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Show I Shell jS I I Wilderio 1 CHAITKilllI '(Continued.) "Hss tbelr education been commenced?" com-menced?" sake Ituby, with kn anxiety. anx-iety. "My sister lmsglncd that aho bad succeeded In teaching tham tbelr alphabet," al-phabet," liugb Itobtrt Cbampley; "but Hob still confounds V and 'd,' whilst Mtg's learning It limited to an acquaintance with tha Utter 'o.'" "Dreadful!" ejaculates ltuby, looking look-ing shocked. "No tlms must be lost I think so much depends upon a child's early training and I know that was dear Clara's Idea too." "Was It?" questions Mr. Cbampley eniterlr. and with his keen eye fixed Iteadlly on Ituby, as though aho had suddenly turned Into an oraelo. "In that rate I mutt see about It at once; but I must mansge to get someono who will make their lessons moro than half plsy, for they nro neither ot them par. tlculsrly strong, poor children, and I would not havo them worried on aiiy account. I daro any If I offer a handsome hand-some salary I shall be able to get them n governess who villi listen to my withe on that point. I had better, bet-ter, I think, advertise for tomo ono about twenty, then sho will not bo abovo playing with the children, and sho will not have got soured by buffeting buf-feting with tho world." "Oh, Mr. Chsmpley. what an utterly utter-ly mistaken Ideal" cries ltuby, In rest eonsternstluu nt this most dangeroua suggestion. "What you want Is a woman of sixty a thorough dlsclptl-narlau," dlsclptl-narlau," "Oh, no, I don't," responds Mr. Chsmpley. "I am not going to hand over my children to a martinet" He speaks with such unusual decision that Ituby begins most heartily to wish ahe had not broached tbo subject ot education. edu-cation. "Hut girls aro so Inexperienced and often so Impatient with children," she falters. "If you nro determined to hare a young person, would It not bo better to engago some one In tho neighborhood who could como to them for a few hours a day?" "That Is a very good Idea, aa far as It gots," answers Mr. Cbampley reflectively. re-flectively. "Only wboro am I to find bcrt" Suddenly n bright thought nsy, almost al-most an Inspiration strikes ltuby. looking up at him, with clasped hanfls"anfl"besfechlng eyes,-she sny "Oh, Mr. Cbampley, It I might only bo allowed to leach them, I would with pleasure!" "You, Mitt Wltdon," says her companion com-panion In surprise "yout" "Ye Why nott" questions Ituby quickly "I was their mother's beat friend, and I dote on children. You do not know how much brightness nould bo added to my lot If you would only entrust me with their education)" "I had no Idea that )ou had any gilt that way." "I think I have. At any rats I know that It would tnako me very happy If you would send mo Hob and Meg for a tow hours tbreo mornings a week." Mr Cbampley frowns and looks uncomfortable. un-comfortable. "I I really could not dream ot so far troubling you. Miss Wllden," bo snys, with a decided head-shake. "Teaching Ui lcry Irksomo work, unless to tho Initiated, In-itiated, and I do not with my children to becoms a burden on my frlcuds." "Ob, nonsense!" cries Ituby, with n playful smile. "Don't I tell you that I should enjoy having them?" liaising liais-ing bcr voles a little she calls her mother to her aid. "Mamma, I am trying to Induce Mr. Chsmpley to let mo teach Hob and Meg. Don't joti think It would really do mo good to have some regular occupation?" "Of course It would, my dear," acquiesces ac-quiesces Mm. Wllden cheerfully "only I am nut qulta sura )ou know much to teach them " "You see, mamma thlnka me Incompetent," In-competent," says Ituby, smiling "perhaps "per-haps you object to my plan for tho isme reason?" Oh, lenr no!" laugh! Itabcrt Champ . "I have no doubt whatetcr of your ability; but" In that case I shan't listen to your buts,' " cays Ituby archly, ns sbo rites from her seat and crone over to thu piano, "and I shall consider tho matter mat-ter settled Next Monday I shall expect ex-pect the dear children at ten o'clock precisely." Then, without allowing time for any objection, aha take the seat which Shell has Just vacated, and breaks Into a brilliant arrangement ot lively Scotch air. llooert Chsmpley makes one more effort to free hlmtelt from on obllga tlon which la so exceedingly distasteful, distaste-ful, but his not wry clear reasons are quickly overruled by Ituby and her mother, so that bo leaves ths Wilderness Wilder-ness that