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1
The Genus known as "Tramp."
(See page ??.)
I
I
I
AS IN A MIRROR
BY
MRS. G. R. ALDEX (<' PANSY")
AlTTfKm OF "ICSTKII niKD," "WANTKr)," "MAKIN,; FA n:,'
" OVEKRL'LiiU,' " J'JIK OLDKH UKOTIIKU," i:T(\
ILLUSTRATED
TORONTO:
WILLIAM BRKUiS, WESLEY BUILDINGS.
C. W. COATES, Montreal. Que. S. V. HUESTIS, Halifax. N.S.
1898.
Entered a.roi-V
"S„ tl,utpo(.pU. uvrd not liavo Im'cu ilisturluMl
Ml (heir .slninhm-s, cli v r ji^i ,,,,(. ,|iscovor on lo„k-
m^r around that there was noed for special consider-
ation on that ^i^round ; thoy slept very well. What
H trial it must bo to a n.an like the doctor to pour
out eloquence and encr-y on a company of sleej)-
ei-s ! Seriously, Fletcher, uei'e you not a good
deal impressed with his way of dealing with the
problem? It seemed to me that he had -not so
luuch found some new ideas, perhaps, as he had
dared to speak out on an unpopular side, and tell
the nidividual u hat was his duty. We deal with
this matter by organizations nowadays, you know,
— Associated Charities and the like, — until the
average man and woman, who know these organisa-
tions only by name, and never lift a finger toward
their work, feel, somehow, that their responsibility
has been shouldered, and there is nothing left for
them to do but moralize."
"Oh, he talked well ; Dr. Talbert always does.
I told you last week he was better worth hearino-
than any man in town. You have heard so little
ot Inm, you see, that you haven't got used to the
style, and it makes a deep impression. He didn't
come until after you went abroad, did he v "
" He came the Sunday before, but I didn't hear
hull. I went with my mother to Dr. Pendleton's
church that day. No, I have heard Dr. Talbert
l)ut a few times. Is he always so impressive ? "
" He is always iiigh pressure, if that is what you
14
AS TN A AriHlJt)Il.
moan. I luiveii't dt'cidrd yd wlu-llicr lio is really
more impressive lliaii a quieter man would lu".
Doesn't some of it impress you as uiere oratory?"
" What do you uieau by that? Jle is an orator,
certahily^ hut 1 should not think of us\u^ Huit
word 'mere' in eouueetiou with him. Do you
think he does not really feel what he says?"
" Oil, some of it he feels, undouhtedly ; as much
as eireumstauees will adniit, probably; but well,
I should like to be a tramj) to-num-ow morning
and eall at his door, to see how he would make the
application to his sermon."
*' How do you thiidv he would ? "
" With his JNIouday niornino- shoes, very likely,"
Mr. Fletcher replied with an indolent laugh ; then,
seeing that his friend was waiting- for something
more serious, he added, " not so bad as that, o1
coui-se ; but I really should not expect any more
consideration from him because of that sermon.
You see. King, there is a certain amouiit of
what shall I call it? idealism? to be taken into
consideration when one listens to r. seinion, espe-
cially when the speaker is an enthusiast like Dr.
l^dbert. One canm)t pin him down to actual hard
fact, he nuist have a chance to soar, — to make
statements which the next day, in cool blood, he
would naturally tone down a little."
"I don't believe it," said Mr. King emphati-
cally. " There :■; >-, eat deal of surface talking
done in this world, . laiow; but I like to think
I
A si:uM()x THAT ijoui; viivvr.
l;j
that from <',, , „Ij,it ur ^vt v(M'i(u.M, not only in
e. Anyway, I shall help
myself to mite my own book, and that is a great
point." ^
#
oo
AS IX A MIUKOP,
CIIAPTEU n.
IX SKAUCH ()!<' TliUTir.
n^llE third day following tluit warm Suiuluy, a
-L Ininiaii l)eiiig, iiiiinistakably of the genus
known as " tramp," might have heen seen slowly
making his way down one of the principal business
streets of the city. Jle walked witli the slouch-
ing gait connnon to that class of people, and
avoided looking steadily into the eyes of any one
he met, in a way that is also characteristic of the
majority. His hair, which was brown and plenti^
ful, Avas tossed about in wild disorder, and the
slouch hat he wore pushed well down over liis
head was very "slouch" indeed. His dress was
cleaner than that of many tramps ; one noticing
him carefully would have decided that he had
made an almost painful effort to be clean, and
Avould therefore have set him down at once as be-
longing to the better class of unfortunates. Still,
the dress had many defects. The sleeves were
much too short and badly frayed ; they had been
out at the elbow, but were decently patched with
a different material. A calico shirt was buttoned
high about the throat, and that also was clean, but
f
a
t
I>f SKAltCII OP TIUTTir.
23
' .i
v^
colUrless. J h. ,Uocs wn. decidedly the w.x.t
part of the <,utat, indess the veiy shubhy trousers
t.iat dangled above them uere worse tlum the
shoes.
On the ,vl,„l«, J„l,„ Stuart Kinj. l„„kocl ftu-
t>ve y at Inmsolf a» ,. ,„„„,,„, ,,„ ,^ ^„,^^.^,,^ .,,
"liether to fed „„«t elation or clis„,aj. ,a the s„,.
cess of h,.s ,I,.sguise. He l.ail cl.oson a street with
"■I..oh he was least ae,,„ainte,l, yet he n,et f.-on.
nne to tnne people wlion, he k„e>. well i„ society.
I'or the most i,art they passed hiu, without .s,,
ninoh attention as a glanee wonhl have been.
Ilioy ree„gn,.e,l hiu. alar off as or another worhl
from the„«, ami too eonnnon a worhl to awaken
tl interest of curiosity. As he grew holder ho
ventnrcd once or twice to speak to men whose
;'an.e and position he knew,, asking for work.
1 Ley were n,en who knew his name pefectlv,
would have recognised it anywhere, hut who di.
no k„,Hv h„n very well hy sight. Without e.K-
ceptron they answered hin> curtly iu the negative,
vrthou ,,uest,on or ren.ark. They had nc? work
for such as he. He n.ight be very hungry, hut it
was doubtless his own fault, and in a„y°cas; the e
were ehar.t.es brcakf„.,t missions an.l what n^
for wretches of his sta„,p. If their faces expresse
any thought of hiu, at all, the tran.p condude
that It took that form.
One young lady startled hin, and n.ade hi,.,
leel that h,s best eoui«e would be to strike out
24
AS IX A .MIIMIOU.
!. ^
iiiio tlic (;()untiy us soon as possible. JIc liiul met
licr sciveral times at rucoptions and i)artios, and
as sho i)assed lum slio stared in a startled way,
even turning lier head to do so; and he heard
licr voiee; —
" How nmeh that fellow looks like " — the name
dropped from his hearing, but he eould not but be
sure that it was his own.
" The idea ! " laughed her louder voiced com-
panion, and the tramp moved on more rapidly, his
face r.ishing deeply under the laugh. It gave
liim strange sensations, this walk through the city
of his birth, incognito. True, he was not exceed-
ingly Avell known, except in certain circles ; long
absences from home during the years wlien people
change the most rapidly had cut him off from the
recognition of many ; but to Ije able to pass those
who Avould have been glad to call themselves his
friends had they recognized him, and to receive
no nod or glance of fellowship, had its startling
side. Did the mere matter of clothes count for so
nuu'h? Then his speculations were brought to a
sudden conclusion. Yonder, approaching rapidly,
was his most intimate friend, Arnold Fletcher.
Now for the crucial test; if Fletcher passed him,
then indeed he could not be himself. But he had
not intended to test this on the public thorough-
fare. How came Fletcher to be on this street, and
at this hour? lie was evidently in haste, for he
came with long strides, looking neither to the right
IN SEARCH OF TllUTlf.
25
i?t
nor tho left. Yes, ].e Mas pusMug-, m ilhout so
JHUch us u o-huu-... Su.ldenly the tnunp Lecuine
courugt'oiis
" Could you lieJp mo, sir, l„ find work of some
sort, onougli to curu my Lreakfast?" ho said rap-
I'lly, 111 the desperate tone that ]w. tliouglit a fel-
low in liis situation ougjit to use.
"AVoi-k?" repeated Fletcher, slackeniug his
pace, and briugiuo- U^ tliougl.ts haek from — tl.e
tramp could not decide Axl.ere. - Tliere is work
eijcugli in tlie woi-ld ; too nuieli to suit my taste !
Ihe trouble with you probably is that you cannot
do any of it decently. AVlmt kind of work do
you want ? "
"Any kind," said the tramp; but it was an
unguarded moment. He felt such a thrill of sat-
isfaction in tlie thought that his friend luid not
passed him with a frown and a coldly shaken head,
tha he looked full at him and smiled, his own rich
smile.
"What!" said Mr. Fletcher, startled and ap-
parently dazed. MVho in -upon my word! it
can t be possible ! And yet - AVell, if that isn't
complete ! Wliy, John, your own mother wouldn't
recognize you ! "
"IIusli! " s d John warningly, u^.^u talk too
loud for the public street, and you are too fannliar.
iiie question is, have you any work for me^"
"les," said Fletcher, laughino. now heartily
'• VV hat a scarecrow you have made of yourself'
20
AS IX A MIRROR.
I
to l)e sure. At llrst si^ht I did not dream it was
you, aud yet I was expeetiug to see you. I'll givc^
you souiethiug to do; you go aud call ou Dr. Tal-
bert, that's a good fellow. He'll have work for
you; see if he doesn't; or a cup of eolfee and a
saudwieh, or something of the sort, whieh is better.
lie is bound to, you know, according to your theo-
ries. Just try it. I'll give a thousand dollai-s to
home missions if you will, when I earn it."
"Hush!" said .John again, this time in really
warning tones. Two men were approaching whom
both knew. Fletcher took the hint, and as they
passed was saying in dignified tones, "I'here is an
Asf-.ociated Charities station not more than a mile
from liere, you go down there — I don't know
exactly where it is, but you can inquire."
One of the gentlemen glanced back Avith a su-
perior smile, " lieing victimized, Fletcher? Don't
waste your time;- the fellow needs the lockup
more th..n he needs charity."
" You knew (piite as nuu-li about the station as
the most of them, I presume," said King, when
they were alone again. "Never mind, I shall do
witliout a breakfast. Fm going to leave touii. I
shall tramp as far as Circletown this very day, I
presume ; remember that one John Stuart will be
looking there for lettei-s. Good-by, thank you for
your symi)athy ; it has done me good."
"John," said the other, detaining him with a
hand, and looking anxious, "do be persuaded to
ill
IN S
ii OK 'I Trr.
o-
*
*
K'ivo up this absunlily. Wliiit av.,.i1,1 ,.,r moth r
say? Above all, what Avcuhl Kli/uhcth think oi
you? At least, do not j-o invay without auy
nionoy. Have you really no money with you'/"
"Not a cent,"— with a genial smile, — "I am
honest, you see, and I am doing nothing of which
I have need to be ashamed. I am simply testing
for myself a i)hase of life that is only too "eonnnom
As for the anxiety of my mother and other friends,
tliey are to know nothing about it, so they will not
be troubled. If I come to downright grief, I'll
remember you and your l)ank account."
" You will be l)a{dc looking after your own, as
usual, within the month."
" Possibly ; in which case I shall have accom-
plished all I care to in this line. I make no
professions of having become a tramp for the re-
mainder of my natural life, (iood-b}-, Fletcher.
Wish me success, for you can't dissuade me."
Left to himself, our tramp considered for the
fii-st time the wisdom of following his friend's oft-
repeated advice, and calling on Dr. 'J'albert. True
he was a mendxu- of his church, but by no means
well acquainted with the gentleman. He had but
recently returned from an extended trip abroad,
and had met his pastor 'but two or three times at
crowded gatherings. The chances that he would
be recognized in his present attire were very fe^-.
Why not test for himself the practical nature of
the discourse that had moved him so signally?
28
AS FN A Mriiijoir.
Not that Dr. TallH-iL was plcli-vd (,, devote liiiii-
self to till! iiiteivsts of cvrry (nmii) lie siiw hecuuso
he Imd chosen to speak unusual words in their
hehalf, hut a word of sympathy or of exhortation,
possihly of advice, would he likely to h(! given
him. How did sueh men as Dr. Talhert advise
such men as ho was representing,^ himself to he?
It was worth risking discovery to learn. Without
more delay he turned his steps in the direction of
Dr. Talhert's handsouje residence.
He had chosen an unfortunate day. That even-
ing would occur Dr. Talhert's regldar mid-week
lecture, for which lie made as careful preparation
as he did for the Sahl)ath services. Ho was late
ni reaching his study, and he was pre-eminently a
man who did not like to he disturhed when he
reached there. He sure no one in his employ
would he so rash as to call him down to see a
tramp; hut it so happened that an imperative
summons had called him to the parlor, and com-
pelled him to show his visitor out, and the visitor
had come on chui-ch husiness that had an G(]ge in
it for the pastor. Inhere is nmch such husiness
that outsidei-s know not of. 'J^nere was a frown
on the good man's face as his eyes rested on the
forlorn specimen of tramp-life who humhiy asked
for work, and his voice was liai-sh in reply.
" No, I haven't any Avork ; and if I had I would
not give it to a fellow who doesn't know enough
to go to the ])a.ck door."
t ■
i t
IN' SKAHCrr OF TIlFTir.
