Show AA A A aa A ROMANCE W ad 0 ov CHAPTER III continued has their education been corn com inen ced asks ruby with keen acx lety laty my sister imagined that she had succeeded in teaching them their nl at chabet laughs robert chimpky but dob bob still confounds b and d whilst megs meg s learning ta is limited to an all acquaintance with the letter 0 Dread dreadful full ejaculates ruby look ing shocked no time must be lost I 1 think so much depends upon a child a early training and I 1 know that vats dear claras clara a idea too was it IP questions mr champley eagerly and with ith his keen eyes fixed steadily on ruby as though she had suddenly turned into an oracle in that erse case I 1 must see about it at once but I 1 must manage to get someone who will vill make their lessons mole than hall play for they are neithel of them par ticul arly strong poor children and I 1 would not have them whirled on any account I 1 dare say eay it if I 1 offer a hand bind anae some salary I 1 shall be able to get them a governess who will listen to my wishes on that point I 1 had bet ter I 1 think advertise for or some one about twenty then she will sill not be above playing with tho the children and she will not have got soured by but feting fating with the world oh mr champley what an utter ly mistaken ideal idea cries ruby in real consternation one ter nation at this most dan golOus suggestion what you want Is a woman of sixty a thorough disciple narlan oh no I 1 dont don t le ie mr air Cb champley ampley I 1 am not going to hand band over my children to a martinet lie ile speaks with such auch unusual decision that ruby begins most henr heartily tily to wish she had not broached the subject of edu cation but girls are so inexperienced and often so 0 o impatient vi with ith children she falters it if you are determined to have dave a young person would it not be better to engage some one in the neighborhood who could come to them tor for a fw few hours a day that la Is a very good idea as aa far as it goes 11 answers mr air champley re I 1 only where am I 1 to find her faer I 1 suddenly a bright thought nay nl at most moat an inspiration strikes ruby looking ap up tit at him with arith hands and beseeching eyes she ehe says saya oh mr Chani champley pley it I 1 might only be allowed to teach them I 1 would with pleasure you miss wilden says her companion in you yes yea why not ques questions tons ruby quickly I 1 was their mother a best beat friend and I 1 dote on children you do not know how much brightness would be added to ray my lot it if you v would only 3 entrust me with their education 1 I bad no idea that you had any gift that way 11 1 I think I 1 have at any rate I 1 know that it would make me very happy if you would send me bob and meg tor for a few hours three mornings a week mr Cb champley ampleY frowns and looks un C comfortable 1 I I 1 really could riot not dream of so tar far troubling you miss aliss wilden he says with a decided head shake I 1 teaching Is very irksome work unless to the in it hinted and I 1 do not wish my to become a burden on my friends I 1 oh nonsense I 1 cries ruby with a playful smile dont don t I 1 tell you that I 1 should enjoy having basing them rate rals ing her voice a little she calls het hei mother to hei bet aid bl mamma amma I 1 am trying to induce mr air Chain champley pley to let me teach bob and meg don t you think it would really do rna me good to have some regular occupation 1 I I 1 of course it would my dear ac mrs wilden cheerfully only I 1 am not quite sure aure you know much to teach them 1 you see mamma thinks me in competent says flays ruby smiling perhaps you object to my plan lor for the I 1 same gains reason oh deal not no laughs robert champley 1 I have no doubt whatever of your abilia but in that case I 1 ishan t listen to your buts buta says ruby archly as 09 she rises from her seat and crosses over to the th piano I 1 and I 1 shall consider the matter bottled next monday I 1 shall expect the dear children at ten precisely I 1 then T v without allowing time for any object objection lon she takes the sent beat which shell aps bps just vacated and breaks into a brilliant arrangement of lively scotch alra airs i rooert Cli champley ampley makes one more effort to free himself aiom an obligation which la is so BO exceedingly distasteful but hla his not very clear reasons are quickly overruled by ruby and her mother so ao that he leaves leavea the tha wilder riess that evening with a cloud on his I 1 usually placid brow I 1 wish that woman had more tact he confides gloomily to ted as havins having donned light overcoats and lighted tb sr rogars they wend