Show in aa A ROMANCE r ell diran dir ataw an 0 CHAPTER VI shell la Is in the now almost disused stillroom of the wilderness dusting dell delicate late china tea teacups cups mith ft ath a clean glass cloth bhe la Is singing at the top of her fresh boung voice as she usual ly does when working alone oh here you are at last cries ruby entering the room with a vie air I 1 I 1 have bave been searching all over the house for you who ever would dream of finding you down here at the end of this long passage an bod with mith an atom of sense answers shell bluntly it iou on insist upon asking about fifty people to a garden ga aden party with only two servants berva n ts some one must give giva them a helping hand band absurd aftem afternoon oon tea is no trou brou ble but it if you yon choose to encourage their laziness of course they are will ing enough to let youl you shell makes no cieply but placidly proceeds with her dusting VI and I 1 want you up stairs continues ruby in a different tone we have decided to wear those muslins mullins we had tor for tho the flower show only they want mant altering a little and some new laces tacking on all right only I 1 cant come coma just now assents shell readily the flowers have to be gathered and arranged yet and cook Is steeped to her eye brows bros in cakes 1 I promised to help her as soon as I 1 had finished these oh but the dresses must be done first I 1 III gather gathea tile the flowers it necessary says bays ruby in the voice of a martyr I 1 enen een though going out in the heat always does give me a frightful headache shell reluctantly complies and Is occupied for nearly an hour then having baving still many household matters on her igind she rises to take her departure par ture don t go 3 et you know how bow I 1 ab hor this sort 0 of work said ruby sharply her only work mork so BO tar far has consisted in m watching shells dett deft needle darting to and fro but ruby I 1 m must the tennis courts want nant marking and I 1 must keep my promise to cook oh we vie can manage now quite belil remarks violet cheerily by the way shell what are you going to wear meat looking up with sudden interest I 1 I OA on I 1 dont know kilow I 1 t thought though tl returns shell my white serge will do as well m ell as anything at any rate it Is ready dont don t wear mear stuff it looks so hot besides that serge looks horrid since it was washed objects VI who likes shell sufficiently to wish that she 6 should bould appear at her best my dear VI dont waste advice on shell you know how self opinionated she bhe is besides Bes ldes with a slight blight ing of her ee eyebrows brows she Is such a child it leally doern doesn t matter much what bat she wears ears just so assents shell shutting the door behind her but all the same she goes away feeling rather sore at heart for there Is no small amount of contempt in rubys rabys tone though her eldest sister has assigned her age as a reason jor for her dress drees not mattering she knows full well that the tone also insinuates a vast want of personal at tr actions too yet it she only knew it she has a charni charm all her own the charm of a genial spirit and a warm impulsive i heart which peeps out of her clear gray green eyes and lingers amit the dimples of her crimson lips all that long summer afternoon there ts ili no thought of self in the girl a conduct she flits about finding footstools and seats tor for old ladles ladies getting pins and fresh flowers tor for girls who have come imperfectly provided and generally making herself useful when will ill you bo be ready tor for tennis nis asks robert champley who has been watching her nar narrowly romly though unseen for the past ten minutes 1 I am not going to play answers as she hurries across the lawn with m ith a sunshade for an old lady who io has left her own at home and now finds herself incommoded by the ardent gaze of king sol dut but everybody overs body says baya you play so BO well and yet I 1 have never seen you touch a racket he be urges with a smile on her return perhaps that to Is how I 1 keep my reputation laugh gaugha s stell gaily no but really I 1 like to watch good play you might be obliging pleads pleada her companion truth to tell he Is beginning to take a deep interest I 1 in n shell probably proba probst bly owing to the fact that she ehe seems to take no interest whatever m in him well I 1 will be responds shell with a curious little smile and then walking straight up to an exceedingly pretty girl dressed in pale pink she ahe says bays gravely noia dear mr chample Is most anxious to meet with some one who plays playa pla ya tennis really well so I 1 thought I 1 coulta coulden t do better than bring him to ou mr chahill Cha ropley y miss nora fretwell and with a I 1 little ittle nod she proceeds placidly on her way may having so disposed ot of her ra valler valier five minutes litter later she la is accosted by ted it a jolly afternoon ho he begins begin K yes yea only rather aarni agrees shell pushing her pallor hat a little farther off her blow como come into the shade anil and let mo me tan fan iou oil suggests ted coaxingly llo hov very kind t scoffs shell dut but I 1 think I 1 m vont oil t accept it sound bounds so much nicer than it leally la Is fanning only males makes one hotter and tho the midges are sv sm at aiming in tho the shade it seems impossible ener eer to say or suggest the right thing to iou 5 ou says ted nitle ith boyish Impat impatience lence it I 1 have been rude I 1 am very sorry shell returns thoughtfully nt but all the same it la Is true sou know fanning oal cools one tor for the mo me meat lent and one la Is ten tell times hotter af ter warda wards As she speaks she ehe saunters on a few steps by ills his side that she may y not appear too pointedly anso ceable 13 11 nay inay I 1 hall had almost forgot ten tell ted laughing blob lob and meg charged me with a commis slon ion I 1 am entrusted with mith a ous OB packet which I 1 fully prom ased to deliver into bour own hands handa and from rom ills his pocket he be produces EL a small and remarkably kably clumsy paper parcel tied flail up with a bit of 0 colored wool 1 I think there must be some mis take says bays shell looking at tho the prof offering superciliously they probably meant it for ruby on tho contrary I 1 was aas particularly cautioned not to entrust it to your sister laughs ted 1 I believe it Is of nf an edible matuie and they feared the temptation might be too great shell takes the packet reluctantly and stan illig still for a moment in the pathway cautiously opens it dis ing to view tome borne halt dozen chocolate creams of a decidedly