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Show i IftJKiValrSUlU I Shell Eni I Wilden. I CIIAITUU XIII. (Continued "And risk bringing back the Infection Infec-tion hero? No, thank you," cries Uu-by, Uu-by, hotly, "I shall ask mamma to tor-bid tor-bid you." "My dear Ituby," Interposes Mrs. Wlldcn's voice with unusual firmness, "K Shell thinks It her duty to go I shall certainly not try to stop her. I shall feel terribly nnxlous, but It will only bo for a day or so; and I believe tho dlscaso In I la first stago Is not very Infectious." "Do you mean that you would talte her back hero nmongst us after being with tho children?" asks Ituby, aghast. "Of courso she will return when tho nurso arrives. There Is no need to run unnecessary risk. If you and Violet fcol nervous, wo'd betted return to tho Wltdcrnosfl, nnd Shell can stop hero until the doctor warrants her sato." "I ho to such a horror of small-pox that I really think that would bo the bottor plan," remarks Ituby, with a sigh of relief. "What do you say, VI?" "Oh, lot us start for Mudtord by all means! I am not particularly timid, but I feol that I ought to go for Edwin's Ed-win's sako" Kdwln Is hor fiance "It would bo such a sell tor him It he came homo and found me disfigured. Shell, dear" pressing a hasty kiss on her cousin's cheek "you are a heroine; hero-ine; but tho world Is mndo up of all sorts, and I am tho sort that runs away." "I am not a bit heroic. I should run away too If I folt afraid," laughs Sholl; "but I don't, and thcreforo I shall take no harm." So It Is arranged. Shell, after gathering gath-ering a fow necessaries together and receiving a tearful embrace from hor mother, hurries back to hor sleeping charges; and during tho afternoon Ituby Itu-by and Violet tako their departure whllo Mrs. Wlldcn Is left to bomoan tho fact that sho ovor allowed hersolt to be worried Into taking a cottage on tho moor. CHAPTER XIV. Two days and nights havo elapsed; no answer has been received to tho doctor's hastily-despatched telegram; and Shell, sitting patiently bcsldo her charges, Logins to think that tho address ad-dress given by riper must havo been an erroneous ono. Nor has a professional profes-sional nurso put In her nppoaranco the children are going on so favorably that tho doctor dooms the services of ' one unnecessary, slnco Sholl Is determined de-termined not to quit her post, and Indeed In-deed has given a promise to that effect to hor llttlo patients. Sho Is quite Isolated from tho rest ot the household. Tho children are Installed In-stalled In a large room at tho end of tho passage which on their arrival was fitted up as a night-nursery. Sholl Is with thom all day; at night sho occupies occu-pies tho roomy old sofa In tho adjoining adjoin-ing room, leaving tho door of communication com-munication open. All Intercourse with tho outor world la carried on cautiously round the saturated sat-urated sheet which cuts her oft from tho household In general. Yot gomo-how gomo-how Sholl has no feeling ot Isolation; sho has books In plenty to occupy her whon tho children Bleep, and during their waking hours sho has work enough to keep them amused. Sho Is sitting at the Ivy-wreathed casement on tho third morning, looking look-ing out tor the doctor's visit, when a hired carriage drawn by a pair ot horses, hors-es, turns suddenly Into tho front yard. Sho cannot see the occupants as it passos beneath tho window, and the front of tho houso Is also out ot sight. Sho rises from hor seat with a strango feeling ot confusion and nervousness; nerv-ousness; she would give worlds to be-como be-como Invisible; sho even glances out of tho window, as It meditating escape in that direction. Then stops are heard down tho passage, pas-sage, tho door-hnndlo turns, and tho n.xt moment Robert Champley enters the room, followed by the housekeeper nt Champley Houso. "Papa, papa," shrlok two shrill llttlo llt-tlo voices; "and Tolley dear old Tol-loyl" Tol-loyl" Tho children aro caressed and quieted, quiet-ed, whilst Mrs, Tolley dollghts them with n huge bunch of iloworn which sho has brought with her. Then Ilobort Champley crosses over to tho window whoro Shell Is standing In tho background. The girl looks palo and almost stern, though a very unusual thing with Sholl sho Is trembling trem-bling visibly. "Shell, howcan I over thank you for this?" says Mr. Champley, In a tone broken by emotion. "There Is nothing to thank mo tor that I see," answers Sholl coldly. "I like nursing If mamma would only lot mo I should Ilka to enter a hospital." "No young and beautiful woman can like nursing small-pox cases," rejoins Robert Champloy. It Is the first time In her llfo that Shell has been called "beautiful," and a quick flush rises to her white skin which really rendors her so for the moment. Then she breaks Into a Uugh. "It Is chicken-pox not small-pox," she says quickly. "Are yoii sure?" asks her companion, compan-ion, whilst a look ot relief lights up his whole face. "Yes, quite; for the first twolve