their way down tsi shori drive salv afi which women wona at queries led in a voice ot of indifferent wonder ta 4 owhy aby miss wild n of coursel course tier her sommon coni Bion sense lenso might tell her that I 1 would rather have a regular govern governia ma fer tile oldren or feni lra it if they ibey need touching teaching alicie is ih it 11 i in tit tin neild I 1 hate mole moie tit thin in in fit i it in idling with my affairs and vet st tl ti to 10 is nothing that me ins is ill gnp 1 l e tit antt t I 1 il 1 it ii it nuila I 1 of slip blip wl wi hout positive ruden I 1 sav don t get waxy A adv avei it ol 01 oil I 1 bo boi I 1 im M he e Is I 1 d ie garding his brother with home amazement for robert his has as aa a lulo into such an equable temper that it seems acm strange to alil it een in n the least ruffled I 1 lor or my own osin part I 1 thought it aN awfully fully kind of miss wilden to propose hiving having the fildi 01 cr she seems very unselfish and kind hind hearted beai led I 1 don doii t doubt for a moment that she Is a most estimable woman noman le ie but bt she has no tact noco no common ninion binse ns she must have seen pl pi duly that I 1 hated being put un der such an obligation it if she insists upon teaching tho the children I 1 don dont t see how I 1 can pi event her only I 1 shall certainly bend tier her a check at the end of tho the quarter tor for her trouble ani and so make a business matter mailer of it ion ou cant possibly do that cries ted in a voice of consternation I 1 am sure she would take it a 5 an insult if you want to satisfy your conscience the children could make her some pi pies er ent of jewelry or something of that sort 11 I 1 don t care so eo long as she gets paid somehow remarks the eidet brother carelessly canles lessly Bly and et with a good deal of annoyance in hla his tone red fed walks on for some moments I 1 in n meditative silence then he says sud end denly I 1 wonder what has come over shell since I 1 met lier ter last she used to be one of the joll JoIl lest little gills in exist ence and now she seems to be full of and spite slit shiely ely she cant can t have been crossed in love yet nothing else that I 1 can think of would account for the tha utter indifference which she seems for the world in general poor little shell I 1 noticed a great change in bet bei too I 1 assents robert dreamily As you sty siy she used to be such a chatty child and this evening her behavior was waa almost rude perhaps she has haa hadl had something as you suggest to sour her I 1 thought she looked quite pretty in that simple white chite dress I 1 might have thought her pretty it if she had con descended to make ingke norsell agreeable agreda me laughs ted but since she bhe did nothing but snub me at every turn her hair struck me as bein being g remarkably red and hei temper uncommonly bad jrsn wasn t that piece ot of music an awful infliction excruciating agrees robert heartly heartily I 1 iler her family ought to give her a hint not to inflict herself on visitors or it if she insists on playing she should limit her performance to five minutes I 1 oh well I 1 must os own n it was rather my fault confesses honest ted she warned me beforehand that I 1 t want her to play again it I 1 heard her once I 1 well she gave us a quantity it not quality tyl laughs robert I 1 indeed she did I 1 I 1 acquiesces ted with almost a gioan CHAPTER IV ruby has now been the self constituted instructress of dob bob and meg for nearly a month the novelty of her voluntary task has haa worn norn off the chil dien too have taken oft off that feeling of ie lestral nt and shyness which caused them in the beginning to sit flit like little models of patience buting the two hours devo devote teil jl to lessons they have now begun to realism realise the fact tint their gilb eity ty is restricted the rooming mottling visits to the Wild wilderness einess and both are beginning to legard their di disinterested Interested benefactress simply in the light of a jailer ruby possesses none of qualities so essentially necessary to win childish henits she has no patience no tact and not an atom of real s sympathy for her young ch chang arg one bright june morning dob bob Is laboriously forming some strange hieroglyphics supposed to represent pot hooks in a i cry aery blotted and limpy copybook whilst poor little meg with an ominous quler of her lips to la standing with her hands behind hei bet in front of ruby vainly seeking in her pati passive give little brain tor for the answer to the oft repeated question now noss meg wake up and tell me title like a good little child what la is three times four tree