Show awl A vw wild i eldene chadim rit X continued why are arc oil not with mrs alra wilden allden and rid the othera he continues kindly as aa ho he follows follos shell into the drawing room which loohs bare and desolate doh deh tor for shell eliell has not found courage even to renew the flo flowers iNers during tho the past tow few da dais a 1 I did not wish to go 11 she explains vaguely as silo she seats herself on a low chair and takes pua on her knee 1 I thought it would be so BO stupid and dull on tho the moor robert Cli champley ampley stares at her with an amused smile surely it could not bo be much duller than you are here he ventures with a lauga laut sli anil and then adds almost stern ly IY you ought not to have been lott left here alone hut but I 1 go gol reiterates shell shall decidedly it la Is nobody a tault fault but my own they were all deiy much vexed with mo me for not going only only I 1 preferred remaining behind I 1 am afraid you must be a very determined ter mined young lady yes I 1 am very nory obstinate assents shell applying the most moot obnoxious term she can think ot of to her decision of character then anxious to be done with personalities she continues but you came with a massago now how are they all getting on at oakford Oak tord vor for a moment there Is a look of keen anno annoyance ance on robert champley a face then he laughs off the question lally eally oh your sister seems charmed with the moor mrs wilden not quite so BO enchanted whilst aliss flower I 1 hear bike threatened more than once to run way amongst other troubles it seems she la Is suffering intensely from cold not having come sufficiently supplied with wraps tor for the keen bracins bracing air I 1 am charged chaigen with a note begging oil to send her all the furs you can lay your hands on she declares the arctic regions must be tropical compared with noth VI Is always Bil shivery lvery laughs shell an aa she takes the small tinted note redolent ot of orris root and scans the hastily scrawled lines I 1 well it won t take me long to gather up her bundle of wraps how does she want them sent bent I 1 wonder dy by train to limply station thence by the carrier to oakford I 1 Bupp suppose oae answers mr Cb champley ampley briskly then seeing eeling baliell a involuntary start of sur prize he adds adda 1 I should have been very pleased to take them had bad I 1 been going that way shell still stares at him in open eyed amazement I 1 I 1 thought you were going to spend the summer at Oak Oali moor she falters and then a faint smile puckers up tip 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 I 1 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 on the continent your olater bister miss wilden has baa been aa usual particularly kind she has offered to keep an eye on tho the little ones so I 1 feel that they tire are perfectly safe bate ile he finishes hla him statement with a deep drawn sigh and shell blushes crimson sri in the gathering twilight as she realizes the fact that bo be has haa been driven abroad by ru by bys s pertinacity I 1 would they not have been safer at champley house with mrs tolley to look after them ventures shell dubiously again the father sighs I 1 I 1 think the air up tip there Is good for meg icell ho he an answers sAcra Ir twing hla his hind slowly across hla his brow the child has baa not been herself of late even rob has baa turned list littles les with noth the heat beat but I 1 don t doubt I 1 shall find them strong enough on my return the abe air la is better than any medicine 11 and i 3 et ct you are running aw an ay from still itt laughs shell A week ot of it seemed enough for ted explains mr champley throwing the onus of his departure on oil his brothers brother s innocent shoulders wo we t thought hought we ne should hao hae time tor for a rush through switzerland before the long vacit vacation lon ted has neer been to switzerland 1 I hope you yon both will enjoy it re marks shell tamely then there ensues an awkward pause loither guest nor noi hostess seems to have any further remark to finito till robert Cli champley ampley a c oes es ti m el ng round the room in search ot of an object light upon the piano you were discoursing very sweet music in when hen I 1 broke in upon our solitude he sas with a quick smile yes I 1 m was as making as much noise re oo Pot possible sible to drown my feeling of loneliness laughs shell perhaps it ia was as indiscreet of 0 me but I 1 listened to sour music tor for fully ten M anute a before knocking at the door iam I 1 particularly partial to good music and it Is not often that I 1 g t a chance cianco of listening to any so well worth hearing I 1 could not imigine who was placing somehow I 1 wa under an erroneous impression that miss wilden NN was as par excellence the aitu ot of the foully oh rny lay placing Is nothing much answers avers baliell blur quely lou IOU are wounding my feEll feelings for I 1 consider myself a food judge laughs her companion only I 1 should very much like illie to know why you so per put oui self in tho the background 11 oh because putting griesc C t tor forward Is such a bore I 1 scoffs shell I 1 it people know you can play you ale aie nl at vaa a being made in ono one ft A ay or another 11 isa t that rather a selfish N way ay to look at icv it asks mr air Cli champley amPley gravely surely it was nas intended that we should all be useful ful to to our fellow creatures so BO tar far as lies in our poa power or 11 shell laughs a little mocking laugh of course it la Is deiy vol y merithol IOUs to bo be unselfish she says flippantly but I 1 am not given to self belt sacrifice and I 1 an am afi afield at d I 1 don dont t love my fel fellow low crea tures as aa I 1 ought 1 whilst she Is speaking a single knock at the door Is heard and again she breaks into a laugh ah ab there Is susan she Is a fellow creature of course and at the present moment I 1 feel full of love tor for her but I 1 am afraid my motive m tive is a selfish onet onel you see eee I 1 was a so 0 aw awfully fully afraid that something had happened to her which would have illen bien awkward for me to say tile the le least abt of it and she quirles into tho the hall to admit the long looked for susan you are aie an enigma remarks robort robert Chain Chai pley ripley who ahling fol followed loAel abbell to the door now holds her hand in his and gaea down at her with puzzled ebes 03 es am I 1 now how horrid I 1 I 1 never found out an enigma in the whole course of my life I 1 think them so dreadfully stupid you are not stupid and I 1 rather like enigmas enig mas returned ned robert champley falling into a reflection of her own mood that Is it amuses mo ma to find them out dy by