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Show MRS. HAROLD STAGG. Copjrliht, 1890 and 1(91 17 Bobert Bonner's Sons. CHAPTER XI. (Continued.) "Don't disturb yourself; you are to sing," sho cried to Struthcrs, who started up as though to tako his turn at swinging hor. "I am enjoying it so much." Ho thought a llttlo and began once moro with onn of Moore's short lovo songs, and a second, and still a third time ho mndo a now cholco beforo tho humor seized him to desist or her to speak. Then they chancd to look up at tho samo moment nnd to perceive that tho professor's head had fallen forward on his breast and that ho was no lonr.T smoking. "Ho Is asleep," said Eleanor, In a whlspor. Thon, as she watched the electrician lay the banjo softly besido him, she added with enthusiasm: "It must bo an endless delight to bo ablo to sing llko that." "It Is a relaxation to me from my work, at any rntc. Your undo scorns to llko to hear mo, and nono of tho neighbors havo complained as yet." Eleanor, shrouded In tho hammock, was able to peep at him through tho network without being observed. The moonlight fell upon him In such a way thnt his features were thrown Into ro-llof. ro-llof. They wero refined nu1 suggested a sonslttvo temperament Eleanor said to herself that ho was fifty-fold more Interesting to hor than Owen Pago nnd tho other young men with whom sho had associated during the past year. Thero was, moreover, something shy and unsophisticated about thiB ono, which gave her a sense of composure which It was rather pleasant to feel. "Have you lived hero long, Mr. Struthcrs?" sho asked. "Only about six months In this house. Dut I wno born and brought up In tho city. Last summer I was graduated gradu-ated from tho school ot mines." "So you havo begun your llfo-work," sho replied, wistfully. "I nm Immensely Interested In electricity. elec-tricity. Sooner or later I hope to obtain ob-tain a position cither with somo large concern that puts In electrical plants or regular employment as a consulting engineer In such matters." He spoko with a direct simplicity that attracted Eleanor. He seemed so modest and yet so self-reliant wlthaL "Then wo nro somewhat similarly situated," sho was tempted to reply; "only you have your work already In a measuro provided and mapped out and I am still an Idler porforco." "You?" ho ejaculated, wonderlngly. She enjoyed his astonishment for a moment without responding, then, sho said: "You did not know, then, that I was looking for a position." lie becamo confused, and It was plain that ho was nonplussed, doubtful doubt-ful whether she was bantoring him or no. Again sho watted, finding his embarrassed em-barrassed silence and almost distressed dis-tressed mien dollclous, by way of con-trast con-trast to tho veneered nudaclty of tho young men .who visited hor Aunt Em-mo. "Yea, I am going to bo a teacher; that Is, If any ono will ongago mo. I havo como here to ask my undo about It Ho does not know as yet. I should like a position In a collcgo If possible so that I might becomo a professor In time, If r wero fit for It. Dut I am ready to begin at the bottom of tho ladder, and accept anything that of-tors. of-tors. Does tho Idea shock you, Mr. Struthcrs?" " "Shock meT Why should It?" ho said, simply. "Only " ho addod, and then prcclpltatoly halted, while renewed discomfiture betrayed Itself on his cheeks. "Only what, Mr. Struthcrs?" Eleanor asked, with a delighted laugh. For rv moment ho hesitated, then suddenly raising hla eyes, ho answered: an-swered: "Only I had liot supposed you to bo that kind of a young lady." "And what kind ot a young lady had you supposed mo to bo, Mr. StrutherB?" Ho evidently realized that his hold tioss had merely drawn htm on tho thinner Ice, tor ho seemod to undergo contortions beforo her Interrogatory and laughing gianco. she had raised herself Is the hammock as she spoke, and was looking full at him. Dut It plainly waB not his wont to rescuo himself from peril by Btibterfuge, for after a moment ot agonized confusion, be said, with the samo dlrectnoss as before: "I assumed you were rich, and that It would not have occurrod to you to do anything ot that sort" "In other words, you took me for a frivolous butterfly ot fashion." Eleanor was sorry the moment sho bad spoken, and realized tho flippancy of her remark tho more keenly as he answered In a tono that was free from any suggestion that bo was punishing his tormentor: "It does not follow, does It, because one Is rich, that one has to be a frivolous frivol-ous butterfly?" There was a naive searching for truth in the Interrogative form ot his reply, and tbe sole evidence ot Intentional Inten-tional satire lay In tho fact that he returned her gaze without flinching. Even the woundod worm will turn. "I deserve tho