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Show Wilden. & wwwK0HS first so cleligntrni, now seems tt flu her usually cheerful spirit with a eose of depression. Until robbed of all companionship com-panionship she never guessed what a sociable creature she was. Happy would she be if even the most inane and common-place caller would come to break the monotony of her endless clays! But it is understood In the neighborhood that the family at the Wilderness are away; so from morn till night Shell wanders aimlessly about, with only the gray cat to bear her company. It is evening. Shell is even mors l desolate than her wont. Susan has asked permission to go into Mudford to make a few purchases, and already she has been absent over three hours. It is now seven o'clock, and the empty house seems to Shell's excited imagination imagi-nation like a haunted place. She fancies she hears hurrying through the passages. A door slams, and her heart stands still with fear. Shell however is not one to give way to morbid feelings, feel-ings, and, rousing herself from her book, she starts on a tour of inspection inspec-tion through the house, shutting all windows and securely barring all doors on her way; then, with a renewed re-newed sense of security, she returns to the drawing-room and determines to while away the time with music. Shell is one of those sensitive folk who never play so well as when alone she cannot pour her whole heart into her music when she has listeners. Now, with the house to herself, she soon becomes lost to her surroundings, and the room echoes to such heart-stirring heart-stirring strains as it rarely falls to one's lot to hear. Suddenly however her music comes to an end, and her heart throbs with terror, for through the empty hall echoes the sonorous thunder of the big iron knocker. Shell's first impulse is to take no notice to hide herself or to make her escape by some back window; then CHAPTER VIII. (Continued.)' Shell flushes crimson; the one wish of her girlhood has been to possess a volume of Tennyson all her own. Yet, now that she stands with the treasure in her hand, a strange perversity makes her feel more than half inclined to thrust it back upon the donor. "It is very kind of you, Bob and Meg," she says, in a tone of angry impatience; im-patience; "but I cannot think of accepting ac-cepting your present. Take it home and keep it until you are grown up then you will he able to understand it!" "Don't you like it, then?'; queries Bob, looking anxious and distressed. "Pa thought you would rather have a book; but I'll tell him to send you a watch instead." This threatened alternative sounds so very alarming that Shell hastens to explain to the children her detestation of watches in general and her unbounded un-bounded admiration of poets. "What are you making such r, chatter chat-ter and fuss about, Shell?" Interposes Ruby, crossing to her sister's side and taking up the volume in dispute. "Oh, only a copy of Tennyson!" with a contemptuous con-temptuous curl of her lip at the plain though handsome binding. "I wonder S3'K'fci"r 1 31 in a voice of such infinite scorn that Ruby flushes uneasily. "What nonsense you talk, Shell!' she returns angrily. "You seem to have the Champleys on the brain. We are going to the moor because mamma is in need of bracing air. Is there anything any-thing so very extraordinary in that?" "There is something extraordinary in your having selected the same village," vil-lage," answers Shell decidedly. "If mamma wants bracing air why not take her to the North of Devon?" "Because rooms there would be frightfully expensive; whereas the cottage cot-tage on the moor is a mere trifle," responds re-sponds Ruby loftily. This argument is unanswerable, for no one knows better than Shell that their income is not equal to any great additional strain. Feeling that any resistance she can offer will be futile, Shell shrugs her shoulders and leaves the room. Nothing remains to her now but to strike out a separate line of action for herself. She is fully determined de-termined about one thing wild horses shall not drag her to Oakford. When everything is fully arranged and packing is at its height, Shell startles the household. "It will be very awkard having only three bed-rooms," Vi remarks in a grumbling tone, for the more she contemplates con-templates six weeks spent away from civilization the less she likes the prospect. pros-pect. "Of course the servants must have one; and then we must all cram into the two others." "Not at all, dear," Ruby hastens to explain. "Mamma and Shell can have the big room, and you and I a little one each; as for Mary, she can do quite well with a chair Jbedstead in the kitchen." "How delightful for Mary!" laughs Shell. "It is to be hoped she has a strong liking for cockroaches and crickets." "Now, please, Shell, don't go setting Mary against the arrangement," says Ruby imploringly. "Mamma, do ask her not?" "Don't be alarmed," answers Shell, with a curious little laugh. "I have not the slightest Intention of interfering interfer-ing with any of the arrangements at the cottage. They don't concern me in the least, since I sha'n't be there." "Not be there what do you mean? Of course you will be there!" declares Ruby, looking very much astonished. "Not unless mamma insists upon it; and I am sure she won't," laughs Shell. "As you know, I have been set against the idea from the commencement, commence-ment, so I mean to remain here 'monarch of all I survey' and have a right down jolly time of it all to myself." "What rubbish!" cries Ruby impatiently. impa-tiently. "Susan is going to be put on board-wages; and she is to give the house a thorough cleaning during our absence." what induced Robert Champley to seuu you that? You have not been devoting devot-ing yourself to his children." "No, I should hope not," answers Shell, with emphasis. "Neither do I want any present I shall return it" "Return it? What conceited nonsense!" non-sense!" scoffs Ruby. "I suppose he thought some slight acknowledgment was due to you for playing with the children occasionally. If you want to make yourself absurd and conspicuous, of course you will return it." On the next morning the Champley household take their departure for the moor. Ruby chances to be near the deserted lodge of the Wilderness when the wagonette containing the two brothers, the children and the nurse drives by. She makes a dainty picture, standing stand-ing In the shade o the chestnut tree in her pale-blue morning dress, and waving her handkerchief in token of adieu. The gentlemen raise their hats and smile, the children shout, the nurse gives a defiant snort, and the next moment they are out of sight. "Two months of freedom!" thinks Robert Champley to himself. "On my return home I must make other arrangements." ar-rangements." CHAPTER IX. "Mamma, there is a most enticing cottage to be let at Oakford," cries Ruby, glancing up excitedly from the paper in her hand. "Listen! 