Show chell e ba A ROMANCE I 1 wilden 1 aden XII continued B life has been so very uneventful during the absence that it does doea not take long to recount the few small incidents which havo have bro broken licit its monotony it vaa mas 8 BO 0 sti of you to come remarks I 1 tuby ruby during a briet pause in the dialogue going on between mrs waldon and shell I 1 I don dont t suppose wo we shall any of us ua be stopping here more than a few days longer mrs afra wilden looks how so I 1 have no intention of going home just yet ruby she says a little tartly fire fhe cottage la Is taken for or two months and since the rent must he be paid we A a may as aa well A ell make the best bent ot of our bargain there la Is no best beet about it grumbles violet iolet no indeed it Is a downright snare and delusion agrees ruby I 1 since even the Chum champley pley brothers couldn coulden t stand it there can be no wonder it if we run away 11 1 1 don t think they grew tired of the moor says shell honestly I 1 if not why did they leave it demands lier her sister defiantly antly can cant t sav responds shell then after a piuse she continues 1 I suppose you know that they are going abroad la in a few days going abro id I 1 repeats ruby in a tone of positive consternation no I 1 had no idea of it I 1 understood that they m were ere merely going back to cliame Ch amiley ley house they are starting starling for switzerland in two or throe three days says bays shtil shall quiet ty ly and I 1 rather fancy they won t bo be back till autumn in that case we may na as well stop where we are observes ruby without her caution I 1 my dear ruby their movements cannot in any way A ay affect ours siva s mrs wilden looking puzzled and a trifle shocked chocked no of course not stammers ruby with a momentary I 1 fi h only I 1 promised robein champley in a way may to look after the children childre nl and since bince he be Is going abroad I 1 should not like to leave them alone on the moor that nurse la Is a very illiterate person 1 I doubt if she can write and of course lie he will want to hear bear how they are getting on 0 ahem ejaculates violet suggestively and then In dulles in ili an amused laugh shell does not laugh but turns with impatient step from the room INN whore here are you going shell beks ruby glancing up from an elaborate band of crewel cramol work mork destined to trim a morning gown I 1 am going over oner to to super intend dob bob a donkey i ilde ide I 1 pi aiom om ased him esterday este est iday elday 1 would come what tolly folly I 1 you know ho he Is never allowed a donkey ride unless he has been particularly good and m when hen I 1 ask piper it he has been good enough to have one she bho answers 1 1 no shell gives one of those low rippling laughs of her acis a m which hach ins his in it a mocking ring piper does not care for running after donkeys doubtless she bho considers it india illg dig ag ablio knows knoma that I 1 always m ays do tho the running business and ficai leave e her free fice I 1 hear th thit that it tho the children are deso destining iNing of a ride I 1 NA well ell it ti a a boi boio a any m vvan a I 1 gi gium rub rubi 1 I wanted 3 sou ou to cut out mi colliu and inns as aa I 1 feel inclined for foi a good d di I 1 a i work ork that wont mont vire tike five minu mint tea ites lauglin shipping oft off her wash li IL lIther glovas and frood temper pilly setting to tho the task dpn oine twenty later she bhe aristes at meadow biou farm she eho finds tl e established in a haneld benr tile the house and I 1 alper 11 per no chero aber visible where Is ilien asks shell pink ing down don in the fia giant hia hi BUS I 1 answers hob dob lacon leilly I 1 have vou ou been good chil children dien good enough for ft a donkey I 1 ilde ide I 1 pill sues shell bail ing don t hanom responds ros ponda dob bob with pl icid s pose not piper boxed my airs this morning I 1 I 1 well ivell nen never er mind laughs shell elace uce ippei pei inn t here m we a can cant t ask aak I 1 her I 1 er sou shall have hane lour donkey ride today and then boull on 11 be a good boy tomorrow dont don t m want ant i donkey rl allo to responds bob stoll dl I 1 tell us a story instead not N vant ant a donkey ride why kiat so sort t of a boy do ou oil call your belt daminda shell turning the child round to laugh him out olit of what she imagines to be a fit of the sulks then she becomes aware amare that bobs dob fl generally losy face Is pale and languid looking that his bright mere eyes are dim and misty do you feel 1117 asks shell thinking that the child must have hane been allowed to eat cat something un unwholesome holesome no no falters dob bob with all a boy B s reluctance to give gho in to physical suffering only my head aches rather lather with inith a strange thrill at her heart shell turns to meg the little girl la Is sound bound asleep on a fott bed of 0 hay her betokening thorough lassitude blassl tude no ne tat little win aim shields her eyes from rum tile ehg light removing it gently shell notes that poor meg la wan man as a a white may even tile the slight movement sends a convulsive shiver salver theoph her little fiame shell la Is not one to waste masto time over speculations stooping down don site she rals rala es ea the sleeping Ble child in her arms and telling bob to follow proceeds proc eela eels to the farm at