the way dob bob and meg loaded me with the most affect affectionate messages mes griges for 3 ou I 1 did they how queerly answers shell carelessly care leasly 1 I dont seo see ant anything bing queer about it says saya robert champley Cha ropley coldly they aboy have hava ery cry affectionate natures poor little things and I 1 imagine that you have been kind to have I 1 muses hell in speculative tones if so BO it must have been very passive kindness 1 I am not so sure of that but I 1 must be going now 1 I feel that I 1 leave you in some kind of safety now your mald maid has returned but really this place to Is in too lonely a position tor for you to be living as you are doing almost alone oh WO we are safe bate en enough ought laughs shell there Is nothing at the wilderness to tempt robbers and I 1 am not as a rule a nervous person although you found me in such an abject fright good night and she holds out her hand band in A limp and indifferent wiy way to be shaken good night be says earnestly as aa he presses it good right eight laughs shell and happy journey journ eyll 1 you are rather premature in your wish I 1 shall not be leaving home for two or three days never mind happy journey when you do persists shell with a careless nod as tie be moves away A F girl I 1 muses robert champley 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 sav age and bot et the children adoro adore her bar I 1 wonder what induced her to remain all alone in that big house when the rest took to the moor dy by the v maa what nhat a nuisance that they fixed upon my neighbor hood and so eo literally drove mo me am aay ay from my hiding place I 1 hope the children will bo be all right I 1 do wish miss wilden would leive leave them alone however that she eho evidently N wont oil t do I 1 think I 1 shall haie hae to charter a bacht adit she coulden couldn t follow us then with in an impatient laugh lauch dy by the vay may how bernarl ably well veil that little shell plans I 1 hae bane halt a mind to make excy excuse e for ft a tall lall at the Wild wilderness einess in the morning wonder it sho she would play tor for TOO MO don t think so EO but have a try CHAPTER XI robert Cli ampley Is not 11 as a rulo rule givan to thinking much about hla his neighbors con concitis coni eina ciris let the vision of 0 shell startled arid and pale as she elia stood before him in the gathering g gloom of the tha hall at the wilderness rises moro more than once and confronts him during the wakeful watches of that summer night when breakfast la Is over the next nest morning and the brothers are enjoying their pipes together with alth the news of the day under the rose wreathed verandah A which shelters the dining room windows of champley house robert suddenly breaks the silence I 1 ani am going over to the tha wilderness will iou tome come he asks addressing hla his brother to the wilderness repeats ted in amazement why what ahat a up you went to the wilderness ild erness last evening that Is no reason why A by I 1 t go again this athla morn morning I 1 laughs robert not ta the neatest Hea test assents absents ted with a lazy throe shrug of his B V you have a fancy tor for stinging nettles rt it may be a weakness on my part but I 1 have a particular si t rolon relon to prickly young women and mademoiselle shell bnell la is a perfect hedgehog then ion im wont come not it if I 1 know it and you can blat bint to the young lady that she has lost the pleasure ot of my company entirely through her waspishness ot of dispost tion per perhaps hapse then she will mend her wa a 1 yes that would be likely to make a strong impression on her I 1 should think says the elder brother deits deila ively os as he be clears te ashe from hla his pipe and prepares pre tor for departure the fact Is he be continues in explanation I 1 think shell ought to join her mother at oakford it la Is really not safe tor for her to remain here all alone oh she Is safe fe enough I 1 nobody who has haa had bad one interview with her la Is likely to molest her a second time scoffs led Iloie however ver it if she la Is weighing on our mind ou had certainly better get rid of her before we start so go and give lier her the benefit of your opinion it if you dare you always were ot of a somewhat quixotic nature not in the least returns robert seriously I 1 only v where here duty so BO plainly leads one must needs follow capital sentiment no doubt for the head ot of a family drawls ted it ever I 1 many I 1 hope a sense ot of my responsibility idill ft fall upon me at the same ame r time at my duty plainly leads me to pack and not to moralize with shell on the impropriety et Y 0 ot her conduct you are a lazy dog ted and no mistake 1 laughs robert champley Cha ropley looking down anith an indulgent smile at his younger brother who instead of himself for the talked of packing lias bas sunk down upon the close shaven shanen gheen cicen salol deloio 0 leading to the veranda arid and Is almost lost to view under the NIde widespread spread sliest blicht ot the tha times I 1 am thankful tor for amill am ill mer mercies clea res responds ponds ted in a tone of unmerited pes catlon 1 I our speech N have beon been more annihilating had you substituted tile the word nord puppy for or dog now speed you on 5 our iny I 1 have no earthly wish to detain you and tell miss shell with my best beat respects that she Is quite welcome to the moor now N 0 have done vi bilth jtb it if all right laughs robert and the tha next moment he is walking briskly down donin the avenue As he nears the wilderness however his bis pace slackens after all what business of his Is it 11 that shell chooses to remain at home instead of joining her mother and sister may she not feel justly annoyed at his interferon interference and resent it as sheer and yet he cannot somehow feel justified ju in going away amay and leaving her hay unprotected she has been hind to hta his children their little hearts seem full of her her name trips from their tongues twenty times a day and yet incomprehensible girl that she la Is she never seems to care one on jot about them and it she speaks of them at all deems them by her tons tone I 1 little nuisances well duty la Is duty sho she can misconstrue him it she will laugh at him it if it le pleases her but ho he will han have a hla his say bay and just tell her plainly and seriously that she ought to go to oakford with this resolution uppermost in his mind he mounts the large its flat doorstop doorstep and pulls the bell As a rule bhea the whole family are at home the hall door stands open to admit the summer sunshine now it la Is closed and robert champley notes with a sigh elgh that it badly wants a coat of paint to be continued |