29
Tho tmni[)'s face reddened; lie liad not so iniieli
iis renieinbered that there were hack doors; \u> was
iM.t used to them. He tri.-d (.. stammer an ai.ol-
o^a, and repeated his willino-ncss to do any kind
of work for tho sake of a lireukfast.
"Breakfast I " repeated Dr. TaHx'rt with an ir-
rital)lo fflanco at his watch; "it is much nearer
dinner than breakfast time! my whole morning
frittered away; it is a shame ! Xo, sir, I haven't
any Avork, nor any breakfast for you; nor a mo-
ment's tuno to waste on you ; my morning is genu?
ulready." And the door was literally slannned in
liis face. It was not Dr. Talhert's ordinary nuin-
ner. He was a sineere man, and on almost any
other occasion would have tried to live up, in a
measure at least, to his Sunday m(n-ning (shxpienee.
He would have been dismayed luuf he known
with what an utterly disappointed heart the tramp
turned fnmi his door, saying to himself as he di.l
so, '• r believed in him, and he has spoiled it."
John Stuart King, the scholar and author, was not
wont to make sweeping deductions on slight
proof; but with the dress of a tramp he had ap-
parently taken on something of his surface char-
acter; at least, his heart felt very sore and sad at
this rebuff.
IIo moved away slowly, moralizing as he went.
Were Fletcher's cynical views of life the nearer
right after all? Was there no such thinn- as
downright shiueritv in Ll
lis wovld'f lie believed
80
AR TV A ISriRROR.
liiinself to l)o a lover of truth to a marked degree.
He had i)ersoiiilied Trutli, and admired lier and
worsliii)ped lier, and written about lier in a way
that others had well-nioh worshipped; and Fh'tclier
had assured him that it was all very fine on paper,
and important too, of eouree people must have
ideals; hut as for findino- real flesh-and-blood
specimens moving about, that was not to he ex-
pected. And he had contended that the world
held many whose daily lives were as carefully
patterned after Truth as were his ideals. Had he
been mistaken? He looked down at himself and
sighed; then, as he caught his own reflection in
a plate-glass window he was passing, he lauglied,
— a laugh that already had in it a touch of bitter-
ness. The very costume that he wore, and that
he had been at such jjains to secure, taught him
the same hateful lesson. He had visited pawn-
brokei-s' shops and second-hand clothing shops
without nund)er, and been almost in despair. 'J'he
wardi'obe of the decent poor was not apparently
what he lu'eded. Where was he to find his need?
And then he had bethought himself of those fur-
nishing shops for amateur theatrical entertain-
ments, and hurrying thither had found exactly
what he was searching for.
"Private entertaiment? " the obsequious atten-
dant had asked as he studied his customer; and
then he had been complimented on his selection
of character, and assured tluiL his. part would be
IN SEATiCII OF THUTJT.
31
' I
perfect. What a liuinilialliiir tliought it was tliat
to a degree everybody was playing a part; no one
Avas strietly and solenndv and continually him-
self.
The hitterness went out of his laugh after a
little. The matter had its comic side. Surely he
should not he at war this morning against all
shams, when he liad for the first time in his life
got liimself ui) for as complete a sham as pos-
sible.
" lUit I liave a purpose," he told himself quickly ;
"and one that justifies the method. Neither am
T planning to he a continuous sham. I shall lay
all this aside very soon prohahly. I wonder if I
am lialf tired of it already? John Stuart, what
ycu need is to get away from the city. You have
always contended that the truest people the world
contained Avere to he found in the country. . Now
tramp out and prove it."
Perhaps in all his cultured years that had been
filled with opportunities, during no single day did
John Stuart King learn moi-e about human nature
than on that first one of his new life. Men, wo-
iiH-n, and children all contributed to his educaticm.
Be sure it was a new experience to him to have
young and pretty women look at him with curious
distrustful eyes, and cross the street to avoid too
elose contact. Before twelve o'clock he was gen-
lunely hungry, and offered with some degree of
anxiety to bring pails of water from the " wella "
32
AS TX A MriMion.
that hoiran to dot the couul.y ihmw^U nl.i,!, 1„.
travelled, o,- to do anjtl.ii.o. Hs,, tl.ut l... ,.„i,l,l
thmk of, for H diiHier. Five times l.e w;,s ,v.
fused, — once witli hesitation and u linj-crin.- re-
gret in the e.yes of a woman who - hadn't anytl.in-
to spare r" three times witli eoid indifference ; and
once with positive fire of tongue and slam of 'door
Being very hungry l,e tried again, t],„ngh he Ik-
gan to admit to luniself that it woukl he easier to
steal something.
The sixth woman gave him tuo pieces of v.mj
stale bread in a not over-clean paper hag, and
added a hone that had once had meat on it.
"Fu^ afraid to refuse 'em," lu3 lu-ard hw ex-
plain 111 a supposed undertone to some one; inside
"for fear they'll fire the buildings, or do son.e-
thing ugly. I've read of such things."
So even this was not charity ! ifut the receiver
ate It with a relish that daintier fare had not al-
ways found. The woman cvi.lentlv looked fnr-
tively at him occasionally from sJme loop-lu.hs
and continued her remarks,
-He ain't bad looking; not as tramps go. He
don't look real mean, as some of 'em do; and his
clothes is pretty clean, and patched up kind of
decent. I shouhln't wonder if he had a mother
somewheres, who had done her best to niak.> him
look decent."
Visions of his mother patching the cdothes he
wore were aln.nst too much for the tramp's risibles.
I
IN SEAUCir OF TliUTH.
33
He ate Uk; last moutlifiil luustily, and moved od,
pliilosophiziii^LT the uhilo over the power witli
wIi'k;!! he eouhl deseribe the value of stale bread,
and bones where meat had been. For a full hour
his sympathies were entirely on the side of the
tramp. Then he met one so repulsive in ai)pear-
anee that he instantly justified the woman who
had been afraid of him. Jt was a new experienee
to be aecosted as he Mas, —
" Any luck that way, pal ? "' no(hling in the
direetion from which he had eome.
"I haven't found any work yet, if that is what
you mean," si)oken in the tone that in his former
grade of life would have been called cold. The
man gave a disagreeable sneer. " Oh, that's your
dodge, is it?" he said; "I can tell you I've had
worse trials in life than not finding work. Did
you spot any of the houses?"
''Did I what?"
" Mark the houses where they treated you de-
centi and gave you coffee, or lemonade, or some-
thing? You must be a green one! Don't you
carry no chalk nor nothin' with you to mark the
places? Then you're a hard-hearted wretch. If
you can't do so much for your fellow-tramps as that,
you ought to go to the lockup." The healthy,
clean young man found himself shrinking from
this specimen with a kind of loathing. Would it
be possible for him to fraternize with such us he,
even to study human nature ?
1i
34
AS IN A :SIIUR0II.
Then, curiously enough, at that moment, for al-
most the first time since he started out, he thoiiglit
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wluit a lonely ntin
lie must have been!
t
or al-
iiioiit
llliUl
FATHEU'S TKAMP."
C1IAPTI<:U Jll.
35
"FATHEll's TltAMI'."
n^HE Elliotts had just risen from the tea-table ;
A that is, the most of them ha;!. Corliss, the
sou of the house, who had l)eeii lute, was still lin-
gering, hejping himself bountifully to cream, that
he poured over his sweet baked apple with an air
that said he knew what a toothsome morsel he was
Jireparing-.
Elfrida, whose duty it was to gather the dishes
and pass them out to Susan, the hired help, a„d
who was always in a hurry, tried to hasten the
laggard.
"Come, Corl, you've had supj.er enough; or,
if you haven't, you should have been here when
the rest of us began. I'm going to clear off the
table.
"xVll right," was the good-natured reply, ^^so
t\uit you leave the apples and cream, I'm content.
Ihese apples are prime; I'm glad there's a big
yield this year. Father?"
'' Yes," said Mr. Corliss in an absenUninded
tone. He had the even-ng j>aper in his hand,
and preparatory to sitting down to enjoy it at lei-
36
AS IN A MIRIIOR.
f:
sure, his eye luul been caught hy a panigrapli tliat
he stood still to road.
"Speakiug of the harvest apples," said Corliss,
"makes me think (,f Jim, and of whom we are to
get to taku his place. I caHed there coming out,
and he won't be ready for work again this season,
if he ever is."
" Is that so ? " said his father, in a tone of deep
concern, "I am very sorry to hear it; Jim Mas a
faithful fellow, and did as well as he knew how,
which is what can be said of few. As to fillino-
his place, I am sure I don't know ; it is a bad time
of year to be looking foi- extra help."
"We ought to have some one right away," said
Corliss, with his mouth full of api)le and cream.
Then had come a knock at the side door, and the
farmer, paper in hand, had stepped forwai'd to i-e-
si)ond. A man's voice outside was heard asking
something, and INfr. Elliott stei)ped out to him.
Elfrida, meantime, made i-apid progress with the
dishes, although she stopped from time to time to
admire an illustration in tlie new magazine her
sister Hildreth was examining. The summer din-
ing-room of the Elliotts was also their family
sitting-room, and Mrs. Elliott already had her
sewing-basket at her side, waiting to establish her-
self at her end of the table. Ilildreth glanced up
once from her book and said, " Don't hurry, Elfie,
the only rest mother gets is while you are making
the table ready."
m
'' FATHElfs TllAMP.'
37
Llf IS in too much luiste for ]ier finery to heed
that hint, laughed the brother. Then the door
opened again, and the father returned. He went
stra.glit over to Mi^. Elliott, and spoke in a half-
iipologetic tone.
'■ -Mother, tlioro is an nnu.siuUly (leeent-Iookinn-
fell.>w out the,-,., lumting for work; l.c didn't ,«k
for supper, but I got out of l.im timt I,o l.ad },.,a
notlnng s nee breakfast. You can n.anage son.o-
tlnng for Inni, tan't you?"
"It is one of fatl,er-s unusual tnunps'." ex-
;?r\'^"'i'7'''''---i'"-;I.-vitinbis
face liotb ].„ „„, ,,:,f,.,,,, ^ ^
l.e atbe, s face relaxe.l into the scn.blaucc of a
iungh as he waite.l for Mrs. |.;ili„tt to speak
"I know," l.e interrupted .luiekly, .^bnt this
illtlll IS
"Tins n,au is unusual," said Corliss, takin.. the
words fron, bis father. .q,„,,t you know tl t
mother?" ''''
Mrs. Elliott joined in the langh. Every one
of"fatber-stran,ps"wercunusu,d,and It 1
=nade exceptions to tl,e stern rule that prov d d
on y a t.eket to the Associated (Charities H„ «
... the c.ty two nules away. .X„ „„Uer boj
Boa, at the.r last n.eeting tl,at it sin.ply fo..f„,„,
^^ce ., keep feedu.g tran,ps at one's door, witbont
i l!
88
AS IN A MIUIIOK.
inquiring into tlieir condition, and explained to
Susan and to his innnediate family that it ira ly
must not l)e done at his house any more, as surely
as INIr. Elliott answered the call of one of tliem,
just so sufely was he fed, and if necessary clothed
and made as conifortahle as circumstances would
admit. The young Elliotts invariahly laughed at
this trait in their father, and were always proud
that it existed. Not one of them cared lo turn
deaf eai-s to the ap[)eals of Inuiger.
Mr. Elliott turned hack to his tramp, saying, as
he did so, "I will have him go around to the
kitchen door. Give him some of that stew, and a
cup of coffee ; he has had no dinner, rememher."
Elfrida grumhled a little. "Dear me! Susan is
ij the milk-room at work, and I shall have to go
and feed him myself."
"Perhaps Corliss will go out with you," sug-
gested Mi's. Elliott a trifle anxiously; and then
Ilildreth closed her magazine and arose.
"I'll feed the tramp, mother," she said. She
did not care to have lier pretty young sister, who
was sometimes inclined to he reckless, gazed on
hy the hold eyes of a tramp.
" Is he to have some of the ginger-cake and
cheese ? "
" Oil. yes," said Corliss, speaking for his mother,
•"and :i iia[)kin. Ilildreth, and some of the choice
gra[)es, and a linger-howl. Rememher, he isn't
one of the ct)nmion kind."
"FATHKkVs TUAMl'."
no
3d on
IliI'Lvth wont a«..y Iu,,i,|,i„j,, an,l ,„,„1,. ,,,a,|y
a corner ,.f the ll'-t;-""gl.. He uso,l the water a. thongh
3 I ',"","■■';."",'' '"""' '"«'' '"■» '""""'ant I,air,
aj lathed Ins head ,us well. Elfrida ean.e «u
"He acts like a great Newfonndlan,! dog who
has heen away fr„n> the water for a week! " she
«a,d And, hon-uI,ildretl,, he has line eves-
.«t look at then,. I don't wonder father C
taken witli Ijini."
"g the table for n.other. I know she is in a hnrrv
toge to work; .nd you can he„ that ruffle I
«a.s at work at; then lean haste it on yonrskir
when eo„,e in." .She ha,l „o fancy for t le
oluhls hngern,g to study a pair of fine eyes
M, Hl-r, y "^"', ""' '"'™ •-" »xio„s.
ca ; o it , "" ,"""' '" '^"™ '"« t™»l' to the
ca.e of e ther .laughter. He saw Su,,an .stepping
nsk.v ahont the n.ilk-r,,,™. ,.nd ,„,„, ,,,„, /^
the lutehen w,th the tran.p. ,i,. a.is tin.e the
'10
AS IN A MI.'IUOR.
r \
table was neatly laid, and a generous portion of
the appetizing stew, that had heen warine.l for the
farmer's supper, dealt out to him. One swift
glanee the stranger had for the young woman in
neat drest? and with fair liair curling al>out her
temples, then gave himself to the business of eat-
ing as though he greatly needed the food.