times four tree times four repeats meg drearily die arlly so often has haa the samo same been put in the same words worda that it coneys no meaning to her childish reason ruby has a way of scanning the morning news whilst she carries on her baring of questions so BO that her face I 1 la completely hidden from her poor little victim yes yea three times tour four ion ou will III stand there until ou oil tell me you know very well persists ruby in tones of stern reproach this seems such an exceedingly dreary prospect to poor meg that ht her two little fat fists bats are thrust suddenly aud dinSy into her eyes ayea and she breaks into a dismal bowl 11 ariy riy ly you aliss wilden yon just at atop op bullying out our 2 meg ale rles cries bob ud sud denly turning round on hla his high perch from which he e cannot descend un unaided tf A 4 WW 40 41 M 1 l and regarding ruby with angry eyes and a very red face ace you rude little boy says ruby throwing down doan her paper in Burp surp ilee title and regarding the young rebel ft iab a haughty stare go to your copy at once or I 1 will put you in the bornert corner I 1 meg la Is a naughty naughty girl and 1 if f she does doe not tell me at once what I 1 three bree t times ime tour four la is I 1 will ansill make her a dunce a cap meg bleg tin os s herself upon the carpet in a paroxysm of fright the disgrace to her mind sounds so BO terrible that her howl changes into convulsive sobs gobs only stopped ihen w hen dob bob shouts at tho the top of his voice thieo thice times four are arc tn twelve elvo meg itee times four arp are twelve sobs soba meg from tier her position and then bhe goes on with her crying more tiOn quilly this open ic bellion on bobs part cances ruby to rise from her chair and advance ominously ily towards the culprit I 1 don t cat raio e 1 I dont don t I 1 cries bob in a frightened voice I 1 ou oil can put me on three dunces caps it if vou on like riby makes no answer but having reached his side administers a sharp box on each ear I 1 dont ion t ate repeats dob bob whose poor little fae face Is crimson at the indignity then ate aie a wicked little boy sas a ruby angi angilly ily and as a punishment you shall do another whole copy of put pol hooks I 1 dont don I 1 care dob bob dog gedly as ruby toughly diaga him fiam hn his perch now watch katli me whilst I 1 set bet bour 3 our copy and it if you oil make a blot on this page I 1 shall punish you remember I 1 I 1 wouldn t be as cro cross B as you tor for de whole world horld remarks mega alegs chirping volie at this moment with aith great decision she haa bas ilsen front from the carpet and is regarding ruby with a mixture of dislike and fear then was aas silence in the apartment ruby labors through a whole line of stately pot hooks she la is alais very car ful about setting the copy well because the copy la Is occasionally shown to mr Cb champley ampley she makes a graceful picture seated sealed on a low chair and with her well poised head bent eagerly over her task unfortunately dob bob and meg are not of an age to appreciate beauty an aa a mere study yet notwithstanding this fact hobs bobs keen ea eyes es are fixed upon her closely though with nith no friendly look presently his dpn gaze lights upon a hair pin standing loosely out from rubys rabys heavy plaits cautiously very cautiously he faist alist touches it then draws it out and holds it up for meg s approval that little damsel smiles and dimples with delight much melt pleased with hla hie success he h quietly withdraws another pin and then another but suddenly hla his exultation changes into fright for with a slow alow movement the big shining plait comes gliding down and talla falls at his feet I 1 oh I 1 dian didn t mean it he says bays in a tone of 0 apology but bour our hair has come off even now he does not understand the enormity of his offense nor can he comprehend why hy ruby becomes so BO alarmingly red as she stoops to pick up her lost property did you cut it off dob bob I 1 asks meg bleg innocently no I 1 only took out the pins and it tell fell oft off explains dob bob who Is full of consternation at the mischief he has wrought I 1 you had no right to touch it sas B ruby severely it if 3 sour our papa only knew how rude you have been he would have you punished this she says by way of warning the children against repeating this contie contretemps temps at home little does she dundei stand their perfect love and confidence in their father her announcement only has the effect of sending tender hearted meg off into a spasmodic fit of weeping so BO distressed is she at the idea of 0 causing grief to her dear papa to be continued |