crushed find and not very tempting appearance for a moment a beautiful and gentle smile lights up her every feature then she remembers with ith a start the part she bho is acting and asks scornfully what on earth induced tham to send mo me these things tb ings they probably thought you would appreciate them poor chil children drent t an ted i ather hotly they got a box as a present this morning and give me ins any peace until I 1 consented to bring you over some I 1 m ish that I 1 hal haj thrown thi own them away on tho the road biou certainly would have been tiser betoi retorts to shell as she ruthlessly tosses the small bundle away amid it a clump of shrubs children have such odd fancies 1 41 I dont call that an odd fancy 1 I call it a generous impulse corrects ted stolidly I 1 dy by the 4 ay looking at her keenly shall I 1 tell them the fate of their poor little present 11 As you please answers shell carelessly and then knowing tho the pain that would be inflicted by such buell a reve she rhe adds quickly no I 1 think perhaps you bad better not some peo pie imagine that children are senst tive and I 1 have no wish to wound their feelings in case they possess any in case came they possess any crepea repeats ta ted positively hushing flushing with mingled anger and contempt you must b be e very dense if you have not yet dis covered that those children aro are of a keenly nervous temperament I 1 know I 1 am dense admits shell with mith not the faintest show of annoyance or resentment As for children I 1 dont profess to understand them probably because I 1 lime hae no sympathy with them ted walks on beside her in thought tul ful silence it seems to lif him m a sad pity that shell who mho used to be such a genial sunny little creature should have changed into tile the hard callous bo be ing now talking to him ile he would like to account for the phenomenon in some borne way may and Is contemplating the possibility of asking her if she ehe has haa been choseed in love when their tete a tto la is cut short by mrs wilden shell dear sas sais that lady in a troubled tone 1 I wish you would lun iun in and see to the making ot of the coffee it la in sure not to be properly cleared it if you aro are not there mr champley will excuse you I 1 am sure ibe be knows that we cannot afford efficient ser va vanta lits 11 I 1 am only too delighted to find that england still possesses young ladled abe ho aro are not above making themselves useful answers ted in a bantering teasing tone I 1 there Is nothing I 1 ad mire so enuch as domesticity in a woman oman most of our gills aro are getting so blue that tha t it will be a blue look out for their husbands hua bands yes indred murmurs mrs wll wil den as shell shelf with a little tos tm of her head walks away dear shell is in most useful not very ornamental but very useful thoroughly domesticated and such a gentle kind creature I 1 often wonder onder gt how bow I 1 should got get on without her in the meun meantime time ruby at the other side of the lawn la is listening to a piece of intelligence which causes her cheeks checks to tul n palo pale whilst she flutters her fan faa with increased nervous energy ly you a think the dear children need change chang I 1 she la is saying in a tone tona a 0 bewilderment I 1 I 1 thought they were looking remarkably well and the pets in such excellent spirits i meg la is not vj ft ell ann anaw ors era the father deci shely she seems languid and heavy the air here la is very rol reining axIng during the hot months roon tha I 1 think I 1 shall hall take her to scotland oh not to poor child the journey would bould bo be so BO dreadfully fatiguing pleads ruby as aa she thinks with consternation of the ity of inducing lier her mother to permit her to go so BO far front from home tor already her buik brain has haa formed a plan tor for following tho the children yes yea it might ie be trying for or so ao young a child agi ces mr air chain champley pley thoughtfully in that 1 t c case a as I 1 in must I 1 i a t bo c content on with the moora oi 01 tho the north devon conat coast I 1 I 1 should just keep her cpr at home and send her down by the spa sea every morning spa air Is alwag bracing observes ruby with mith a feeble ho hope that her advice may be taken Mud mouth to la the reverse of brae bracing corrects her companion decidedly besides it to la not only the air the children want mant a complete chance ot course 3 ou oil know best admits ruby with reluctant and despondent sigh but I 1 ahaas think that obil then dien are happier at homo home than any dacre else I 1 hat bat depends remarks robert Cli champley ampley vaguely and with a sharp sigh oh yea of coursel course agrees ruby eagerly then after a moment 8 sha he continues aloi slowly ay I 1 however trustworthy servants ma may bo be they cant can t understand everything do you mean that the ell children ildren tire are in any way may neglected he asks quickly I 1 oh dear nol I 1 laughs ruby with a pla tul ful head bead shake I 1 am a m sure their nurse Is most atten hc the from all accounts but you wight ought not for instance to allow her to choose their clothes of course she ehe has no idea how to dress them how should she poor woman oman I 1 they seem boom very sensibly clothed to me answers robert champley but in rather a dub dubious lolis tone in fact a tone open to As long as they are bairn and comfortable the tha exit cut lan fan t of much importance I 1 but my dear mr air Cli champley ampley how bow can poor meg bo be comfortable comfort ablo in a dress that allows ot no treo free play ot of the limbs children ought never to be b hampered by their clothing Is meg hampered almost tortured I 1 should think in her last dress dream As aa for bob he ought to be dressed fashion now doar dear me m what bat am I 1 to do I 1 italia asks robert champley half mocking halt half in earnest 1 I tell you what says ruby suddenly 1 I will make clothes tor for each of them as a pattern now please dont protest it will only be ba like the tun fun of drell bing dolls to me of course mr Cli ampley does protest but na as usual he protests in vain and when he takes ills his departure from althe the Wilder neon that evening he be flola himself weighed domn by one more obligation to ruby wilden As tor for ruby she to Is in groat great spirits the only thing which troubles her in the matter Is ili her tt attal tal incapacity either to out cut out or to make tatt clothes in question seeing that in reality she knobs far less how should be dressed than the nurse eliose whoso tastes sho she has been criticizing criticising critic ising laing to be continued |