"What is youf name ? " asked farmer Elliott,
when the fii"st pangs of hunger had evidently been
somewhat a[)peased.
" John Stuart," was the quick reply.
"A good name. Are you a Scotchman?"
" My great-grandfather was."
"And a good, honest, hard-working man, I dai-e
say. How came his grandson to be reduced to
such straits ? "
" Well, sir, you know the times are very hard.
I have been looking for work as faithfully as a
man could for the last two monihs; and have
found nothing but odd jobs here and there, enough
U: keep me alive."
" What can you do ? What have you been
brought up to do ? "
The slow red mounted in the yt)ung man's face,
reaching quite to his forehead. This question had
been asked l)eforc, but had never so much embar-
rassed him. Was it because the young woman
was looking at him at that moment with earnest,
interested eyes? On .bilin Stuart King's study
table was a small easel containing a fancy picture
W
''VATllKUH TFJAMP.
41
been
".^"•V""f " '""'' .V'.y,.s, ami ,u, ,.M.n..s.
»Mm U„a Imd luMl a singular ,.|,,,nu /or II,,. «t„,Lt.
I'e «ket,.|, „a.s nan.e.l •'Trull,;" ,„„| ;,„ „„>,er
■•< luUmK it with l,i. Wc.l J.-lc.tcl,e,-, l„ul „„„e I tl'lltd.
"The e„,l„„Ii,„,„t of a lalK-y," hi.s frie„.athe.l the,„.,elves o.'t of he
■stances the tra,n,, should have felt uothiusr but
«.nuse,„e„t. The wou.au who was least 7„ ed
of pity of ahuost any „e,.so„ of his aonn.inHrc.
was his mother v^t i , ""inaincincc
mother. \et he gave the speaker one
42
AS TN A MITIROR.
swilt, n'S[)('ctt'iil niiiiicc ol' gi'atUudc. lie was
gnih'l'ul lor till! woiiuuiliiicss of it, and U>\- llit- cl-
i'ect that ho I'clt sure it would have hud U[»oii him
had he heeii in reality what he seemed, lie look
a suddeii resolution to secure work at this house
ii" jjossihle ; if not, as near it as was })ossil)le.
"How do you expeet to j^'et work if you are
obliged to own that you don't know how to do any-
thing? " was the farujer's next searching iiuesticm ;
but he followed it with another. "Do you know
anything about hoi-ses ? "
John Stuart's eyes brightened. Here at least
lie could speak truth. Almost since his babyhood
lie had had to do with horses, lie owned two, a
well-matched span, the admiration and env}' of all
his friends. He admired, yes, he loved almost any
kind of a. horse ; and his success in dealing with
refractory ones had been a matter of surprised
comment even when he was a mere boy.
" Yes, sir, I do," he said, his eyes kindling : " I
know a good deal al)out them ; 1 like them, and
they like me. I can drive any kind of a horse."
The supper, meantime, had been disappearing
very rapidly. Despite the ligure of Truth that had
stepped out of its frame aud was looking at him
with human eyes, the tramp was hungry. Nothing
so th(> roughly good in the way of food had fallen
to his lot for many days, and he was resolved upon
making the most of the opportunity. Hildreth
silently refilled his plate and replenished his cup ;
.4?
" V
FATFIEU'S Tit AMP.'
48
I
•np ;
tli.Mi ]wv father stopped to ihc diniii^r.,.,,,,,,, door,
culled his Hon, and nioiioned him to stay in the
kitclien wliilo lie went to liohl a consnltation. Ilil-
dreth foUowed liini from the room.
" I've a mind to try him, mother," Mr. Elliott
said, jroin^r ovei to the table where his wife was
hriskly sewin^r. " We need help now ; and we'll
need it woi-se when Corliss begins sehool again. He
says he nndei-stands hoi-ses, and there is something
about the fellow that makes me feel he is telling
the truth. How does he impress you, Hildreth?"
"As a very hungry man," said Ilildreth, smil-
ing; but she added, -he hasn't a bad face, father;
I do not believe he is very wicked."
"iJut isn't it rather risky, lioger, a perfect
stranger, and a ti-amp at that? You know the
hoy wlio drives the hoi-ses will have to take Ilil-
dreth back and forth, as well as T'oHiss and Kl-
frida."
- Oh, of u.Aii-se I shall not trust him in any such
way until he lias been thoroughly tested He
might drive the farm wagon, though, for a few
days. I can tell in five minutes whether he really
does knoNv anything about horses. He is pretty
tired, one can see that. I think we ought to give
hun some kind of a shelter for the night, at least;
and if he really wants work I don't know how he
IS ever going to get it unless somebody trusts him
Will It Ije a great deal of trouble to get the wood-
house c}.r:';ilier ready ? "
•V ■
ill
44
AS IN A MTKROR.
!!■!
rt!
-() father! you won't let a tramp sleep there,
^vill you? He inig-ht set the house on the, and
burn us all up ! " , , i i
It was his youngest daughter who looked up
from her ruffles long enough to ask this in startled
tones. Her father laughed.
"You must have been reading dime novels,
Elfie," he said pleasantly. - Tramps don't do that
sort of thing nuieh, outside of a eertain class of
hooks. I donht if they ever did it when they
were treated like human beings. H this fellow
wants to get work, he will have every motive for
behaving himself ; and if he doesn't, it wdl be
perfectly easy to slip away in the early morning,
without setting any tires. Do you object, Sarah !
-Oh no," said his wife (piickly; -uot if you
think il is best. Susan can get the woodhouse
,bamhcr ready with very littW trouble ; or it slie
doesn't get done in time, Hildreth wdl look after
it. Can't you, dear?"
u Yes'm," said Hildreth, with a quiet smile that
she tried to hide from her giddy sister. These
youncv people were often much amused with the
deferential manner in which their father appealed
to his wife, apparently leaving everything to her
iudgment ; although they could not remember a
"time when slie had not answered as now, - It you
think it is best." , , r
u Your father thinks so," had been the law of
life by which they had been brought up.
"• FATHER S TRAMP.
45
of
'' When I get married," Klfrida once remarked,
"I mean to have a hnsl)and just like father, who
will always say, 'What do you think, my dear?'"
" That will 1)6 all right," said her hrother cheer-
fully, "provided you will see to it that you are
a woman just like mother, who will always say,
' Just as you think best, my dear.' "
Yet there had been times in Farmer Elliott's
life, unknow^i to these ehildi-en, wIkmi the quiet-
faced, gentle-voiced woman had set herself like
granite against some plan of his, and had held her-
i',elf firmly to the "No, Roger, I don't think that
would be right," until she had won him to see
with her eyes, and he had lived to thank her for
clearer vision. There was no need, of course, for
the mother to explain these things to her children.
Susan gave the woodhouse eluunber the benefit
of her strong red arms and executive ability, but
before its new occupant was invited in, the daugh-
ter of the house visited the room. It was severely
clean: that was a matter of course where Susan
had been, and the bed was made up comfortably ;
but it was Ilildreth who spread a white cloth over
the small table, and laid a plainly bound, coai-se-
print Bible on the cloth; and fastened above it
with pins a chea[) print of a cheerful home-scene.
Susan sneered at it all, with the familiarity of
hired lielp in the country.
"Landsakes, Ilildreth! them kind don't care
for pictures ; and as for the Bible, I don't s'pose
46
AS IN A MIRIIOII.
lie can read ;i word. If he can, \w\\ rather have
a weekly stoiy-puper, or some such/'
" We can't he sure, Susan. I think he can
read ; most young fellows who helong to this
country learn t'o read and write in their child-
liood, you know. Perlun)S his mother used to
read the Bible to him. She may have sat in just
such a chair as that mother does in the picture,
and it may all speak to his heart. Who can
tell ? "
Susan sneered again. "I can," she said orac-
ularly. " Them kind of things oidy happen in
story-hooks. Look how you fixed up for that Joe
Wilkins, and wliat did he do but run away with
the horseA\hip and hatchet the first good chance
lie had? They're all of a piece. If I was your
father I wouldn't have no such truck around.
But you'll get your reward for trying ; you and
him too ; I make no manner of doubt of that."
Susan's prononns were mixed ; but her heart
knew whom to honor.
k
i
"I AM STUDYING TRUTH."
47
CHAPTER IV.
J
"I AM STUDYIXd rnUTIT."
THE sensations of the " tramp" \\\\o finally took
possession of that Avoodhouse chamber may
he better imagined, I presume, than described.
Susan had remarked, as she took a final survey,
that he "probably never saw anything so nice and
comfortable in his life as that i-oom." What Su-
san would have said could she have had a peep
into the bachelor apartments that he usually occu-
pied beggars even imagination. Iliere was a neat,
old-fashioned, high-backed rocker in the room, the
cusliion stuffed with sweet-smelling hay that could
be renewed as often as there was to be a new oc-
cupant, and a chintz cover that found its way to
the wash-tub within an hour after the departure
of the one who last sat on it. Into this chair John
Stuart dropped himself, and looked about him with
a curiosity in which there was more than a touch
of tenderness. He had l)een a tramp quite long
enough to appreciate the cleanliness, and the cool-
ness, and the pleasant odors of this room. When
he had occupied the " Sleepy Hollow chair " near
the south window of liis city home, and planned
48
AS IN A MIRROR.
this extmordiuaiy outing, it had Ikmmi early in
July. Certain business matiers had held him iji
town througli June, and it had been his intention
to start vacation-ward that next week ; so he had
started. Now the first days of September were
upon them, and by ordinary cakulations his vaca-
tion should be over ; but he told himself compla-
cently that it had just commenced, although the
experiences through which he had passed Mere
enough to till a volume. All sorts and conditions
of men he had seen and studied. He had been
hungry, and had had nothing with which to satisfy
hunger; he had been weary, with no resting-place
in sight. For the fu-st time in his life he had
known Avhat it was to actually suffer for the want
of these counnon necessities. Some work he had
found, though the fact that he had not been
brought up to do any of it always told against
him, and made it apparently impossible for him to
continue in the same place more than a day or
two. In truth, this part of the experience had not
ti-oubled him, for he had found no place M'here he
felt willing to tarry. Each day as he tramped on
ho rejoiLdd in the thought that his plan did not
include long stays anywhere. But this evening
he felt differently ; at the Elliott farm he was will-
ing to stay.
He looked doAvn at himself with complacent
eyes. One of the hardest features of his self-im-
posed exile had been the difficulty of procuring
I AM STUDYING TRUTH."
49
a bath. lie had prepared for himself a change of
clothing that he had tied in a bundle, and slung
on a stick, as he had noticed that veritable tramps
sometimes did. He assured himself that a self-
respecting tramp, such as he meant to be, could do
no less than that. But the difficulty of getting
his clothing washed, and properly dried, and, above
all, mended, became simply appalling as the weeks
passed, and more than once had threatened the
entire abandonment of the scheme. But for a cer-
tain dogged pei-severance peculiar to his nature,
he would liave given -ip long before. Perhaios he
would have done so m any case, had he not had
days of exceeding interest, during which he felt
that he learned more about that strange, trouble-
some "otlicr haK" than any amount of reading or
any nund)er of statistics could possibly give him.
On this evening, for the fii-st time since his new
life began, he had been offered the use of a bath.
" There's a place in the stable," Farmer Elliott
had said, " Avliere you can wash up, and be all fresh
and clean before you go to your room. ;My folks
are particular about that room; they keep it as
clean as they do the parlor, and they don't want
anything ugly brought into it. Have you got
clean clothes in your bundle ? All right, then ;
I hke that. When a fellow wants to be clean,
and takes a little trouble to be so, it shows he
hasri't lost liis self-respect. There's a bundle of
clotliL-s in the stable closet; we keep them there
Iirit ijf
50
AS IN A MIRROR.
for times of need. If you need anything, wliile
your clothes are being mended up, you know, why
help yourself ; you are welcome to anything you
find there. I shall give you work enough to earn
them for yourself, if you choose to do it."
John Stuart, as he listened, had felt his heart
glow with a feeling deeper than gratitude. Here
at last was a chance for a tramp to become a man.
It was the first genuine effort at helpfulness that
he had met. No, perhaps that was not quite fair;
It was the first common-sense effort. Others had
tried. Tracts had been given him, and advice, but
not water and soap and towels. These he had
found in abundance in the stable closet, and cer-
tain garments of which he stood much in need.
He had been dismayed to discover that clothes
wear out. He supposed he had had theories on
that subject l)efore i but to have therries and to
realize them are two very different things. He
sat in the sweet-scented chair and surveyed him-
self with satisfaction. He looked and felt better.
Dr. Talbert had Ijeen right: tramps were horrid
♦■"Hows ; he wondered that anybody could endure
them; but the treatment they received at the
hands of the Christian pul)lic was calculated to
drop them still lower in the social scale ; however
there was, it seemed, an occasional Farmer Elliott,
and he tlianked God for him.
He looked over at the white-covered tal)le. Su-
san was wrong; b,. :,p|,ieciated it. Perhaps m
"I AM STUDYING TJiUTH."
61
%
1
table luid ever looked to him more pur. man that.