the door she Is met by the farmers wife afe a kind motherly chert ture lure who takes in at a glance shells shell a sign to be silent mounting to the childrens room which Is deserted she eho undresses meg and lays her in her little cot A lev minutes persi persuasion malon and the promise of a fairy tale soon induce bob to follow his bis sister a example but shell has no need to cudgel lift her brains tor for the promised legend no sooner does doea dob a head bond touch the pillow than ho he too sinks into a troubled sleep descending to the big nagged flagged hitchen hitchell shell holds a hurtled consultation with the farmer farmei a wife the result ot of which Is that a boy Is tor for the nearest doctor whilst she Is waiting his ai arrival rival PI per turns up explaining that site she has only just been down to the village for or a few stamps she looks much taken aback when r he ehe bear boais a ot of the children a illness and finds that she cannot pooh pooh it after two tao hours waiting malting the doctor comes lie ile Is an elderly man ge genial nial reliable and fatherly fat heily shell and tho the mistress rol of the house accompany him to the sick room when the three return to tile the ag big kitchen there is a seared scared look on two at least of tho the faces all connection with that part of the house must be cut off mrs airs porn pom fret and a street sheet with candys fluid hung at the end of 0 the passage I 1 will telegraph at alt once to mr champley it ou can call furnish me with his address piper looking seared scared and pale produces the address and the doctor takes I 1 his big departure the doctor la Is not answers shell in her low sweet voice but he be tears small pox it seems there are some cases lit in the neighbor hood small smallpox pox I 1 shrieks piper and am I 1 expected to stop here and r lose ray my lite life through nursing children with small pox I 1 wont do it no not tor queen VIct herself hersel fl shame upon you woman 1 cries mrs pomfret wrathfully wrath tully I 1 do you mean to tell me you would mould haive the heart to go away amay and leave them poor little babies with their father away goodness snows and their poor mother lying burled buried id nurse em myself mi self and welcome only I 1 ve got my own children to think of and I 1 can call t bo be running to and fro to the sick room with smallpox email pox hanging about my clothes let who will nui auise se em I 1 wont remarks piper doggedly do you think I 1 would allow you flashes shell her bosom heaving with suppressed scorn and anger do you imagine tor for one moment that sou ion are lit fit to be trusted to nurse them you at aie a right a miss agrees mrs airs pomfret for she neglects them poor dears shameful As tor for nursing I 1 wouldn t trust her with a sick cat then turning to the nurse she continues lofall I 1 lake ake your precious person out of this as ad soon boon as may be though who s to attend to them children I 1 don t know dont don t trouble yourself about that mrs pomfret I 1 in will ill take care of them till ft a propel nurse is found says shell gently I 1 I 1 ou on austri t miss it a catching dreadful catching remonstrates mis alls only m when hen people are afraid laughs shell I 1 don t feel in the least nervous nerous about illness I 1 cause sou haven t seen much opines kopines mrs pomfret Pom tret with a sage choro Is general consternation at goine boio cottage when artries with her news I 1 small pox poal I 1 are 3 ou oil quite sure nitro lie he said small smallpox pox I 1 cries ruby with a sla shudder udder how terrible but surely it cant bo be small children must have been vaccina vaccinated ted I 1 that Is the strange point answers shell there is no mirk mark whatever on meg alegs s arm a very taint faint one on dabs bob s the abo doctor says he can t bo be sure for another twenty four our hours they ought to haye have been in n bod bed two das dais ngo ago they do nothing but shiver and stilver shiver and shiver I 1 what Is to be done asks aska ruby blankly and then a idea suggesting itself NN a 0 mu mut must t telegraph at once to london for an nurse and who la Is to nurse them till she ar arlivea rivea vea piper of course I 1 piper has flown by this time I 1 left her packing her box I 1 now how of her Ilo however vever mrs Porn pomfret fret must got get some same one to see sea to them I 1 robert Cli champley ampley told me that you had promised to see to them during ills his absence how utterly absurd and unpractical you are shell of OC course I 1 am very sorry for the darling children but I 1 cant can t possibly risk ouch euch a catastrophe as aa smallpox small pox no one could expect it had it been anthina an any thing else grandillo anything loss less repulsive I 1 would have gone to them myself and they are to be left eat lattrel trel co strangers stran geis nith mith no familiar face tie te side elde them queries shell la in her even voice I 1 don t see any other possible arlan gement since you hake hae been foolish enough c to let piper forsake her post answers raby huby sith a sigh but I 1 isee see that some other arrange ment me tit Is I 1 a imperative says shell docia edly it mould ile be too cruel and cow ardly to leae them to strangers I 1 11 you won t fco bo and i emain N ith thera them tn the nurse alises anises at I 1 h es I 1 shall clo 00 bo be condit ild |