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Show I I Shell Elil i I 1 Wilden. M CHAPTER X. (Continued.) BBJ "Why ore you not with Mrs. Wilden BBJ and tho others?" he continues kindly. BBJ as he follows Shell Into tho drawlng- BBJ room, which looks baro and desolato, BBJ tor Shell has not found c'trazr oven BBJ to renew the flowers during the past BBJ few days. H "I did not wish to go," sho ex- BBJ plains vaguely, as sho seats hersolf on BBJ a. low chair and takes puss on her BBJ knee. "I thought It would bo bo BBJ stupid and dull on tho moor." BBJ Ilobert Champloy stares at her with BBJ an amused smilo. B "Surely It could not bo much duller H than you aro here?" he ventures with H a laugh; and then adds almost stern- H ly, "You ought not to havo been left B hero alone." BBJ "But I wouldn't got" reiterates Shell BBJ decidedly. "It Is nobody's fault but my H own; they were nil very much vexed BBJ with me for not going, only only I BBJ preferred remaining behind." H "I am afraid you must bo a very do- BBJ termlncd young lady." H "Yes, I am very obstinate," assents B Bholl, applying tho moot obnoxious H term sho can think of to her decision of H charactor; then, anxious to bs dono H with personalities, sho continues, "Hut BB you came with a message. How aro H they all getting on at Oakford?" B For a moment thoro Is a look of BB keen annoyance on Robert Champloy's H face, then ho laughs off tho question H gaily. H "Oh your sister seems charmed with Hr tho moor; Mrs. Wilden not quite so H enchanted; whilst Miss Flower, I hear, BBV baa threatened moro than onco to run BBb away I Amongst other troubles, It BB seems sho Is suffering Intensely from B cold not having como sufficiently sup- H plied with wraps for tho koon brnc- H lng air. I am charged with a noto H begging you to send her all tho furs B you can lay your hands on sbo de- B clares the Arctic regions must bo tropl- H cal compared with Oakmoorl" H "VI Is always shivery," laughs Shell, BBJ as sho takes tho small tinted note, re- H dolent of orris-root, and uenna tho H hastlly-ficrawlod lines. "Well, It won't Hv take mo long to gather up her bundle B of wraps. How docs sho want them H sent, I wonder?" B "By train to Limply station, thonco jj by tho carrier to Oakford, I suppose," H answers Mr. Champloy briskly; then, B J seeing Shell's lnvoluntiry start of sur- 1 prise, he adds, "I should havo been Ht very plessea t take thorn had I boon H' going that waj." H Sholl etlTl starca at him In open- B eyed amazement. H '. "I thought you wcro going to spend B j the summer at Oakmoor?" Bho falters; BBBk and then a faint smllo puckers up her BBVBi mouth sho cannot help fooling amus- BBBBk ed at tho unexpected turn events aro P "Yes; true I had Intended to do so," F answers Robert Chnmploy In a slow H thoughtful voice, 'hut I havo changed H my mind. The children seem so thor- H oughly happy at tho farm that I H thought I would take advantngo of B their being there to tako a short run H on tho continent. Your sister, Mlsa H Wilden, has been, as usual, partlcu- B Jarly kind she has offered to keep n B eyo on tho little ones so I feel that H they are perfectly safe." Ho finishes H his statement with a deop-drawn sigh; H and Sholl blushes crlmcon In tho gath- H erlng twilight as she realizes tho fact B that he has been driven abroad by Ru- E by's pertinacity. B "Would they not have been safor at H Ohampley Hotiso with Mrs. Tolley to H look after them?" ventures Shell du- B blously. BBB! Apnln thn father alfrhfl B "I think the air up there 1b good for H Meg," he answers, drawing his hand BBV slowly across his brow; "the child has B not been herself of late even Rob has B turned listless with the heat; but I B don't doubt I shall find them strong B enough on my return tho Oakmoor H tx Is better than any medicine." B ,tfi "And yet you are running away from BE " laughs Shell mischievously. BBVBVB K week of It seemed onough for BBSBVB oxplalns Mr. Champley, throw- BBSBVh lt-il(i onus of his doparturo on his B brother's Innocent shoulders. "Wo B thought wo should have time for a rush T through Switzerland boforo the long H vacation!. Ted has never been to Swlt- H zerland.4 HF "I hopoxyou both will enjoy It," re- B tnorks Bhehl tamely. T Then theVe ensues an awkward BB pause neltber guest nor hostess seems H to havo any farther remark to make H till Robert ClviJioyi'ey's eyes, traveling B round the rclom In search of on ob- B Ject, light udion tho piano. BBB "You