Some of the places in which he had slept since
July lie did not think he was willing to describe
even on paper. Tired as he was, he exerted him-
self and went over to the table, and studied the
print pinned above it, with a smile on his face
that Elfrida would have declared made him posi-
tively handsome. Then he lifted the large, coarse-
print Bible, and took it back with him to the easy-
chair. The root of the difference between this
Christian home and certain other homes he knew
of Avas undoul)t(Mlly sunken deep in this old-fash-
ioned book. He opened it at random. He had
not been reading in the Bible of late. It had
not been remendjered as i)art of the necessary fur-
nishings of that bundle, and he had not come
close enough to one to read, lie was accustomed,
not to daily Bible-reading, but to more or less reg-
gular reference to the book. Was he not a churcli
member? He was not sure that two months of
his groAvn-up life had ever before passed without
his having had recoui-sc to its teachings. He
turned the leaves at random; it will have to be
confessed tliat this Avas his hal)it; he Avas not one
of those Avho have any fixed method of Bible-
study. The book had seemed to oi)en of itself to
Ezekiel. He Avas not familiar Avith that part of
the Bible; its imagery jiad been too dense for
easy understanding, and tlie time liad never
seemed to come Avlicn he could study it ; but he
W'r
hi
52
AS IN A MlllUOJ{.
■ t;
K H
k
paused this evening over a sentence: "And the
word of the Lord came unto nie a<(ain." He
smiled over the fanciful appropriateness of the
phrase. Probably Ezokiol had not been so long
without that word as he had. What messac>-e liad
it for him? "Saying, Son of man set thy face
toward Jerusalem." He read not a word farther.
He was not a romantic young man, nor one given
in the least to fanciful interpretations of any writ-
ings, yet he confessed to a slightly startled feel-
ing. It was not altogether impossible, of course,
that the Lord had him in mind that evening, and
meant him to get his word from the book. Was
it intended as a hint to him that while he had
been very busy studying human nature in new
forms, with a view to writing a book that should
have in it at least some startling facts, he had all
but forgotten Jerusalem ? JNot that he had been
distinctly irreligious. He had rarely laid himself
down to sleep at night, even with the most in-
convenient and incongruous surroundings, without
going through the form of prayer ; but more than
once he had been conscious of its being a mere
form, and had excused himself on the ground
that a man in his strange circumstances could be
pardoned for wandering thoughts. That sermon
preached by Dr. Talbert on that first Sabbath in
July had been the last that he had heard. Not
that he had not on each succeeding Sabbath been
within sound of the church bell, but the truth
) A
A
'I AM STUDYINO THUTIL"
53
^f
was he could not get the consent of liimself to
appeur in church in the costume he was wearing.
He tokl liimself tliat he should attract too mucli
attention, and detract from tlie comfort of others
by his presence. Moreover, as he thought of it
this evening, he confessed to himself that the
woods and the fields, and the sermons he found
in stones, and the music of birds and brooks, had
been more to his mind than he could imagine the
services of tlie homely little churches being ; so
without much consideration of the subject, he
had simply stayed away and enjoyed it. '^ Son of
man, set thy face toward Jerusalem." Was it a
message for him ? Had he drifted away from the
church not only, but from — " Nonsense ! " he
said, pulling liimself up sharply; "you are grow-
ing altogether too fanciful. That would do for an
mterpretation of some of those dyspeptic divines
of the past century." He closed the book and re-
placed it on its whit(. table. He wiis too weary
for Bible-reading that night, he said. But he got
down on his knees, and tried to hold his thoughts
to something like real prayer.
And in her fair room across the yard, inside the
farmhouse, Hildreth Elliott, on her knees, was ask-
ing at that moment that the stranger within her
father's gates might not go from them without
having had in some way a reminder of the bread
o± life waiting for his hand to lay hold of. She
had placed the plain, large-print Bible in his room
54
AS IN A Minitoi:
t I
willi a piirpnsi', iiiid s]iv. did iinL loigc'L to iisk that
it might hiive a iiicssiign for him.
Neither did Farmer Elliott forget the istrajigcr
wlio slept that night in ]n:s woodhoiise cliamlier.
Had the tramp heard himself jjrayi'd for when
they knelt aronnd the family altar, his heart wonld
have Avarmed as it luid not for many a dav. The
son of till' honso was impressed hy the fei'V(»r of
the prayer.
'"•That old feUow ont tliere won't lire tlic honse
to-night, Elf ; yon needn't he afraid,"' he said to
his yonnger sister. '-IIo ean't, after that prayer.
He'd have to he good in spite of himself, if he
had heard father."
'* Why ? " said Elfrida, trying to eover the feel-
ing that the prayer had awakened in lier hy a
touch of hrnsipieness. " Von have had father's
prayers all your life, and they don't seem to have
had that effect on you."
"It's different with you and me," said Corliss,
laughing. "-We are not lost sheep, wandering
ahout on the hleak mountains; we are su})posed
to he safely tucked u[) hiside tlie fold, you see."
And he went away whistling sharply, —
,1
m
" Away on tho mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Sheplienl's care."
It did seem strange, and at times very sad,
that with such a father and mother, and such an
If
I AM sTi'DvrxM Tinriir
55
•
older Histor, luMtlnM- Klfri.Ia ju.r Corliss KlHott lui.l
IcariHMl how to piuy for tlicinselvi's.
-He takes liol.l „r iU, J„„,se8 us tliot.rouj,^ht lip uiti, tlu',., ; and lUi.vcn took to
J".n at oi.co ]iko a friiMMl," said Fanner Kllit.tt.
- 1 never saw a stran-er tliat could do ,„ueli with
Hlixeii hefore. He must be a kind-hearted fellow,
iit least; she held her uoso still, and h-t him j.at it
and turne.l her head to look after him. Jet likes
I'lni too. 1 tol.l him Jet was inelined to bo surly
uith stranuvi... j I,, langhed, and John, and that
the farmer increasingly trusted him. Certainly no
Iiiied man had ever In^fore given such entire sat-
isfaction so far as the hoi-ses were concerned ; and
Farmer Elliott confessed that with liim that went
a gr^t way. When they discussed the young
man in the family cir-ile, it was found that every
member of the family had a word to say in his
favor. JMi-s. p:iliott remarked that he seemed to
have an excellent memory, that he had not for-
gotten a single commission that had been given
him, though some of them were small and trouble-
some. Hildreth said it was a comfort to have a
man who brought the hoi-ses to the door at the
exact moment, and was always on hand to receive
them when one reached home; and Elfrida said
he was the only man they ever had who knew
enough to say " Miss Elfrida." The family laughed
at this, but Elfrida stoutly alhrmed that that was
tlie way they always did in books, and she liked
lfl
(lig-
"T AM STUnviNf; TliUTll."
6T
It; she tlu.ught it noul.l ho vory nnu-l, nic.r if
.Sius,m were dinu^ted to say - Miss Kllri.iu," instead
<.l shouting out -Elf" as she actually sometinH-s
(IKI.
"My dear," said ^U-h. Elliott, la.^hinn-, -re-
'»'"".l)er that Susan is a farn.er's daughter, like
joui^elf, and only comes to acconunodate us f
presume she ^vould he willing to say ^Mi»s'l.:i.
nda I you ,vould agree to say 'Miss Susan,'
hut certainly not otherwise."
or a girl m the kitchen; and I hope father will
Jvffp John always."
<>en Susan contrihuted to the general veriiofc
- Hs favor Having
68
AS IN A MinuOIt.
was
Vt't evt'iy (lay ho iKlniittcd to liiinself tluifc he
more and inori' iiiteiesU'd in the phase of liunuui
now spread befoi-e liiiu. "1 ani stiidyiiio' Truth/'
he saitl to himself with an amused smile ; and the
form his thought took justifies the capital lettei-.
"I believe I have found Truth; the likeness to
the ideal head increases, rather than lessens, as I
see more of her. I believe she is the living em-
bodiment of tlie idea, — Truth in its purity and
simplicity. Such a life ought to be a i)ower in the
woi-ld. I wonder if it is ? Yet how can it be in
such a circumscribed circle? Is she superior to
her enviroinnents ? I would like her for the hero^
ine of my next book. IJather, perhaps, I would
like my conception of her. What could I make
her accom[)lish I wonder that would tell for good?
J low much I should like to see the girl iierself set
where she could reach people ! I wonder if she
is satislied witli her i)resent sphere? I wonder if
she realizes that she has a sphere, or ought to have ?
How is one ever to learn? I profess to be study-
ing her, yet an hour of convei-sation with iier in
the cosey dining-room, I properly introduced, wouhl
tell me more about her than weeks of tliis so.c
of life. Would it? I know hundreds of young
women in that way; not one who looks like her
I gi-ant. Hut the home-life ought to tell in some
directions, circumscribed though it is. Let me wait
and see."
TlWTll nxDKR niFFICULTIES.
59
CIIAPTEK V.
TRUTir VSDVAl DTPFICILTIES.
JOHN STUAUT u-as in the fannhouse kitchen
J at work npon a door that wanted neither to
open nor slnit in a reasonable manner. Snsan
had called him peremptorily to the task quite as a
matter of course. It seemed to be considered tl.e
duty of the iiired man to be able to -fix tbino-s."
Fortunately for John, playing with tools'^ had
been one of the decided tastes of his boyhood, and
he handled hannner a.id screw-driver and saw in a
way to connnand the respect of even Susan, wbo
was critical, and could wield all those implements
hei-self. Others were in the kitchen also. It was
Saturday, and Klfrida had a task that she hated
namely, the Mashing of the breakfast-dishes, while
Susan did more important work elsewhere. Mrs
Llhott was giving i,ersonal attention to the bread,
and Ilildreth was hovering between kitchen aniir me say tluit I coiisidfivd
the games ])etter tliau daiieiiig," she said at hist,
still making an evident effort to speak lightly;
"but I did not mean to force you into a discus-
sion. I\'oi)le have to agree to differ, you know.
Does Jamie go Lack to college next week ? "
" Yes, of course ; life is an utter failure to peo-
ple who are not in college; Kllie may come on
Tuesday, anyway, miiy she not ? Aunt Annie soit
a special invitation for her, and Kate will be aw-
fully disappointed if she doesn't come. Kate is
to have a dozen or so of her young friends for
her special benefit. Yon w(m't keep Elfie fi'om
joining them, I hope?"
'J'he eyes of the dishwasher flashed their keen
interest in the reply, and llildreth looked with
a troubled air at her mother, who, intent on
her bread, said nothing, llildreth was forced to
speak.
" You nuist api)eal to mother in such matters,
WiiHiie ; I do iu)t pretend to manage my sister."
" Ah, but every one knows you do. Everything
goes in this house just as llildreth Elliott wants it
to; doesn't it. Elf? Mm. Elliott, Eflie may come
to the amuud meeting, may she not? AVe want
her paiticularly ; there is to be speciid fun for the
younger ones."
"Elfrida does not gcnei-ally go out evenings
without her sister," Mrs. Elliott said gently; "her
father does not tliiidc it best hn- her."
TTUTTFT TTNnEU DIFFrcrTLTfES. C3
"TIkmc! ■' said tlu. callci- triinnphantly, -I told
you ,t would 1,0 just as you said, Ilild.vth. I
tli.nk you are horrid, aud I shall tell the others
SO,
She arose as slie spoke, an,I to llil,l,-,.tl,-s evi-
Why eonhln't yon just have said iin.t
you eonldn t go to the meeting an,l were sorry
and let that end it?"
•' Because, Ellie, I could go if I el„«e, an,l I am
not sorry not to go. IIow eouhl J have n.ade
statements that were not true?"
Tlie girl gave an impatient fling to her dryin..-
cothasshesaid, "I think yon have run .vihl
about tmth. Everybo,ly says such things, and
everybody „„cle,.tan,ls then,. F„,. my part, I
(li.nk I IS only connnon courtesy to say yon are
sorry when yon can't do a thing that peopie want
you to very mncli."
"So do I, dear; hut in this cise there was no
prevKMis engagement, or any n.atter of that sort
to P-ead ; rt was simply a decision on mv part not
64
AS IN A MIRROR.
>■' ■?(
i
to go ; as for the reasons, she forced them from
me by lier pereistent questions."
"Yes, there was," said the girl, answering the
fii^t part of tliis stauaueir. u You could have
^id that you were gring to ha v. company on
Tuesday; then you could have sent for Ilattie
and Ilick to come nnd .pend the (.y. It is easy
enough to get out of things politely if one cares
to be polite."
"EliK... do you really mean that that would
have been geHAng out of tilings truthfully?"
"Yes, 1 do; ii wo«ld h.ye been true enough.
An engagement tluat y.a plan in your own mind
IS just as much an engagement as though you had
carried it out. Ilattie and Rick are glad enough
to come whenever they are sent for. Everybodv
does such things. Over at Marvins the other day
Nannie saw the Wilson boys driving in, and knew
they were coming ,. call; and she ran away up to
the meadow where her father was at work, and
told Nell to say that kIic was not at home. I sup-
pose you wouldn't have done it to save the entire
tarm ; but it was true enough ; Nannie's home
isn t m the meadow lot."
"I am sorry," said Hildreth gravely, ^that that
IS JNannie's idea of truth."