'Oakford. To he let, furnished, charming cottage residence five rooms, large garden, every convenience, rent moderate, air bracing, close to moor.' " her natural good sense returns, and she laughs In a nervous manner at her fears and with fast-beating heart advances ad-vances into the hall. "Is that you, Susan?" she asks, but without unfastening the heavy chain. There comes no answer save a vigorous vig-orous ring at the bell. "Who is there?" demands Shell, this time in a firmer tone and one more likely to penetrate the thick oak panels. "A messenger from Mrs. Wilden," answers a voice which is somehow familiar to Shell's ears. With trembling hands she shoots back the heavy bolts, and, taking down the chain, opens the door. There she stands pale, big-eyed, and scared-looking, scared-looking, before Robert Champley. "Oh, what a fright you gave me!" is her first involuntary exclamation. "A fright! How so? What have I done?" queries her visitor, looking much surprised. , "Oh, nothing!" answers Shell, whilst the ghost of a smile flickers round her still colorless lips. "It was my own foolishness; but I was not expecting any one excepting Susan, and your knock frightened me. I suppose I must be getting nervous" with a self-depreciating self-depreciating little laugh. "Nervous? I should think so!" cries Robert wonderingly. He has taken her hand in greeting, and feels it cold and trembling in his warm grasp. "But surely you are not alone in the house?" '"Only for a short time; I am expecting expect-ing Susan back every minute," ex- plains Shell, who feels heartily ashamed of her late weakness. Her visitor looks grave. "You ought not to be left alone in a house like this," he says very decidedly. de-cidedly. "Why, you are trembling still!" His words remind Shell that he still has possession of her hand with a little Impatient movement she withdraws with-draws it. i (To be Continued.) "Yes, my dear," responds Mrs. Wilden Wil-den in niild surprise. "Well, what about it? Do you know of any one wanting a cottage?" "I thought it might suit us," replies Ruby, a little crestfallen. "It certainly might if we wanted to go there," asserts Mrs. Wilden with a good-tempered laugh; "but, as you know, Ruby, I have a great dislike to leaving home." "But, mamma, I think you require change of air," persists Ruby with unwonted un-wonted affection. "You have been suffering suf-fering so frightfully from neuralgia all spring. I am sure your nerves want bracing. Why not take this oottage for a month or 60? Change is good for everybody." Mrs Wilden shakes her head, hut not after a very determined fashion. "What do you say, Vi?" she asks, turning to her niece. "Well, I really don't think I care two straws either way," answers Miss Flower lazily. "If somebody will pack my things I am willing to go, but I couldn't undertake to pack them myself." my-self." "Now that just shows how much you need change," cries Ruby eagerly. "Your whole system wants stirring up before we had been a week on the moor you would be as brisk as a bse." "Should I?" says Violet, with a dubious laugh. "I very much doubt it; but I am willing to try the experiment." experi-ment." Truth to tell, if Violet Flower consulted con-sulted her own feelings, she would far rather remain in her present comfortable comfort-able quarters; but Ruby having confided con-fided to her a scheme for visiting the moor if possible, she has promised not to oppose the plan. There is a fair amount of resistance on Mrs. Wilden's part, but her energetic ener-getic daughter overrules each and every obstacle as it is presented to her. Her eloquence is so great in advocating advocat-ing a change that one would wonder, to hear her talk, how they have managed man-aged to exist so many summers through at the Wilderness without acquiring ac-quiring all the maladies to which flesh Is heir. Shell is not present when the discussion dis-cussion takes place, but her indignation indigna-tion when the plan is unfolded to her is unbounded. "You don't mean to say, Ruby, that you are actually thinking of following the Champleys to the moor?" she says, "Well, I can be put on board-wages too; and I certainly won't prevent Susan from cleaning the house. I shaB he out all day long," responds Shell. "Mamma, please make her go. It would seem so odd her not going," urges Ruby. But Mrs. Wilden is too easy-going to oppose actively any of her ohildren. Truth to tell, she rather envies Shell her coming solitude, and even expresses ex-presses it as her opinion that it is a pity that dreadful cottage was ever taken. This rebellion on her indulgent mother's part is quickly talked down by Ruby, whose constant fear from the beginning has been that her scheme will ultimately fall through. She knows that her mother would rather stay at home; she is fully aware that Violet is groaning in spirit over what she is pleased to term her "coming "com-ing exile;" so she thinks it wiser on the whole to leave Shell to her own devices, lest enlarging on the theme should stir up revolt in other and more important quarters. Then there comes a triumphant morning when, backed up by a vast amount of unnecessary luggage, Ruby carries off her three victims for Mary can truthfully be reckoned in that categoryto cate-goryto enjoy the bracing air and scant accommodation of Oakmoor. Shell, as she stands on the doorstep and waves them a smiling adieu, looks the impersonation of mischievous contentment. con-tentment. "Be sure to change the library books the moment you get them, and don't delay a single post in sending them off," entreats Violet earnestly. "And any groceries we can't get there you must send by Parcels Post," adds Ruby. "How the Oakmoor postman will bless you!" laughs Shell as she nods assent; and then, springing on to the step of the cab, she .imprints a dozen hasty kisses on her mother's troubled cheek. Why does she heave a sigh, notwithstanding not-withstanding the brightness of the morning, as she turns to re-enter the house? CHAPTER X. A week has passed. Shell has grown tired of her self-imposed solitude; the big, bare, echoing rooms have become be-come hateful to her. Even the grounds seem changed and unfamiliar. The certainty that there is no chance of Interruption to her lonely musings, at |