wercV. discoursing very sweot H muslo when I Uroko In upon your soil- BE tude," hs says.SwIth a quick smile. BBj "Yea, I was making as much noise BBj as possible to drown my feeling of Bt loneliness," lauglis Shell. BBS "Perhaps It wast Indiscreet of me, but B I listened to your; music for fully ton BBl minutes before kjiocklng at the door. B I am partlcularlyVpartlal to good mu- B! sic, and It Is not often that I get a BBM chance of listening to any so woll BBE worth hearing. I could not Imagine BBl, who was playlng-somehow I was un- BBl der an erronoous impreulon that Miss BBl Wilden was par excellenco the musl- clan of the family," BBB "Oh, my playing Is nothing much I" BBS answers Shell bruaquoly. BB "You are bounding my feelings, for BBB I consider myself a good judge," laughs m her companion; '-'only I should very B much like to know why you so per- M slstently put yourself In tho back- H ground." BB "Oh, because putting onesclt for- BV wnrdjs such a bore!" scoffs Shell. "It BBB people know you can play, you are al- BB ways being made useful In ono way or BBB , another." Kh ' "Isn't that rather a selfish way to M look at It?" asks Mr. Champley grave- H ly. "Surtly It was Intended that we BBVj1. I' should all bo useful to our fellow-creatures fellow-creatures so far as lies In our power." Shell laughs a little mocking laugh. "Of course It Is very meritorious to be unselfish," sho says flippantly; "but I an not given to solf-sacrlflco, and I nm afraid I don't lovo my fellow-creatures ns I ought." Whilst sho Is speaking a slnglo knock at the door Is heard, and ngaln sho breaks Into a laugh. "Ah, there Is Susan sho Is a fellow-creaturo of course, nnd at tho present moment I feel full of love for hor, but I nm afraid my motlvo Is a selfish onol You see, I was so awfully afraid that something had happened to hfir Whlnti wmit.l hnA l.AA mh.1 ward for me, to say tho least of It;" and Bho hurries Into tho hall to admit the long-looked for Susan. "You aro an enigma," remarks Robert Rob-ert Champley, who, having followed Shell to tho door, now holds her hand In his, nnd gazes down at her with thoughtful, puzzled oyes. "Am I? How horrid I I nover found out nn enigma In tho whole courso of, my life I think them bo dreadfully stupid." "You arc not stupid; and I rather like enigmas," returned Robert Champ-loy, Champ-loy, falling into a reflection of her own mood "that Is, It amuses mo to find thorn out. Dy the way, Rob and Meg loaded mo with tho most affcctlonato messages for you." "Did thoy? How quccrl" answers Shell carelessly. "I don't seo anything queer about It," says Robert Chnmploy coldly. They havo very afTectlonato natures, poor llttlo things, and I Imagine that you havo been kind to thorn!" "Havo I?" muses Shell In speculative tones. "If so It must have been very passlvo kindness." "I am not so sure of that; but I must be going now I feel that I leave you In some kind of safety, now your maid has returned ;u rcy this placo Is In too lonely a position for you to be living as you are doing, almost al-most alono." 'Oh, we are safo enough!" laughs Sholl. "There Is nothing at the Wilderness Wil-derness to tempt robbers; nnd I am not as a rulo a nervous person, although al-though you found mo In such an abject ab-ject fright. (Jood night;" and sho holds out her hnnd In a limp nnd Indifferent In-different way to bo shakon. "Good night," ho says, earnestly, as he presses It. "Good night," laughs Sholl, "and happy Journey!" "You nro rather premature In your wish, I shall not bo leaving home for two or throo days." "Nover mind happy Journey when you do startl" persists Shell, with a careless nod, as ho move away. "A Btraugo girl," musos Robert Champley, as ho pauses In tho drive to light a cigar "one of the most unaccountable unac-countable characters I ever came across. Sho makes herself out a kind of sav-ago, sav-ago, and yet tho children adore her. I wonder what Induced hor to remain all alono In that big house whon tho rest took to the moor. Dy the way, what a nuisance that they fixed upon my neighborhood, and so literally drovo mo away from my hiding-placet I hopo tho children will bo all right I do wish Miss Wilden would lcavo them alone however, thnt she evidently evi-dently won't do. I think I shall have to charter a yacht she couldn't follow fol-low us then" with an Impatlont laugh. "By tho way, how remarkably well that llttlo Sholl playal I havo half a mind to make samo excuse for a call at the