"It is everyboe reflected
66
AS IN A lAriUROR.
b
m
W I
that Jlildrotli Elliott evidently had a spliere, and
that it was a hard one to manage. It interestetl
liini to think that this encounter had heen largely
111 the interest of truth. The gii-1 would do still
to compare with his ideal pictuie. Perhaps the
artist who sketched it had undei-stood what he
was about, having studied to see what outlines a
carelul adherence to the soul of Truth would
carve on the human face. Yet, as he chose an
unusually line log of wood, he confessed that he
^yas ni sympathy both with the elder and younger
sister. Jie resolved to study up the club mc^'t-
mg, and learn if possible why it was such an ob-
jc'ctionable place. He could fancy surroumlings
that would in no wise be in keeping with the
tastes of that singularly pure-faced girl, but why
should not the merry-eyed younger one be allowed
to m.lulge the tastes that belonged to her un-
formed and rollicking years ?' AVas Hildreth a bit
prudish about it all, desiring to make a staid
young woman, like herself, of a girl who could not
he more than sixteen, and had eyes that danced
witli prospective fun, even at their quietest?
It was growing very interesting. He had theo-
ries, this ^oung man, v kh regard to this very sul)-
ject. On what subject had he not theories ■> He
heheved that young people in th.'ir unfonnod, kit-
tenish years were oft.-n injured l>y being hdd too
cl(.se!y t.. (..'cupations and interests that befitted
only their elders. He should like to talk with
TltUTll IS,,,.;,. I„,.„„,i„,|,„,.a_
67
co„v,„ce l,.r very »oo„ tl„.t-a,„l ti„,„ l,o ,,„ll„,i
.""»e f ,.,. s,„Ule„ly „,„, „,,.,.„,. ,,,,„ L ho
. t l,o .sl,„„l,l talk „ve,- ducutio,, tU;„ks witl,
tH,„iy ,„.„,,|e w„ul,l s(a,.,, ii- ,|„ I ,
tc;.;u>tit Jie,,., ,,.,,.,,,.,,,, J,, ,,,,^,/;;';';;,^
!.>< l-alc ol uU ,s„c.|. .H„,.te. „.|,„t eff,„-,H „.„M
l,e ,,„.ke ,„ ,,s ,,,„»,„t ,,„,iti„„ ft,,. tl,„ I,ette.-,„e„t
of tl,e vvorkl .' Jiut that «a.s , .so„»e. I)i,l 1,0
■-a" to l,,,,t l,y ,s,,el, ,.eas,,,,i,,g that the l,,l,o,.i,,„
".g others ^ 0„ the, co„t,,„.y, ho had l,old, a,„l ho
was s„re that tl,o positio,, was a c.or,«,t o„o that
;;""'"« "■"" """■<' "««ie'i i" tho h,ho,u„g ;o,.ui
( .an ,„o„ ,vl,o we,« exa,„i,los tc. their follows i„
iill tJio (h.i>aii„,ei,ts of i„oi„l life. ..jf „.o eo„l,l
l>e.^,,a,le a few, oven a very few, of o,„- lalmi-i,,.,
men to I« t,-„e to their higher instinots, to 1« eleail
and s rong ,„ ove,y fil„.e of their heing, we sl,„„ld
see wha^ a leavon would the,ehy ;,. „l„oed in that
S.a,Ie of l,fe ; ,vo shonid reeogni.e it ve,y soon as
tlie power that ,„akos for rightoonsness." 'J'his
was the snUstanoe of a thought that he had ex-
I'vessed so,ne«hat elaho-utely in a ca-rfnl paper
csented hefore the Citizens' League, in a eertiiu
town ,n h,s own Stitte. He had helievod i„ it
-■.".gldy, and had „,ge.l it as an a,.g,„„e„t in
Is ;""-*';:'""■'' '■""■■t --»? *!,« wo,.ki„g
I'l ?
68
AS IN A Mli:UOIi.
\t:
face flushed with something morn thai, the effort
ot hfting tlie heavy logs out of his way — the
trouble witli him was that he was not a laboring
man ; he did not honestly belong to the sphere in
which he liad i)luced himself; in other words, he
.vas not true to himself. Did the motive relieve
the position from the shad.,w of falseness that
rested up.m it? He thought of "xNannie," who-
ever she was, running to the meadow lot in order
that It T»Vht be said that she was not at home.
I iu nis ideas of iruLli lie parallel with hei-s, instead
of with the ideal head that he had yet insisted
was real ?
U^ put all those thoughts away presently, and
gave himself to the business in hand. It would
not do for him to be too particular about truth;
not just now; he must rather take Elfrida for
his model. Poor little bright-eyed girl ! Was it
reas >nable to suppose that a frolic in wl.Jch appar-
ently the best people were engaged was an obiec-
tionable place for her?
The kitchen had changed considerably du ing
his temporary ivhsence. The dishwasher ha van-
ished, as had aii traces of that work. TIk bread-
maker was hicking the bust loaf carefully awav
unde. blankets, and IliMreth was receiving nt the
side door a biight-faced maidei. whom she called
Nannie.
"I tm receiv'.ig calls in the kitchen," she was
saying gaylj ; -I intend to ho^er about my cake
i
a|^
1
TRLTii r.NnKH Fwmcrt.TrEs. 60
".ml it i8 l,ak,.,l ; Susan !„.» , u,h~,a for l.urnint;
ak«»; .so conic ngU i„ here. (, .,„,,„, j ^^J^
">■ e t ,Ht great stick put in „„w, the oven is just
ngl.t for bak„,g. I will have my .ake out „ .
very httle while, then you can buii.l up th. fire.
S.t down. Nannie. What a protty hut you have !
it IS very hecoining."
^' Now don't l.egin on ,„y new Imt, und turn
ny head with con.plin.ents,- Jauglu-d the < aller.
\ou know very well I have co.ne to scold you.
1 me Umme Houston down hy the lower ,Le.
^ot that I had not planned n.y ca.upaign before I
«avy her ; I had a sort of instinc't how it would be
^••"1 r am come to talk you into reason. l[avj
you never heard, my dear, that when people are in
liome they must do a little .^ the Komans do?
We really must not hohl o,„^elves aloot from these
good people because we I.ave lu.d a few mor. ad-
vantages than they. Even Rex agrees to that,
and he knows nothing about the country, never
spent^six consecutive months of his life in it."
"Now, Nannie! promise to confii>e voui>;elf to
common sense, unn't y<,u? T^e idea of my hold-
ing myself aloof from my neighboi^ ! vou know I
clon t. You mean to talk about the club meeting,
I suppose; ynn will waste your breath. I told
yon two months ..o that I had at^mded that
club for the last ac, > bought; and I have
seen nothnig since to '..ad me to change nn-
mind. ° •'
I
■,■'• 'It
A \
P% 1
70
AS IN A MIRUOK.
"Oh, i .l„n't l,hin,e y,.u f„r not wuiitiiiK to
attend all tin- Katiu'iings; but this is the annual
"HH.tu.g, von know; an,l Winnie Houston's aunt
.as oi,ene,l her house, uhieh is unusual, ren.en.her.
t lunk v,.u n.ight want to ^o this tin.e, j„st to see
that old house at its best; they will ,^ very nnn-h
•lisappouited, and I am afraid offended, if v„n d„
not honor them."
John had n(,t fur the hist fifteen or twenty min-
utes tneM lo work rapi.Uy, bnt despite his slow-
m-ss the door was done, and there was no pretext
t«"- lingering- h,no,,r. Ifc went away with relue-
tane... He had heard enough about this Nannie
to want to study he.-. Mesides. he was growino-
deeply n.terested in this prospective elnl.gathe,-
ing; certainly he ought to be present; evidentlv
It would atfor.1 unusual opportunities for studyin-
the social conditions of life in this region Hn"t
how nnpossible it wouhl probably be t., bring such
MU ev. lit about.
f
r.
11
VAliNlMH.
71
CilAI'TKii VI.
V.AKXISH.
■I t,on. John .Stuart ,li.scovere,l early in 1,"
career as a "l,ir,.,l ,„u„" tl.at scl.ool.s W,„ .
very „„,,orta„t part of tl,e fa.nily life to v , el I
now belonged. Corliss r ' ''"
;■■ •' -alt eoiie;':::j;'';; ;:,lTo:t: -
, " ", '" .^'-'''ay evenings. Elfri.Ia was in the
I'Vh sehool ,„ the village, and n.nst be taken eaeh
H.Id eth had nearly two miles to go in the on 1
uveiy woi k of a winter morning.
However it n,ight be in winter, it was eertainlv
pleasant enough work during the closing S
'^t'ptoinber. John Sf.i..,.f <• i , • * -^ ^
Jt hud given the hired man almost a shock to
d>.cover that •> Truth." having stepped o4 ^f h
f-«e, actually taught a eountry district sel^ ,
72
AS IX A MIRROR.
II
Having decided, liowever, that this was part of
her " sphere," he began to have a consuming desire
o see her in it. lie smiled sometimes to think
how safely he could have conveyed her to her work
111 the neat little pony phaeton that was kept for
her use; occasionally he smiled almost cynically
to t Innk how readily he would probably be trusted
to drive her thither, if he were in gentleman's
dress, and about the work of a gentleman. Though
in this he did not do Farmer Elliott justice
He would not have intrusted his daughters to
t le care of strangers, no matter how well dressed
they inight have been. On Monday mornings
when Corhss Elliott was at hand, the hired man
was allowed to drive the double-seated carriage to
the high school and to the station; on Friday
afternoons he performed the same duty ; other than
that, the father himself drove into town, while
31rs. Elliott sometimes, and sometimes Susan
drove the pony phaeton out to the little whitJ
schoolhouse.
But on the Monday afternoon preceding the
J^lub meeting a difficulty arose. Elfrida must be
brought from school, and a man was coming to
see Mr. Elhott on important business, and neither
Mi-s. Elliott nor Susan drove the span of fine
horses. John, passing in and out, intent on many
duties, knew that an anxious consultation was in
progress between husband and wife. He caught
snatches of the talk.
J
VAKNISH.
78
" I have great confi'-
■ow mght . Kve,yb,„ly says it will !«. the nicest
e»terta,u„,ent we shall have this winte,. it!
you what .t is, Elf K tt,Iwouldgo iVei
Hii: iretifr'" '"■' "•" " '■" "»- "''3'o« al:
do ^ '":"»'' y°" - >■»•• *'• «l.e couldnH
.. o.c ,f she were your m.,thei-. Whv don't
you insist upon going?" ^ '
"It isn't IlildreH) I " .,«:-, r^ir ■ i
-dig,.ationi„rvoic:n2::i-:-
'' '"^ >""' ^"-ler Ilildreth behin,! your
t4:
<•* AS IN A MIRROR.
fatlier! He would let you go fast enough if it
wasn't for her. People say you are a jjerfect slave
to Hildreth."
" I should be obliged to people if they would
mind their own business ! " was the haughty an-
swer; "it isn't any such thing."
" Then if I were you I should prove it. Why
don't you plan to go, anyway? Come in and
spend the night with me ; you've been promising
to come this long time ; then we can go over to
Mrs. Pierce's together, and come back again when
we get ready, and Miss Hildreth need be none the
wiser. Do come, Elf ; there is going to be such
fun ! Kate Pierce says it is the only entertainment,
she expects to give this winter, and she means
to make the most of it. There's a whole lot of
college boys to be there too; Corliss isn't one of
them, so you needn't be afraid of meeting him ; he
was invited, but he said he had another engage-
ment. Will you do it. Elf? I can i)lan it beauti-
fully, if you will."
The driver could not see tlie young girl's face,
though he leaned over at that moment, ostensibly
to take note of the action of a hind wheel, and
tried to ; her face was turned from him, but her
voice quivered with eagerness as she said, —
"Oh, dear me! I should like to; nobody
knows how I want to go ; but I suppose it is quite
out of tlie question."
" Well, now, why is it, I should like to know ?
VARNISH.
75
It isn't as thougli it was a disreputable place, you
see ; why, Elf Elliott, all the young people from
the country around are to he there. It isn't sim-
ply that silly club; and why you shouldn't be in
the fun as well as the rest is more than 1 can un-
Sterritt to kiss her, just in
fun? He worships the ground she treads on."
The spirited horses at that moment gave such
a sudden start that even the preoccupied Elfrida
turned her heaMiy, child!" Mrs. Elliott had exclaimed
"niust you cany so lai^e a package as that?
>> liat can you be taking ? "
" O mother, it is some books that T liave been
pronnsnig Laura this age."
,,.r l^ooks ! It doesn't look like a parcel of books.
^^ liy did you tie them so carefully? They would
have been less burdensome just laid on the seat,
and John could have left them for you at the door
this morning."
Elfrida had hesitated, and John, who was wait-
ing for her, saw the flush on her excited face
deepen as she said, after a moment's thought -
»,
■I 'I
VARNISH.
81
" To tell you the truth, mother, I have put my
other dress into the i)a(ka|,re. I sur)pf,se you wiil
tlnnk it silly, but I thou^rht I should like to dress
up a little after sehool."
If the mother thought it "silly" she forebore
to make any remark, and Elfrida kissed her three
times, "for to-night and to-morrow morning," and
went away happy in the thought that she had told
the truth. She had held a little struggle with
hei-self about the package, having been tempted
to hint at fancy work, or something of the sort,
and she congratulated hei^elf heartily on having
escaped the temptation. "I won't tell a down-
right falsehood," she assured herself, "even if the
whole plan falls through."
Yet she knew perfectly that her mother believed
and that she meant her to believe that the package
contained besides the books the handsome brown
suit known as her church dress, and would have
been dismayed had she known that it contained,
instead, the lovely pale-blue dress garnished with
white lace that did duty on rare occasions! It
was only the "hired man's" face that looked
grave. He undei-stood the world and the dress
of young people too well not to surmise the truth.
It pained him more than seemed reasonable even
to himself, to see how easily the sister of Truth
could satisfy herself ^Yith its mere varnish.
82
AS IN A MIKUOR.
cJiAmnu VI r.