rebuko, Mr. Struth-era. Struth-era. Dut I am nnlthcr rich nor a butterfly, but-terfly, I hopo. Since I have said so much, I should enlighten you oxactly as to the truth. I suppose you meant that because I havo a moro or less prosperous air, It was fair to assumo that It was not necessary for me to earn my own living. Woll, In one sense It Is not. I havo an uncle another an-other uncle who Is very rich, I be-Hove, be-Hove, and who Is willing to have me llvo with him aa long oh I like. Ho has been very kind to mo. When my father died a year and a half ago, ho Undo Harold came out West and Insisted thnt I and my brothers should return to Now York with him to his home, nnd thero I havo lived over since. I enmo on my brothers' account. ac-count. Thoy wero to bo sent to school, and I told my Uncle Harold then that It was my wish to bo a teacher. Tho boys aro well cared for now, so thnt I nm nt llborty to carry out my Intention. The only troublo Is" Eleanor paused, realizing that It was rather ludicrous that she should unbosom her perplexities further, yet an Inexplicable Impulse unsealed her lips again, and sho continued "the only trouble la that they or particularly particu-larly my aunt do not understand nt nil why I should wish to lenve them. Sho nnd my undo hnvo both been exceedingly kind nnd generous to mo; they havo an exqulslto house, whero I havo everything my heart could deslro de-slro in the way of luxury, nnd nothing would pleaso them more than that I should remain with them until until I am married," sho said, with a little laugh. "Aunt Emma Is bent upon my mnrrying, and I'm afraid It will brenk her heart If I don't Dut a woman can't afford to throw nway her wholo futuro merely In order to bo married. Why should a womsn glvo up her life-work life-work moro than n man?" sho added, cngerly. "Would a man would you, Mr. Struthcrs?" Struthcrs blushed. "I havo never been In love," ho snld. "For tho mntter of thnt, neither havo I," she respondod, gnyly. "It Is merely a supposititious caso, so far. ns thnt goes. Dut docs it not como to the same thing when Aunt Emma says that If I becomo a teacher I shall cut myself off from tho possibility of ever making a brilliant match; for, of course, Mr. Struthcrs, I shall nover put up with a match that is not. brilliant." bril-liant." Tho fall of the professor's plpo relieved re-lieved tho young electrician from thoi necessity of replying to this last observation, ob-servation, for, aroused by tho noise, Undo Phlneas opened his eyes and sat upright "I verily bellevo I havo been snoozing." snooz-ing." "I verily bellevo you havo, Undo Phln," Eleanor answered, and she and Mr. Struthers laughed gleefully. The professor looked at hla watch. "Twenty-five mlnutos to eleven 1" he cried. "Hero, you young people, this will nover do. Roof Park closes nt halt-past ten sharp. And what Is more, young man, you forgot our coffee" cof-fee" "So I did, sir," stammered Struthers. Struth-ers. "I apologize." Tho professor shook his head Incredulously. In-credulously. "Again I verily bcllovo that It wns dono on purpose, In order that I might fall asleep. The young against the old! History repents Itself night after night, and. worst ot all, tho moon. who used to havo the reputation of being be-ing circumspect in such matters, winks halt tho time at what is going on, and leaves us In the dark tho rest." Ho rose, and after a last survey ot tho brilliant heavens, led tho way to tho opening. "Come, It la tlmo for bed." "I shall petition tho trustees ot Roof Park to-morrow that In futuro tho gates remain open an hour later," said Struthers, quietly, as ho offered his hand to Eleanor to assist her ovor the sill. "Dut that will not holp us to-night," she replied, with a sigh, looking up regretfully re-gretfully at the glorious moon. "A woman never thinks of to-morrow." CHAPTER XII. , A fortnight had slipped away before Eleanor had realized that time was passing. The dayB wero so very much alike. What delightful afternoons they passed together! Whon tho picture-stores picture-stores and book-stores woro no longer new, they visited tho markets and tho hospitals and tho school houses and tho public institutions places whero Eleanor had nover been and which sho had longed to see. And whllo they peregrinated thus, she never wearied of her uncle's discourse. He had sojourned In many strango placos and seen muny strango things in the courso of the quarter of a century cen-tury bo had devoted to studying the earth's formation, and ho had facts and anecdotes at his fingers' ends. So matters went until dinner time, then Mr. Btruthers descended from his attic, and they all set out to dine together to-gether at somo restaurant, and twice tho electrician was lured from his work In the early afternoon and carried car-ried