Wilderness In tho morning-wonder morning-wonder If she would play for mo? Don't think bo, but I'll havo a try." CHAPTER XI. Robort Champley is not as a rulo given to thinking much about his neighbors' concorns, yet tho vision of Shell, startled and palo, as she stood before him In the gathering gloom of the hall at the Wilderness, rises moro than once and confronts hlra during tho wakeful watches of that summor night. When breakfast Is over tho next morning, and the brothera are enjoying enjoy-ing their pipes together with the news of tho day, under tho roso-wrcathed verandah ve-randah whloh shelters the dining-room windows, of Champley House, Robort suddenly breaks tho silence. "I am going ovor to tho Wilderness will you come?" ho asks, addressing his brother. "To tho Wilderness?" repeats Ted In amazement "Why. what's up? You went to the Wilderness last evening." "That Is no reason why I shouldn't go again this morning!" laughs Robert. Rob-ert. "Not tho slightest," assents Ted, with a lazy shrug o his shoulders. "If you havo a fancy for stinging-nettles. It may be a weakness on my part, but I have a particular aversion to prickly young women, and Madomolscllo Sholl Is a perfect hedgehog." "Then you won't como?" "Not It I know It; and you can hint to tho young lady that she has lost the pleasure of ray company entirely through her wasplshness of disposition disposi-tion porhapa then she will mend her ways." "Yes, that would bo llkoly to mako a strong Impression on her, I should think," eays tho elder brother derisively, deris-ively, as ho clears tho ashos from his pipe and prepares for doparturo. "Tho fact Is," he contlnuos In explanation, "I think Shell ought to Join hor mother at Oakford; It Is really not safo tor her to remain here all alone." "Ob, she Is safe enough! Nobody who has bad one Interview with her la likely to molest her a second time," scoffs Ted. "Howovor, If gho Is wolgh-lug wolgh-lug on your mind you had certainly better get rid of hor before we start; so go and give her tho benefit of your opinion, It you daro you always were of a somewhat Quixotic nature." "Not In th-i least," returns Robort seriously, "Only where duty so plain, ly leads ono must needs follow." "Capital sentiment, no doubt, for the head of a family," drawls Ted. "If ever I marry, I hopo a sense of say responsibility wilt fall upon me at the samo time. At present my duty plain, ly leads me to pack, and not to moralize moral-ize with Shell on tho Impropriety of her conduct." "You aro n lazy dog. Tod, and no mistake!" laughs Robert Champley, looking down with nn Indulgent smile at his younger brother, who, Instead of bestirring hlmsolf for the talked-ot packing, lias ftunk down upon the close-shaven green slopo loading to tho veranda, and is almost lost to view under the widespread sheet of tho Times. "I am thankful for small mercies," responds Ted, In a tono of unmerited persecution. "Your speech would have been more annihilating had you substituted sub-stituted tho word 'puppy for 'dog.' Now speed you on your way I have no earthly wish to detain you and toll Miss Shell, with my best rospects, that she Is qulto welcomo to the moor, now wo have done with It!" "All right!" laughs Robert; and the next moment he Is walking briskly down the nvenuo. Aahe nears the Wilderness, howovcr, his pace slackens. After all, what business of his Is It that Shell choosos to remain at home Instead of Joining her mothor and sister? May she not feel Justly annoyed nt his Interference, nnd resent It as shoor Impertinence? And yet bo cannot somehow fcol Justified Jus-tified In going away and leaving hor unprotected. Sho has been kind to his children their llttlo hearts noem full of her her name trips fxom their tongues twenty times a cV ; nnd yet Incomprehensible girl (f jt she Is sho never seoms to care o j Jot about them; and, If sho speaks U'thcm at all, deems thorn by her tone "llttlo nuisances." nui-sances." Well, duty Is duty sho can misconstrue miscon-strue him It sho will, laugh nt him If It so pleases her, but he will have his say, and Just tell her plainly nnd seriously se-riously that sho ought to go to Oakford. Oak-ford. With this resolution uppermost In his mind ho mounts tho largo, flat doorstep and pulls tho bell. As a rulo, when tho wholo family are at home, tho hall door stands open to admit the summer sunshine now It Is closed, nnd Robert Champloy notes with a sigh that It badly wants a coat of paint. (To be Continued.) |