SI
m\
ii
!|
UKJKING ON.
JOHN STUART KINC, familiar as he was Aviti.
the world and will, what he had Ijeeii |ucw,ed
to call "society," made discoveries at the annual
gathering of the Hennottville Clul.. He had not
supposed that such conditions existed as he found
there. In his [josition as a looker an there was
abundant chance for the sort of ^txuly that he de-
sired, and he made good use of it. The gathering
was large, and he could not hut think rei)resenta-
tive. From the country homes for miles around
had come the young people — boys and girls ; many
of them being by no means old enough to be called
ladies and gentlemen, even had their manners jus-
tified the terms.
Distinctly there were two classes of people
present, the intelligent, retined, and reasonably cul-
tured, and the '• smart," handsome, slightly reck-
less yoimg people whose advantages in the way
of culture had l:»een limited. There were almost
none present who did not know to a certain extent
how to dress. That is, they had given thought
and care and some knowledge to the study of
f
I
Looking on.
8S
♦
I
I
nuikiiig thcnist . look pretty, unci to a degree
luul succeede.I .„c of tlie mute i ial was flimsy
eiioiigli, and, t(, ,o looker-oirs skilled ( ,e, lueked
details that he hud l)een in tlie habit of seeing, hnt
the general ett'eet as a rule was striking. Bright
colors were in the ascendant, of eoui-se, but the
weareis had some idea f harmony, and the blondes
and brunettes liad instinctively chosen their cohu-s.
On the whoK', it was not with the style of dress
tiittt the 'iti,. ^ould iind most faidt. When it
camo to I lestion of maimer, there were start-
ling inno ,,„.s upon accepted ideas. The man
who had men hired for lifty cents to take care of
Mic horses, and allowed between times to look on,
felt his pulses beating high with indignation, long
before the evening was (.ver. It was the position
of the b(!tter of the t wo distinct classes tliat excited
his wrath. Some of these evidently moved among
the guests with an air ..f amused tolerance. He
readily selected the young woman •• Nannie " and
iier friend •• Rex " from the others. Thev were
evidently amused at many (,f the seenes. He over-
heard snatches of talk when they would meet at
the end of a game, that ougjit instead to have l)een
called a romp.
"I must say I d(,n't wonder that Ilildreth El-
liott wanted to escape this I " the gentleman said,
half laughing, yet shaking his head; -some of the
boys are almost rnurrh."'
''Ves, but they mean only fun. What is the
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I J
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!
84
AS IN A MIRROR.
use in trying to be so superior? It is their annual
frolic, and a time-honored institution. I do not
think they are ever quite so wild on other even-
ings. Elfie didn't escape it, you see ; or rather
she did escape, I presume, and is here in all her
glory. How pretty the witch looks to-night! Did
you see her when Rob Sterritt tried to kiss her?
I should not have thought that Rob would have
tried his skill in that family again ; it was he who
filled Hildreth with wrath. Elfie was too nnich for
him ; I really think the child bit him ; I know she
scratched."'
The sentence ended in a bui-st of laughter.
What would the two have thought if they could
have known that just back of them shielded from
view by a portiere ,-as the Elliotts' " hired man,"
his face dark Avitli indignation ? Games ? He had
wondered A\'hat they could be like to arouse a
lady's indignation. Now he saw.
Very foolish games they seemed to be, for the
most part, having the merest shred of the intellec-
tual to commend them, and that so skilfully man-
aged that the merest child in intellect might have
joined in them heartily. But the distinctly objec-
tionable features seemed to be connected with the
system of forfeits attached to each game. These,
almost without exception, involved nuich kissing.
Of coui-se the participants in this entertaijiment
were young ladies and gentlemen. There seemed
to be a certain amount of discrimination Qxercisod,
^
LOOKING ON.
85
4»
by the distributer of the forfeits, yet occasionally
such guests as " Nannie " and " Rex " and othei-s
of their class would be drawn into the vortex, and
seem to yield, as if to the inevitable, with what
grace they could. John watched a laughing scram-
ble between the said Nannie and an awkward coun-
try boy, who could not have been over fifteen. He
came off victorious, for she rubbed her cheek vio-
lently with her handkerchief, and looked annoyed,
even while she tried to laugh. But the college'
boys were far more annoying than the country
youths without advantages. John Stuart, looking
0)1, felt his face glow with indignation, as he saw
with what abandon these young men, who supposed
themselves to represent the very cream of modern
culture, rushed into the rudest of the forfeits, and
scrambled as if for college prizes. There was an
immense amount of scrambling, and screaming,
and apparent unwillingness on the part of the
ladies, yet one could not but feel that after all,
as they were invariably conquered they submitted
with remarkable resignation. Occasionally there
was an exception. Elfrida Elliott, for instance,
announced distinctly early in the evening that no
one need put her name on for one of those silly
forfeits, for she would have nothing to do with
them. As she might have known, had she been
more familiar with such scenes, this was the sig-
nal for putting her name on continually. But the
boys who came in contact with her, learned tliat,
86
AS IN A MIUUOII
U.H
U
unlike many of the maidens present, she had un-
douhtedly meant what she said. With the college
boys she fared better than with the acquaintances
of her lifetime. They speedily discovered that the
"prettiest girl in the room'* had a mind of her
own, if she was so young. More than once her
emphatic " No, indeed ; I am not to be kissed on
cheek or hair or hand, and you will he kind
enough to understand it," held at a i'es[)ectful
distance a m.ustached youth, who had just dis-
tinguished himself by " subduing " one of her
schoolmates. But the boyh- who had been brought
up in the neighl)orhood did not understand it, and
thought it was ridiculous for "Elf Elliott" to jnit
on aii-s with them. To her encimnter with the
objectionable Rob Sterritt, John Stuart had l)een
not only a listener but a participator. After the
first scramble was over, aiul it had been an angry
one on Elfrida's part, during which the " scratch-
ing " and possible biting referred to had taken
place, most of the company supposed that Rob
Sterritt had yielded the point and acknowledged
himself worsted ; but this was not his idea of
valor. He followed t irl tc the hall, and be-
gan again, —
"Come, now. Elf, don't be ridiculous; it's all
in fun, you know^ ; but I must pay my forfeit, upon
my word, or I shall never hear the last of it. I
won't be rough ; I won't, honestly. I'll just give
you a delicate little kiss such as the minister
4
I
I
I
LOOKING ON.
87
!
•
might, if he was young enough, and let it go at
that."
The young girl's eyes fairly blazed at him as
she said, " Rob Sterritt, don't you dare to try to
kiss me ! If you liad the first idea of what it h
to be a gentleman, you would know better than to
refer to it even, after what I have said."
He mistook her for an actress.
"I don't wonder you play the tigress, Elf, it
becomes you vastly; you do it better than II 11-
dreth. Rut then, of coui-se you knew I must
pay my forfeit; it's a double forfeit if I fail,
and a good deal at stake; upon my word, you
mu.it."
It was then that Joi n Stuart had stepped from
his station just behind the door and said,
'^ I intend to protect this young lady from what-
ever is disagrfH able to her."
He had certainly never spokeji more quietly;
but his low-pitched voice had reserve sti-ength in
it, and his whole manner was curiously unlike that
of the young fellows about him, and curiously im-
pressive. Rob Sterritt, a sort of accepted rough
in the neig]U)orhood, tall, strong-limbed, generally
good-natured, priding himself on his strength and
impudence, stood back and looked his unbounded
astonishment, putting it into a single explosive
question, —
" Who the dickens are you ? "
"I am Mr. Elliott's hired man, and as such
88
AS IN A MIRROR.
i I
I
m
consider that I have a right to protect his daugh-
ter."
" Oh, you do ! Well, you insufferable idiot,
there is nothing to protect her from ; it is only a
game. I undei-stood you were here to look after
horses. I advise you to attend to your own busi-
ness."
But he had walked away at once and left El-
frida to the hired man's care. Nothing certainly
had ever startled him so much as the strange sense
of power held in check that the brief sentence
had conveyed to him.
Elfrida's face blanched. It was the fii-st she
had seen of John ; the fii-st she had known of his
presence.
"John," she said in a low whisper, "did they
send you for me ? "
" Oh, no, Miss Elfrida ; I am here as your friend
said, merely to look after the horses. Your father
gave me permission to earn an extra half-dollar in
this way; but I saw that the man was annoying
you, and thought I ought to interfere."
The color flamed into the girl's cheeks. The
strangeness of her situation impressed her. Her
father's hired man trying to protect her from her
" friend " !
" He did not mean any harm," she said quickly.
" It is a way they hav ) of playing games ; that is,
some of the young people have that way. It is
liorrid ! I never realized how horrid until to-
LOOKING ON.
89
night. Hiklreth is rigl.t. John, you meant well,
I uni sure, so I thank you ; but " —
She hesitated, and then said, looking up at him
half appealingly, - They don't know at home that
r ain here."
He did not help her in the least. She half
turned from him as if " impatience, then turned
back to say haughtily, —
" There are reasons why I do not care to have
them know it just now; I do not suppose you
consider it a part of your duty to report that you
saw me ? "
"I do not see that it is ; at least, not unless I
am questioned. Of course, if a question should
be asked me, the reply to which should involve
the truth, I should have to speak it."
She was growing very angry with him ; he could
tell that by the flash in her eyes.
"Oh, indeed!" she said, "you are a woi-shipper
of Truth, are you ? A remarkable hired man, cer-
tainly. Don't be afraid ; I am not going to ask
you to tell any falsehoods in my behalf. I do not
think my family will be likely to question you as
to my whereabouts. Are you always so careful of
your words? You would do for a disciple of —
well, never mind."
She had whirled away from him, as she spoke,
lie knew that his face had flamed, and was vexed
that it was so. Why sliould he fancv himself
stabbed whenever the truth was mentioned ? What
\-
t^^^^^
;1
■
1
I
■t- 'I
«»»>
AS IN A MillUOU.
if he were acting a part for a little time ? It Avas
an innocent part, certainly, with a nohle 'uotive
hehind it, and with no possihility of harming any
one by the venture. Had the girl meant that he
would do for a disciple of her sister? Would he?
Would those pure eyes of here look with favor on
even so laudable a simulation as his ? In spite of
himself there was a growing dissatisfaction within
him whenever he thought of Hildreth Elliott, and
the bar he had himself built between her and any
possible friendship. And yet, there was a grow-
ing determination to remain in just the position
he Avas, until he had demonstrated to his own sat-
isfaction certain truths, which truths had nothing
to do with tramps.
Some truths he demonstrated that night. One
was, that certain country neighborhoods entertained
themselves in ways that other country neighbor-
hoods where education and culture had permeated
society, did not suspect. Another wis, that some
of the cultured ones, either because of careless
good nature, like " Nannie and Rex," or because
of far worse motives, like some of the college boys,
fostered by their presence this very condition of
things.
Still another was, that Hildreth Elliott had be-
gun none too early to shield her beautiful young
sister from the dangerous world that surrounded
her; and that the shield was all too inadequate.
He watched with a feverish sense of responsibil-
LOOKINC; (»N.
91
ity, as the girl paced up and down the wide, old-
fjisliioned hall, beside a college youth, whose face,'
he assured himself, he liked less than any he had
seen. Infinitely less tlian Uoh Sterritt's even. It
wius refined and cold and cruel. They were talk-
ing earnestly, Elfrida excitedly; the watcher could
distinctly hear every word she said; and as the
music in the next room grew louder, and her com-
I)anion raised his voice, his words, too, were dis-
tinct. The young man made not the slightest
attempt to withdraw himself from hearing, lie
wanted to hear; he was there to learn. The
tramp (juestion was evidently not the most for-
midable one that threatened some grades of so-
ciety.
Elfrida was still complaining of the games in
school-girl superlatives. They were "awfully
silly !" and " perfectly horrid !" and she was " ut-
terly disgusted" with it all. Her companion
agreed with her fully. He had been surprised;
he used to hear his uncle tell of such goings on,
but he had not known that the customs lingered
anywhere. So bewildering to him that any one
should think for a moment of preferring such ob-
solete entertainments to th -ofining and elevating
amusement of dancing. She danced, of course?
did she not? Now he was astonished; dancing
was the very "poetry of motion," she must re-
member ; not that she needed it ; every motion of
hers was grace; he had singled her out from the
92
AS IN A MIIJUOIl.
lii-at^ for this reason ainoii^ othei-s, but she wouhl
enjoy dancing so much. iMight he ask why she
didn't indulge ?
Was it possible that her [)arents could approve
of such amusements as they had here to-night and
yet object to the dance !
Elfrida winced over this ; the watcher could see
that she did, and struggled with hei-self to be
truthful.
" No," she burst forth at last ; " they by no
means approve of entertainments like these. I
was never at one of their precious club meetings
before."
The young man laughed pleasantly. He assured
her that he undei-stood. She Iiad escaped, like
himself, from the pressure of constant study, for
a little recreation, and had found more than she
sought. But really she ought to give hei-self the
pleasure of a single dance just to convince hei-self
of the beauty of the movements and the real rest-
fulness of the exercise, after such hoidenish expe-
riences as they had been through that evening.
lie knew that a few very good and rather se-
cluded people had still some old-fashioned notions
about the dance, growing out of certain abuses, he
supposed, of the past; but really these v/ere fast
disappearing, and in cultured regions had disap-
peared entirely. If he might only be allowed to
promenade with her to the time of that delicious
music, he was sure he should remember it all win-
I
LOOIvINO ON.