hours the doctor feared otberwlso, but there Is no doubt whatover now they are suffering suf-fering from chicken-pox In Its mildest form; only sb Mrs. Pomfret's children have not had It, wo aro taking every precaution." "And you have you had It?" asks Robert Champloy anxiously. "Yes, three years ago," laughs Shell; "to you see" with a satirical little mils "I havo been running no great risk." "As It has turned out," answers her companion, regarding ber steadily; "but I can never forget that you nursed them during those twelve doubtful hourn when all others turned and net." "That Is nothing," returns Sholl caro-lessly; caro-lessly; then, advancing to the little cots drawn bIiIo by side, sho says to tho children, "Now you havo got kind Mrs. Tolley, I am going to run away.1' "No, no, lell you ttop too," lisps Meg, catching Shell's sleeve In her hot hand. "Tolley can't tell about the fairy princess." "Oh, yos, she can I" hazards Sholl, with a laughing glance at Mrs. Tolley. "Resides, I'll find out about more prln. cesses to tell you when you aro well again;" and sho bends down to Imprint Im-print a farewell kiss on tho fevered face. Suddenly n gray-coated arm Is Interposed Inter-posed between Sholl's red lips nnd little Meg's white brow. "I can allow no Kissing I" says Robert Rob-ert Champley decidedly. Shell draws herself up rigid as a grenadier, whilst Meg fights feebly with an Intervening arm. "You havo run risk enough without courting It," explains Mr. Champloy almost al-most nngrlly. Shell merely shrugs her shoulders. "Mrs. Tolley," Bho sayo. turning to the housekeeper, "It you will come Into tho other room with mo I will explain about tho medicine, et-cotora, and the doctor will bo hero shortly, so you will have full directions from him about the children." Mrs. Tolley does as sho Is asked, and from that "other room" Shell slips away homo without any further Intercourse Inter-course with Robert Champley. A fortnight has elapsed. In tho rustle rus-tle porch of Corse Cottago two figures aro seated a laughing-eyed merry girl in spotless white, a tall, stalwart man In gray tweed. Tho houso door Is closed, and tho Intcrvlow Is consequently conse-quently a private ono. "I shall call you 'Pearl," the gentleman gen-tleman Is saying, with laughing de-chiton. de-chiton. "No, I won't bo Pearl; my old name suits me much hotter. I am rough and uneven nnd hard In tact, thorough oyster-Shell," pouts the girl rebelllous- ly. "You certainly conducted yourself Uko a Shell when I first knew you; but adversity opened tho Shell, and then I saw tho treasure Inside, and pounced upon my Pearl," laughs tho gentleman. "I hope I may really prove a. treasuro to you, but I somotlmes doubt It," says Shell with comic candor. "You know I have a good many faults I am quicktempered quick-tempered and blunt, and somo pooplo think mo eccentric." Robert Champley Indulges In an amused laugh. "You will perhaps bo surprised to hear that neither am I perfect," ho returns. re-turns. "I can be obstinate, and oven grumpy at times." "Really?" asks Shell in a tono ot unbelief. un-belief. "Yes really nnd truly," laughs tho gontleman. "And now, Pearl I told you I was obstinate I want to know what Induced you to be so particularly uncivil to Ted nnd mo when wo first returned to Champley House." "Was I very horrid?" eho asks ovas-lvcly, ovas-lvcly, flushing. "You snubbed poor Ted so unmercifully unmerci-fully that I doubt If ho will over recover re-cover his normal stato ot placid con-celt." con-celt." ''Well, you see, It was this way," explains ex-plains Sholl In solf-Justlflcatton "I knew that you were rich, and that everybody ev-erybody would bo particularly gracious and olflclous, so I made up my mind to be an exception to the rule," "Which you certainly woro. Meg was ono of tho first to find you out," laughs Meg'a father, as that llttlo dam-Bel, dam-Bel, soon tired after her recent illness, comes creeping Into Shell's lap. "That llttlo drcBs reminds me of the day I nnnctif vmi wnrklnr? nt thn wlnilnw pursues Robert Champloy, touching his daughter's pale-blue skirts. "Docs It?" says Shell, with a shy, pleased laugh. "Own tho truth, Pearl; you mado that dress?" "I certainly had a finger In the pie," answers Pearl demurely. "Do you romembor, I told you then that the turquoise was your stone?" touching her left hand, on which flashes a circlet ot diamonds surrounding surround-ing a turquolso, almost unique In color col-or nnd slzo. ' "I remombcr," assents Shell dreamily. dream-ily. "Toll mo a tale, Sell." at this moment Interposes Meg, laying her tired head with a restful sigh upon tho girl's plump shoulder. "I'll tell you n tale, Meg," Bays her father, bending down to kiss the child's white brow. "Sholl has promised to como to Champloy Houee and llvo with us always what do yon say to that?" "I say slio'8 a brick," remarks Bob, who has joined tho circle. Robert Champley gave an amused glance at his promised wlfo, and than they both break Into a hearty peal ot laughter. (THE END.) |