batern though a vely unusual thing with shell she ahe Is tiera tiem bling N isible I 1 shell how can 1 I ever thank you for ibis says mr Cli ampley in a tone broken by emotion there Is nothing to thank me m tor cor lila I 1 sea bea answers shell coldly 1 I tike nursing it if mamma would only lot let lie ae I 1 should like to en enter ter a hospital no young and beautiful woman 4 oman can like nursing small pol on cases rejoins robert champley it is the first time in hr her life that shell obell has I 1 een called beautiful and i quick fluth flush rises to her white hite skin really renders her so BO for the moment then she breaks into is a laugh it Is chicken pox not small email pox ibe ih says flays quickly are you sure asks aaka her companion whilst a look of relief lights up till his whole face yes yea quits quit tor the first twelve hours the croitor feared otherwise but there la Is no doubt u whatever balei er now they are suffering guttering from chicken pox in its mildest form only as an mrs airs pomfret Pom frets a children have not had it we are taking every precaution 11 and you have you had it asks i robert champley anxiously yes three years ago I 1 laughs shell so you see with a satirical little smile smil 1 I have been running no great risk As AB it has turned out answers her companion regarding her steadily i but I 1 can never forget that you nursed them during those twelve doubtful hours when all others turned and fled that la Is nothing returns shell care lessly then advancing to the little cots drawn side by side she says to the children now you have got kind mrs airs tolley I 1 am going to run away no no sell you stop too lisps meg catching shell a sleeve in her hot hand tolley can t tell about the fairy princess oh yes yea she caal can hazards shell with a laughing glance at mrs tolley besides find out about more princesses to tell you when you are well again and she bends down to imprint a farewell kiss on the fevered face suddenly a gray coated arm Is interposed between shell shelia a red lips and little meg is a white brow 1 I can allow no kissing t saya robert champley decidedly shell draws herself up rigid as a grenadier whilst meg lights feebly with an intervening arm you have run risk enough without courting it explains mr air Cb champley ampley almost angrily shell merely shrugs her shoulders mrs tolley she says turning to tho the housekeeper it you will r into the ath ow lm broom with I 1 will P aal ayl me e about the medicine et cetera and the doctor will be here shortly so you will have full directions from him about the children mrs tolley does as she la Is asked and from that other room shell slips away home without any further intercourse with robert champley 0 0 a A fortnight has elapsed in tho the rustic porch of gorse gorge cottage two figures are seated a laughing eyed merry girl in spotless white a tall stalwart man in gray tweed the house door Is closed cloned and the interview Is consequently a private one q 1 I shall call you pearl the gentleman Is saying with laugh pg decision no I 1 wont be pearl my old name suits me much better I 1 am rough and uneven and hard in tact fact thorough oyster shell pouts the girl rebelliously you certainly conducted yourself like a shell when I 1 first knew you but adversity opened the shell and then I 1 saw the treasure inside and pounced upon my pearl laughs the gentleman 1 I hope I 1 may really prove a treasure to you but I 1 sometimes doubt it says shell with comic candor you know I 1 have a good many faults I 1 am quick tempered and blunt and some me I 1 people think me eccentric robert champley indulges in an amused laugh you will perhaps be surprised to hear bear that neither am I 1 perfect he returns I 1 can be obstinate and even grumpy at times I 1 really asks shell in a tone of 0 un belief I 1 yes yea really and truly laughs the gentleman and now pearl pearci I 1 told you I 1 was obstinate 1 I want to know what induced you to be so particularly uncivil to ted and me when we first returned to champley louse house was waa I 1 very horrid she asks evasively flushing you snubbed poor ted so BO unmercifully that I 1 doubt it if he will ever recover his hie normal state of placid conceit I 1 well you see it was mas this way explains shell in self justification 1 1 I knew that you were rich and that everybody would be particularly gracious and officious so I 1 made up my mind to be an exception to the rule I 1 which you certainly were meg was one of 0 the first to find you out laughs megs fattier father as that little damsel soon tired after her recent illness comes creeping into shell a lap that little dress reminds me of the day I 1 caught you working at the window pursues robert gabort champley touching big daughters pale blue skirts I 1 does it says shell with it a shy pleased eliugh I 1 own the truth pearl you made that dress I 1 certainly had bad a finger in the pie 11 answers pearl demurely do you remember I 1 told sou then that the turquoise was your stone touching her left hand band on which flashes a circlet ot 0 diamonds surrounding ft a turquoise almost unique la in color and slie size 11 1 I remember assents shell dream dreamily tell me ine a tale sell at this moment interposes meg laying her tired head with ith a restful sigh upon the girl girls a plump shoulder III I 1 II 11 tell you a tale meg says say her father binding dowa to liss the child a wilto tram br shell hu has promised to come to champley house and live wibb us always m bat do you say to that 1 I say bay phe ehe a a brick remarks dob who has joined the circle robert champley gave SU an amused glance at his promised wife and then they both break into a hearty peal of 0 laughter TIIE THE END |