93
ter; Why, it made not the sliglitost ditferonce, lier
not knowing liow, he could toacli her the necessary
steps in five minutes. She would take to it natu-
lally, he was sure, as a hird does to song.
.John Stuart's face darkened as he saw the two,
r. few minutes afterwards, moving down tlie long
[)arlor that had been cleared for dancing, to the
"time of that delicious music." lie knew young
men fairly well ; perhaps he knew college men
and boys better than any other class. He did not
need to overh.ear the talk of two, a moment aftei--
wards, to assure him that he had not mistaken tht^
character.
"Look at Savior with that bright-eyed gypsy in
tow. She belongs to a very exclusive family, Hex
llartwell says; the older sister will not attend
these gathering's. If her father were here I couhl
tell him that I would rather she should be kissed
six times by every country bumi)kin 2)resent, than
dance fifteen minutes with a fellow like Sayloi".
J)oesn't it make you shiver to think how he will
go on about her to-morrow? "
This was what John Stuart overheard. He went
out to the horses, wishing that he were John Stuart
King, a certified protector of Elfrida Elliott.
§.
94
Art I.N A MIKUOK.
IM
CHAPTER Vlll.
11
tl L
SQUIRK HAllTWELL.
A LITTLE more than u mile away from the
Elliott farm stood an old-fashioned, substan-
tial stone mansion that was an object of special
interest not only to the villagers a mile away, but
to the country people for miles around. John
Stuart, on his lirst advent into the neighborhood,
had had no difficulty in discovering its where-
abouts ; and he too regarded it with no common in-
terest, inasmuch as it was remotely connected with
his own family. In this house had lived, for more
than a quarter of a century, quite alone, save for
the hired attendants that he had gathered about
him, a somewhat eccentric, and, if public gossip
concerning him was to be trusted, a thoroughly
disagreeable old man, who was familiarly called
" 'Squire llartwell." In the spring of the year in
which our history opens, this man had died sud-
denly ; and there were circumstances connected
with tiie closing months of his life that had roused
the neighborhood to keenest interest in his affaire.
Another name that had been familiarly used for
him, as the younger nuin came to be known and
'i\ \
Sgri:tK IIAUTWKM,.
V«o
likt'ii Imil iMion c'loHoly connected with hiiii onTded, and later,
at hoardinj(-sehool and college ; this, evidently, be-
cause the boy was the son of his only sister, who
had died when Iut child was but five years old,
and not because of any affection that he seemed
to have for him. He had held his ne[)hew at arm's
length during his boyhood, ))arely tolerating short
visits from him in the long vacations, and omitting
ev(!n those as the boy grew to an age in whieh he
might be supposed to be companuinable, Sud-
denly, however, almost immediately after Rex
Jlartwell's graduation from college, his uncle had
decided to go al)road, taking the young fellow
with him as attendant. For a young man who had
come up, rather than been brought up, Ilex Hart-
well was a model in many respects. lie had a
very warm heart, by nature, and was so thoroughly
grateful to one whom he had always looked upon
as his benefactor, that during their two yeai-s
of travel he devoted himself unsparingly to the
old man's comfort, consulting his tastes in a way
which it is fair to say had never been done before ;
for despite his money, 'Squire liartwell had lived
a lonely and loveless life.
96
AS IN A MIRROR.
il 1
II L'l I'
When the old gentleman suddenly made up his
mind to return home, he brought Hex Hartwell
with him, introducing him for the first time to
those whom he chose to honor with such ceremony,
as his nephew and heir; and made no secret of
the fact that he meant to leave his broad acres and
railroad and bank stock to this young man.
" I have never told him so before," he said to
the family lawyer, with whom he was as nearly
confidenti}'! as with any pei-son. " I had no notion
of bringii ^ up a fellow to swagger around and
live for the purpose of spending the money that I
have worked hard for. I have kept him close,
and taught him the value of money. I think he
will know how to take care of what I leave him.
He is a veiy decent sort of fellow, if I do say it,
and I shall like to think of the property being held
by one of the same name. If his mother had given
him the full name, I should have settled it all be-
fore this, I dare say ; but she had a soft streak in
her, and would give him his Avorthless father's silly
name. ' Reginald,' indeed ! just right for a fop.
Oh, no, his father was a decent sort of man ; soft-
hearted enough to be a girl, and with no business
ability. A country doctor heavily in debt, and dy-
ing of overwork before he was tliirty ; that is his
history. His son takes after the Hartwells ; if he
hadn't, I should never have tried to make anything
of him. Well, now we are ready for business."
So the will was drawn, and duly witnessed and
'squire hartwell.
97
signed ; it left not only the old stone house that
was almost palatial in size, and the broad acres
connected with it, but factory stock and railroad
stock and bank stock, as well as whatever bank
account there should be at his decease, to his
nephew and namesake, Joshua Reginald Hartwell.
The gossips had it that the old man had used all
his influence to induce his nephew to drop his
father's name entirely, in favor of the more sensi-
ble, Joshua ; but Rex had firmly declared that the
name his father had borne, and his mother had
given him, should be his as long as he lived. Not
that he had any objection whatever to the name,
Joshua; and, yes, it might be placed tii-st if his
uncle wished ; that would not matter in the least;
he >uld be Rex, all the same.
To the simple country folk by whom they were
surrounded, who counted their wealth by the very
few thousands that slowly accumulated, the young
man was looked up to as a prospective million-
naire; and deep was the interest that they took,
not only in him, but in the fortunate young wo-
man who had won his especial regard. This was
Annette Marvin, or " Nannie," as she was known
in the entire neighborhood. Although there were
some who perhaps envied her, it was, after all, a
very good-natured, kindly sort of envy, for Nannie
Marvin was a favorite with old and young. She
wa^ the daughter of a poor farmer, whose farm
joined Mr. Elliott's, but was in every respect its
98
AS IN A MIKKOIl.
iPtJ
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contrast. Farmer Marvin had never possessed
what the people of the neighborhood spoke of as
"knack." His wheat and oats and barley, even
his potatoes, to say nothing of apples and other
hardy fruit«, seemed to grow reluctantly for him,
and to hold themselves open to rot and rust and
weevil and worm, and whatever other enemy of
goodness hovered near to make advances; so that,
as the slow yeai-s dragged on, the Marvin farm
was never very well worked, because there were
not means with which to work it; and the only
thing that grew steadily larger was the debt that
kept accumulating, to pay the interest on the
mortgage. Yeai-s before his time, people spoke
of Nannie's father as " Old Mr. Marvin." After
a little, they began to say, "Poor old Mr. Mar-
vin." He had such a large family to bring up
and educate ; and « most of them were girls, too,
poor things!" Almost without exception they
commended Nannie as a girl of good sense and
unusual spirit, when she suddenly struck into an
entirely new path, and presented herself at the
door of the old Hartwell mansion in answer to its
master's advertisement for a "Young woman to
wait on the housekeeper."
Nannie Marvin had graduated at the high school
six months before, the best scholar in her class,
and had spent the six months in vainly looking
for a chance to teach. Boldly she had declared
that if there were no scholars for her to teach, she
SQUIRE HARTWELL.
99
Avoiild see if she could « wait on " a housekeeper ;
and the very girls who wouldn't have done such
a thing for the world, had sense enough to com-
mend her. Not that it was an unheard-of thing
for the daughters of farmers to accommodate other
farmers in the neighborhood during busy seasons,
and go as " help." Susan Appleby, who reigned
in the Elliott kitchen, had come for no other rea-
son than to "accommodate," and held hei-self to
l)e as "good as any of them;" but the truth was,
the Marvins were considered, even among their
neighbors, as "a little above the common." Mr.
Marvin, although a poor farmer, had been a good
Cireek scholar; it was failing health that had
driven him reluctantly to the fields, and he liked
now to read in his (ireek testament much better
than to hoe his corn. Mi-s. Marvin had Ijeen a
teacher in her youth in a famous Young Ladies'
Institute ; and they had kept Xannie in school
long after some people said she ought to be doing
something to help her poor father. For such a
girl to become a conunon servant under 'Squire
ITartwelFs housekeeper, was certainly a matter for
much comment. Almost without exception it had
been settled that she might better have gone to
the Elliotts', or some other well-to-do farmer's fam-
ily, where there was a mother to look after things,
and not a housekeeper to "set down on one."
But Nannie Marvin had a mind of her own. She
could not have worked in tho Elliotts' kitchen,
100
AS IN A MIRROR.
w
where Iliklreth was her best friend ; hut she be-
lieved that she eould "wait on a housekeeper"
who was a stranger, and would know how to treat
her only as a servant ; so to the stone house she
went. It was prophesied that she wouldn't stjiy
a month ; that if she got along with the house-
keeper, she wouldn't stand the old 'Squire, who
w^as said to be disagreeable to his help.
But all these prophecies came to naught. By
degrees it began to be understood that Nannie
Marvin was almost a fixture at the stone house.
'Squire Marvin not only tolerated her presence,
but, as the months passed, evidently liked to have
her about; ordered the housekeeper to let Nai.iiie
fix his books and papers, dust his room, bring his
tea, or his gruel, or whatever was wanted. JJy
degrees he discovered that she could read, and
had her read aloud to him by the hour ; then, that
she could write, and he dictated his business letr
tei-s to her. Almost before anybody realized what
was going on, Nannie INIarvin was established in
the library, of a morning, as a sort of secretary
to 'Squire Ilartwell, who had heretofore scorned
all such help. By degrees she and the house-
keeper changed places, in a sense. From being
sunnnoned from her dusting, or her egg-beating,
with the word that the' Squire wanted her to read
the news, she rose to the dignity of delivering
messages to the housekeeper. " 'Squire Hartwell
wishes nic to tell you," etc.
SQUIUE II A UT WELL.
101
Mi-s. Hodges was a sensible woman and did not
resent the chiingos. On tlie contrary tliere stole,
almost imperct-ptiljly to hoi-self, a note of respect
into her voice when she spoke to Xamiie, and »lie
oftener asked her help than ordered it. • She even
bore in silence one moi-ning the cnrt statement
from the '.S(piire that she nnist " hunt np somebody
else to trot around after her; " he wanted Nannie
Marvin liimself.
When 'Squire JIartwell suddenly went abroad
for an indefinite period, people were still wonder-
mg what Nannie would do now, when they heard
witli surprise that she was .still to ])e in his em-
ploy. She was to have ch;u-ge of tlie library, and
tlie conservatoiy, and garden, which were the
'Squire's special pets; she was to write letters
to him concerning such and such interests, and to
receive and execute his orders. She was also to
have a general oversight of the house during the
absence of the housekeeper. For all these serWces
slie was to receive a regular saiary, with the privi-
lege of staying at home. Those who .luestioned
closely enough to lind out all these details, were
ecpially divided in opinion: part being assured
tiiat Nannie Marvin was in luck, and that they
had never l,cfore known the 'Squire to do a gene,
rous thing like that ; the other part afHrming with
equal assurance that no doubt he knew how to
make tlie girl earn every cent of lier money.
With the 'Squire's home-coming, Nannie was
102
AS IN A MlUKOll.
promptly re-estiiblislied in the stone house. In-
deed, she was there even when the housekee[)er
arrived, and had an open letter in her hand from
which she read directions for that good woman to
follow. Everybody began to realize that Nannie
Marvin was, as these country folk phrased it, " on
the right side of the 'Squire."
Yet many prophesied a different state of things
so soon as it was discovered that the nephew took
kindly to the quasi se(3retary, and treated her with
the deference that he would show to any lady.
Surely the 'Squire, when he got his eyes oi)eii,
would have none of that. They were mistaken.
The 'Squire grumbled a little, it is true, when he
saw that his nephew was inimistakably interested
in Nannie INIarvin. He said he didn't see why
young i)eople all had to be fools. Nevertheless,
it became increasingly apparent that Nannie had
won her place, if not in his heart, at least in his
life. She had become necessary to him. Why
should he complain if this was also the case with
his nephew?
Once it was settled how mattei"s stood, the old
man carried things with a high hand. lie dis-
missed without warning or character a stable boy
who had dared to say " Nannie jNIarvin," and he
told the housekeeper somewhat sternly that she
must teach her servants to say, " Miss Marvin," if
she had any who did not know enough without
teaching
'sgUJllE IIAUTWKLL.
108
It took the good people of the neighborhood
some months to get iiceiistomed to this surprising
state of tilings ; and then, behold a new surpri.se.
One morning all the neighborhood for miles around
quivered with the news that liex llartwell and his
uncle had (puurelled, ajid the 'Squire had changed
his will, antl cut Hex off without a penny ! The
neighbors gatheied in knots at the leading produce
store in the village, or in one another's sitting,
looms and kitchens, and discussed the details.
The 'S(iuire'8 lawyer, the day after the quari-el,
had been closeted with the 'Squire for two houi-s
and more, and when he came out, had halted on the
wide ]>iazza and swept his eyes in all directions
over the rich fields, and said, "Too bad! too
bad ! "
By degrees, all the particulai-s were gathered, in
that mysterious way in which news scatter through
country neighboi'hoods. It appeared that 'Squire
llartwell had set his heart upon his nephew and
heir becoming a lawyer, lie had said nothing
about this during their stay abroad, nor indeed for
the fii-st five or six months after their return. He
had even put his nephew off with a curt sentence
to the effect that there was time enough to think
of such things, when the young man tried to talk
with him of his future.
Then suddenly, one morning when the summer
was over, he began to talk about his plans for set-
tling the young man as a student in the law office
104
AS IN A MIKllOIl.