avcnlng with a cloud on his usually placid brow. "I vilth that woman bad more tact," ha confides gloomily to Ted as, baring bar-ing donned light overcoats and lighted their cigars, tbey wend thslr way down ths short drlvs. "Which woman?" queries Ted, In a Tolcs ot Indifferent wonder, "Why, Miss Wllden, of count! Her common senso might tell hsr that I would ratbsr have a regular governess for th ohlldrtn It they need teaching. I rii'i" I no n. m In the world I bate rn'm than officious meddling with my aff.lrs and yel iher Is nothing that ..ii.' M mors utterly Incapable of (up-prm-ing without positive rurianoas" ' I say, don't get waxy over It, old tio ' ' aiiggeste Ted, regarding his ormher with some amssement, for Ilniiert haa m a rule such an equable tamper that It ams atrangn to find It even In the least ruffled. "For my own par4 I thought It awfully kind of Miss wllden to proposs having the klda over she seems very unselfish at kind hearted." I don't doubt for n momsnt that she It a moat estimable, woman," responds Robert Impatiently, "but she has no tact no common sens; she must havo aesn plainly that I hated being put under un-der such an obligation If she Insists upon teaching th children, I don't see how I can prevent her, only I shall certainly send her n check nt tho en I of the qutrter for her trouble, and so make a business matter ot It" "You can't potslbly do that," cries Ted, In a voice of consternation; "I am sure she would Inks It as an Insult! If you wsnt to satisfy your conscience, th children could make her some present pres-ent of Jewelry or something ot that sort" "I don't earn so long as sho gets psld somehow," remarks the elder brother carelessly, and yet with a good deal of annoynnco In his tone. Ted walks on for aome moments In meditative silence; then he says suddenly sud-denly "I wonder what bai como over Shell slscs I met her last. Sho used to bo ons ot tbo Jolllest llttlo girls In existence, exist-ence, and now she seoms to bo full ot acWihneM and splto. Surely sho can't havs been crossed In love; yet nothing elis that I can think ot would account for the utter Indifference, which sho seems for th world In general." "l'oor llttlo Shell I noticed a great chango In her too!" orients Ilobert dreamily "As you say, sho tued to bo tuch a chatty child, and this evening hor behavior waa almost rude; perhaps she bss had something, ns you suggest, sug-gest, to sour her. I thought she looked quits pretty In that simple wblto dress." "I might have thought her pretty If sho bad condescended to make herself agreeable," laughs Ted; "but, since she did nothing but snub me at every turn, her hair struck me as being remarkably remark-ably red, and her temper uncommonly bad. Wasn't that piece of mutla an awful Infliction?" "Excruciating!" agrees Ilobert heartily. heart-ily. "Her family ought to giro her a hint not to Indict herself on visitors, or, If sho Insists on playing she should limit her performance to five rotnutei." "Oh, well, I must own It waa rather my fault!" confesses honett Ted, "She warned roe beforehand that I shouldn't want hor to play again It I heard her on re." "Well, ahe gave us a quantity, It not quality!" laughs Ilobert. "Indeed sho did!" acquiesces Ted, with almost a groan, . ( CHA1TEII IV. Iluuy has now been tbo lelt-conttl-tuted Inttructrcts ot Hob and Meg for nenrly n month, Th novelty ot her voluntary task has worn oft; the children chil-dren too havo taken off that testing ot restraint and shyness which csused them In tbo beginning to sit like little modols ot patience during tho two hours' devoted to lestoni. Tbey havo now begun be-gun to realise Iho tact that their liberty lib-erty Is restricted during tbe morning visits to tbo Wildrrneii, and both are beginning to regard their disinterested benefactress simply In th light ot a Jailer, ltuby possesses nono of those, qualities 10 essentially necessary to win childish hearts sbo boa no patience, pa-tience, no tact, and not an atom of real sympathy tor her young charges. On bright Juno morning Hob Is laboriously la-boriously forming tomo strange htero. glyphlrs supposed lo represent pothooks pot-hooks In a very blotted and llmpy copybook, copy-book, whilst poor llttlo Meg, with an ominous quiver ot her lips, U standing stand-ing with her bands behind her In front ot Ituby, vainly seeking In her passive llttl brain for tbo answer to th oft-repeated oft-repeated question "Now, Meg wake up, and