off to ono ot tho popular resorts beside tho sea. Dut Roof Park was not neglected. Almost every evening the moon found them thero drinking tho coffeo prepared by Mr. Struthcrs In his laboratory, and notwithstanding this bevcrago It Invariably happened that Undo Phlneas tell asleep before tlio singing was at an end. Over and over agalu Kleancr was on tho point ot broaching to her uncle the question of hor futuro, but somehow some-how the words lingered on her lips. Was It not probablo that, like her Aunt Emma, ha would suggest that she paint on china or glvo lessons In whist In order to satisfy her yearnings to bo usefully employed? Tho moro she pondored tho matter the greater was her doubt aa to what view he would take, and yet her deslro for a dcflulto occupation was growing dally. On several occasions, while she and the -professor were-slttlng-toxethor, bis faco had assumed the peculiar con- BBBBBBBr,,,w,5BBB BBBBi etrniacd expression cbrsrvable when H ho was 111 nt case, nnd be, too, bad H seemod en the point of speaking ot jH somcthlrg on his mind. Ever slnco bis H slirlnklr.q from her proffered confl- H dence, he had, unknown to Eleanor, H boen a victim ot remorso and had H beon trying to screw up his courago bo H lar ns to request her to mako a state- H ment of her perplexities. Thus it bap- H pened that there wcro occasional lapses In their conversation, when each sat tongue-tied In tho presence of H the other, yet wholly unawaro ot the H other's uneasiness. H Rcmoro proved In tho end tho moro H potent factor, nnd Uncle Phlneas was H tho first to speak. It was Just after H luncheon, when ho had fortified his H flagging resolution with beer and sand- HH wlchcs. jH "My dear," ho began, nnd then H As this wns not his ordinary phrase H In addressing her, Eleanor looked at H him inquiringly, realizing that what H ho had to say must bo out of tho com- H mon H "My dear," ho resumed, "I am afraid you got an Impression tho other day H tho day you arrived, you remembor H from my manner when you spoko to H mo of wishing to ask my advlco as to VMVJ somo matter that I was eh not ox- H actly encouraging. You see, I felt some natural dlflldcncc, as I told you at the tlmo, In meddling with affairs of tho H heart, which aro rather outsldo tho experlenco of an old bachelor llko H me." Ho paused, and laughed ner- H vously, then, as though he wero deter- H mined, now that tho plungo was taken, H to faco tho situation squaroly, bo said, B with an earnest air, "Dut, my dear, If I M enn really be ot servlco to you In H helping you reach a decision about H any matter, you must speak and let H mo know what It Is, and not mind my VAVJ bearlshness, for you nro the npple of H my eye ,ns you ought to know, and I H am moro anxious that you should bo BMVJ happy, and mnko a success ot life, H than I am for anything else In the M world. Como," he added, more blltho- M ly, gaining caso through his own sin- M cerity, "mako a clcau breast ot It Lot H me know tho facts In tho caso, and I BAVJ will do tho best I can to solvo your M difficulties." H Eleanor, who had listened to him at H first perplexedly, was regarding him M now with blushing morrlmcnt M "There is a mntter I wish to speak M to you about, Uncle Phln, but It isn't M In tho least of tho kind you evidently H Biipposo. I rather think that I qulto H agree with what you said tho other H day, that In lovo affairs a woman had H better make up her own mind with- H out asking anybody's advlco even ad- fl vlco as senslblo as yours would surely H bo; and you must onco and for all get VMVJ tho Idea out of your head I can't fl Imaglno how It over got thero that fl I am In lovo or engaged, or thinking M about being engaged, or, In fact, that fl tho notion of marriage Is anywhero M lurking In my brain. Now, it you will BMB promlso mo this, and say that you M bellevo mo on your word ot honor, VMVJ I'll tell you what I really wish to havo M your advice about You believe me, M don't you, Undo Phln? M "Of courso, It you say so, Peach M Blossom; you ought to be tho best M Judge," ho answered, with an equlvo- U cal nlr, as ho struck a match to light VAVJ his meerschaum. M Eleanor leaned forward and blow M out tho flame, and snatched up tho matchbox from tho table. M "You aro a. pcrvcrso, obstinate man," sho cried. "Now you shall not BAVJ have a single whiff until you tell mt you aro convlncod I am speaking the fl truth." Sho sat down on the arm ot M his easy chair, and bending over, M looked Into bis eyes. "What have I M said or dono to mako you lmaglno any M thing so absurd?" M "Why absurd?" he asked, restored M to equanimity. U "Of course It would be absurd. I U don't Intend to think ot marriage for M flva years it over." fl "'Mcthlnks tho woman doth protest M too much.' " U (To bo continued.) M |