tell me, llko a good little child, what Is three times four." "Tree times four tree times four," repeats Meg drearily so' often has tbe same quratlon been put In the earn word that It conveys no meaning to her childish reason. Ruby has a way ot scanning th morning nsws whilst she carries on her monotonous string ot questions, so that her face Is completely com-pletely hidden from her poor llttlo victim. vic-tim. "Yea three timet four. You will stand tbsrs until you tell me, you know vory -well," persists Ituby In tones ot stsrn reproach. This seems such an excsedlngly dreary prospect to poor Meg that hsr two llttl) fat flits are thrust suddsnly Into her eyes, and aba breaks Into a dismal howl. "I say you Miss Wlldsn you Just atop buljylng our Msg," cries Dob, suddsnly sud-dsnly turning round on his high perch, from which' ho cannot dsscsnd unaldsd. and regarding ltuby with angry eyes and a very red face. "You rude llttl boy," says Ruby, throwing down ber paper In surprise, and regarding the young rebel with a haughty stare, "go to your copy at once, or I will put you In tbe corner) Meg Is a naughty, naughty girl, and If she does not tell me at once what three time four Is I will make her a dunce's cap " Meg throws herself upon the carpet In a paroxysm of fright; ths dlsgrsce to her mind sounds so terrible that ber howl changes Into conrulitva iobt, only on-ly stopped wbsn Hob shouts at the top of bis vole "Three limes four nro twelve, Meg." "Tree time foar are lwlve," sobs Msg from hsr crouching position; and than sho goea on with hsr crying mors tranquilly. This open cobelllon on Hob's part came nuby to rite from her chair and advance ominously towards tho culprit. "I don't care I don't!" cries Hob In a frightened olce. "You can put mo on three dunces' caps If you like." alluby make no answer, but, having reached hit side, administers a sharp box on each ear. "I don't care," repeats Hob, whois poor llltlo face Is crimson at ths Indignity. Indig-nity. "Then you are a wicked little bay," says Huby angrily; "and ns a punlih ment you shall do another whole copy of pot-hooks." 'I don't care," reiterates Hob doggedly, dog-gedly, ns Huby roughly drags him from his perch. "Now watch mo whilst I set your copy, and It you msko a blot on this page I shall punlih you, remember." "I wouldn't bo as cron as you for ds wholo world," rcmnrks Meg' chirping voice nt this moment with great decision. decis-ion. She has rlien from the carpet, and Is regarding Huby with a mixture of dislike and fear. Then there was sllenco In the apartment apart-ment whilst Ituby labors through a. whole lino of stately pot-hooks sh Is always very careful about aettlng tbs copy well, because the copy Is occasionally occasion-ally shown to Mr. Champlcy. Sho makes n graceful picture, seated on a low chair, and with htr wait poised head bent eagerly orer bcr task; unfortunately, Hob and Meg arc not ot nn ago to apprcclato beauty as a mere study. Yet, notwithstanding this fact Hob's keen eyes are fixed upon her cloiely, though with no friendly look. Prraontly his keen gnxs lights upon a hslr-pln standing loosoly out from Huby'a heavy plaits. Cautiously very cautiously ho first touches It, then draws It out and holds It up for Meg's approval. That little damsel smiles and dimples with delight Much pleased with hta success, h quietly withdraws anothsr pin and then another; but suddenly his exultation exul-tation changes Into fright, for with a slow movement the big shining plait comes gliding down and falls at his feet "Oh, I didn't mean It" ho ssys In a tono of apology, "but your hair bss como off," Even now ho docs not understand the enormity of his offense, nor can bo comprehend why Ituby becomes so alarmingly red as sho stoops to pick up her lost property. "Did you cut It off, Hob!" atks Meg Innocently, "No, I only took out the pins, and It fell off," explains Dob, who Is full of consternation at tbs inlschtof ho has wrought "You had no right to touch It," says Huby severely. "If your pspa only knew how rude you bar been ha would havs you punished." This she aays by way ot warning the children against repeating this rontrotemps at home llttlo docs sho undsrstand their perfect love and confidence In thslr father. Her announcement only has tho effect ef-fect ot sending tender-hearted Meg off Into a spasmodic fit ot weeping, so dls-tretted dls-tretted It she at the Idea of caualnc grlof to her dear papa. (To be Continued.) ' |