■M:
of an eminent friend of his. He talked about them
quite as a matter of coui-se, as though the decree
had gone forth from liis birtli that he was to be-
come a hiwyer. Then it was that two strong wills
had clashed. Hex Hartwell, never having heard
one word from his uncle on the subject of his
profession, and having, as he supposed, excellent
proof that it was not a matter of the slightest
consequence to that gentleman what he did, had
chosen for himself, and chosen earl}'. All his
ideas of success in life were connected with the
medical profession. He may perhaps have been
said to have inherited the taste, as well as fostered
it in his early boyhood. Many of his vacations
had been spent with a boy friend in the family of
an eminent i^hysician, where his leisure hours had
been passed in poring over such medical works as
he could undei-stand. When he went abroad with
his uncle, having at certain houi-s of the day lei-
sure to do as he would, he had chosen to mark out
for himself a coui-se of study looking toward his
chosen profession, and had made such good use of
his time as to be eager, even impatient, for the
hour to come when he could begin his medical
studies in earnest. Perhaps it may be imagined
what a blow it was to a young man of his temper-
ament to be confronted with the announcement
that now the time had come for him to betrin his
law studies, and that most advantageous arrange-
ments had been made fur him in town. To give
'squire HATITWELL.
10.1
■it
up his own plans, and force liis mind to a coui-se
of study that had not a single attraction for hini,
he felt was utterly impossible, and courteously but
firndy said so ; and was met by a storm of indi^^-
nation such as he liad not supposed a gentlemali
could display. As the interview continued, the
young man discovered that to have chosen tlie
medical i)rofession was evidently an even more
heinous crime than to have refused the law. His
uncle was absolutely bitter, not only against the
profession itself, but against those who he declared
had warped his nephew's mind in that direction.
Was not the utter failure of his father to earn even
a decent living by his pills and powdei-s, sufficient
reason why his mother should not have wanted her
boy to follow in such foolish footsteps ? OJi, ],e
kiu;w very mcII that the mother liad wanted him
to become a doctor ; all women were fools where
business was concerned, and his sister Alice had
been one of the most sentimental fools of her sex ;
he should know her, he hoped, better than her boy
who was five when she died. It was mere senti-
mental twaddle with her.
She wanted him to iidierit his father's tastes^
To irdierit his father's failui-es, slie might better
Jiave said, and his skill in leaving his family pau-
pers ! He despised the whole race of pill venders,
and not a penny of his money should l)e turned
into any su<-h channel. ][e had himself intended
from his bal)yho(.d to l,e a hiAvyer, and had been
ion
AS IN A M Hilton.
f 1
tlnviirU'd, not hy any fault of his, l)ut bocaiiHo of
the iiu'iunn'ss of a t-ertaiu doctor. ][o would give
Ills lu'phew thirty-six lioui>s to decide whctlier lio
would carry out the plans that liad l)eeu formed
for hiui, or go his own way, MJthout a cent in the
world.
'Squire Ilartwoll did not understand luinian na-
ture very well. Perhaj-vs no course that he could
have taken, couhl have more firndy setth^d the
young man in his purposes. He replied with out-
ward calmness that he did not need thirty-six
liours to consider. He had ].lanned as a hahy to
be a doctor, like his father; and as a hoy, ami a
young man, he had kept that determination steadily
in view, lie was soi-ry that liis uncle was disap-
pointed, but not to inherit millions Avould lie sell
liimself to a life-M'ork for which he was not fitted,
and in which he was sure he would make only
failure. And then he had gone out from liis uncle's
presence, sure that he would keep his threat and
"cut him off without a penny."
■ 1 '
OVKltTUKNKD I'LA^b.
107
CIIAPTEIl IX.
OVEIITUIINED PLANS.
PUBLIC oi)inion, as represented by the little
world that knew these people, was two-sided,
as usual. 'J'here were those who were sure that
Kex Ilartwell would live to regret his folly and
ohstiiuicy. The idea of throwing away thousands
just because his fatlier had been a doctor ! Wliat
was the promise of a huhy to his mother? She
must have been a silly mother to have thought
that so young a child could be influenced. It will
be perceived tliat in all this, logic was no better
attended to than it generally is in public opinion.
There w^ere othei-s who rejoiced in the spirit the
young man showed. They said the 'Squire had
ruled people all his life ; for their part they were
glad lie had found his match. lint it was pretty
hard on Nainiie. They wondered if she would
stay in the 'Squire's employ? No, she did not.
'Squire Ilartwell found it necessary to quarrel
also with her, because he could not make her
say that she thought his nephew w^^s a simpleton,
and that unless he complied with his uncle's
wishes she would have nothing more to do with
108
AS IN A MlUliOU.
Iiiin. Naimio was curdy disiiii.sscd from (ho house
on the nhovuoim el' the day that liex had received
ilia dismissal; the 'Scjuire culy relenting sulli-
ciently to say to lier that if, in the c<,um. of u
month, she got her conunon sense hack, and was
able to reason "that addle-pated f,.llower" of hers
into something like decency of hehavi..r. he might
Ihj prevailed upon (o change his mind. It ],uulo
Inni angry that Nannie vouchsafed no reply t(. this
beyond a very wise smile, that said as plainly as
words couhl have done: M think you know your
nephew, and me also, well en..ugl\ lo expect no
such thing." For days together, alter that, 'Scpiire
Jlartwell Mas savage with everybody who had to
come near him. The poor old man missed Nannie
almost more than he did liis nc^phew, aiul perhaps
needed her more.
Hut it was certainly very hard upon the young
people. All their well laid plans had been over-
turned. There had been a tacit undei-standing
between them that near the Christmas time there
would be a wedding, and then that Nannie
sbould assume the management of the old stone
bouse. Her husban -, •
o "a *» fc,i\y uniust'd him. It wiis still a relief to feol no
tninunels of society upon him. To be bound by
no engagements to call, or dine, or attend a friend
to a reception. The plain homely fare, so much
more excellent than he had su[)p()sed people of
that class enjoyed, far from being a cross to him,
had been eaten with a relish that he had not
known for yeai-s. Moreover, the weary nights that
he had spent tossing on his bed trying to woo
sice]) were things of the past. On his hard, clean
bed in the woodliousc chamber he droppt.l to sleep
the moment his head touched the pilh)W, and knew
nothing more until the morning. Oh I there were
blessings comiected wit!i this experience. What,
then, was at fault? It couhl not ccrtaiidy l)e the
social position that chafed him. He laughed when
he thought of the patronizing tone in which Rex
Ilartwell said: "-Well, John, you keep your hoi-ses
in lirst-class order I see. I wish I coidd lind as
careful a man as you to look after mine." Rex
did not mean to be patronizing, he meant sim[)ly
to be kind ; and '• J(/lni " was not in the least an-
Jioyed, only annised. He hiughed with even more
relish when he thought of ^usan Appleby's honest
attempts to civilize him ; for the times were in-
numerable in which that outspoken woman "got at
him " for his good. He was equally indifferent to
Nannie Marvin's efforts to be fri(Midly with him
after the manner in which »he tried to be to all
148
A8 IN A MIIMIOR.
i ■.<(
the t'ni[)l()yeo8 of the farm, and to Elfiida's grown
up and superior airs. Hut ho looked grave wlieii
he thought of Corliss Elliott ; the boy interested
him ; he saw in him great possibilities. Stuart
King, the scholar, might do much for him ; John
Stuart, his father's hirt!d man, was powerless. It
was so, in a measure at least, av ith the boys he had
met that evening. The rudest and most ignorant
among them, by reason of his being a factory hand,
or a boy struggling at Ik* me on the worn-out farm,
considered himself a grade above a hired man, and
would not te disposed to take help or hint from
bin-.. Yet let him be perfectly frank with himself,
at least, ft was not simply being somebody's hired
man that had pui him outside the line of helpful-
ness. He felt assured that had this been his legiti-
mate position in life, he could have built U[) by
degrees such a cliaractei- as woukl have commanded
the respect of every boy in the neighborhood.
"It is because I am a sham," he told himself
gloomily; "the veiy boys do not more than half
believe in me; they eye me with suspicion, and
feel the difference l)etween what I profess to be
and Avhat I really am. I am a gnnving object of
suspicion. I could see it to-night in her eyes. I
should not be surprised to hear that I am a fugi-
tive from justice ! It is as Fletcher said, I cannot
do it. No man can be successfully, for any length
of time, what he is not."
Should he drop the whole thing? There was
m
INTKUltOdATlON I'UI NTS.
149
\
ail tMusy way out. Ho crmkl nny to Mr. Elliott
that ho had decided to go home; und take his
moiitii's wages that were due the next day, and
telegraph Flett-her to express his trunk lo JJen-
nettsville, and stop v/itli it at an ohseure down-
town hotel where none of liis . .t ever penetrated,
and engage a room and make his toilet, and appear
at his roonjs on Chester S(|uare as Stuart King,
the author, returned at last from his summer wan-
derings. Within forty-eight l(..urs at the utmost
he could take up his dr()])i)e(,' li:V\ and make all
things as they used to he.
Could he? His startled consciousness asked
this (juestion of him with a force that he had
not suspected. What about that pi(tU)M of Truth
on his study tahle that had so intcre.-,ted him?
Would he ever again be satislied with the pictured
eyes, when he knew that m)t far away their coun-
terpart looked with real living gaze upon those
of her world, — yes, and read them apparently, as
she would an open book? In plain language, did
he care to go l)ack to his cultured, refined, rich
life, and leave Hildreth Elliott secure in her fa-
ther's farmhouse ? — never to see her again, never
to make her undci-stand that he was true, and
earnest, and had a purpose in life as assuredly as
she had herself?
"If I do not," he said aloud at last, and gloom-
ily, "then I would better hy all means go to-
morrow ; let me retain at least the semblance of
*
^
150
AS IN A MIRROR.
manhood. But I could not go so soon ; it would
not be treating Mr. Elliott well. I ought to give
him opportunity to supply my place."
He was shamefaced over the pleasure that this
thought gave him. The idea that an honest reason
for a week's delay could set his heart to heathig
faster! It was high time he went. He rose ai>
ruptly at last, refusing to allow himself to come
to any decision, refusing positively to think longer
upon certain themes that kept urging their right to
be considered.
"I'll go to work, I believe," he said with a laugh,
" and see if I can forget myself in the troubles of
Reuben and Ihinnah. I wonder what that precious
couple intend doing with me next? The idea that
an author creates his situations is the merest non-
sense. Witness how these two wind me about
their little fingera, compelling me to allow them to
do and say what I had not the remotest intention
should be said or done-"
Then he went over to his table for the fii"st time
that evening, and found lying there r. bulky pack-
age addressed to "John Stuart." It was from
Fletcher, of course ; but where did it come from ?
He had himself driven over to the oliice at five
o'clock and found nothing. Some neighbor nuist
liave been ahead A him, and brought the mail. He
looked troubled over it. This thing had occurred
onci' or twice before, and each time lie had received
a suspiciously heavy juicket; and Susan, the out-
INTERROGATION POINTS.
161
spoken, had said on one occasion : " Seems to nie
you get an awful lot of letters. I should think it
would take all you could earn to pay the postage,
if you answer them all." It was evidently one of
the things about Jiim that looked suspicious. Per-
haps it helped to create that pained and puzzled
look he had seen in Ilildreth's eyes that night.
Oh, to be able to look into those eyes with per-
fectly honest ones, with nothing to conceal or ex-
plain ! If he were back at his rooms to-night with
his present knowledge, and could start out to-
morrow morning, John Stuart King, student and
author, and could come out to Bennettsville by
train, and thence to the Elliott farm by the public
conveyance, and boldly ask to be boarded for a few
weeks while he studied the conditions of countiy
life with a view to a certain portion of his next
book, why then the tramp question that had started
him out on his quest miglit be investigated by who-
ever would do it; he should not care. But, in that
case, how would ho have known of such a being
as Hildreth Elliott ? No, his experience had been
too rich to give up easily. Besides, he could not
have come to the farm-house and boarded with
any such ideas. Being a man of honor, this could
not have — pshaw ! AVhat " ideas " ? What was
he talking about? And what was the matter
with him to-niglit? It was that remarkal)le mec^t-
ing that liad upset him ; no, it was that i-emarkable
talk during tlie drive liome. How troubled she
152
AS IN A MIRROK.
had looked ! And then he opened his letter.
It enclosed others, bearing foreign postmarks.
Fletcher's was brief, and ran as follows : —
" See lieie, Jiiy boy, isn't it time you gave up this folly
and came home ? If you don't appear soon I shall get up
a search party, and come after you. Dr. Wells asks all
sorts of questions as to what you are about ; and even
Dickson from your bank stopped me on the street to ask if
you were ill, because he had not been called upon to casli
any of your checks lately. I shall not promise to keep the
peace much longer. How many tramps can you study,
piay, staying forever in one place?
I looked up IJennettsville yesterday; and it is an insig-
nificant little place, not even large enough for a Money
Order oflice. Is it headquarters for tramps? Do come
home, John. I'm tired of this, if you are not."
" John " laid down the letter with a faint smile
on his face, and turned the two foreign ones over,
apparently to study their postmarks. Then he
opened one, written in a delicate running hand.
It began : —
"My i>kak Son, —
1 have delayed writing for several days, hoping to hear of
you as back iu town. What can you be doing in the coun-
try so late ? And w hy don't y(ni give me your correct ad-
dress, instead of my having to send letters always to
Fletcher's care? Don"; you stay long enough in one place
to receiA'e any mail? If not, I do not see why you might
not as well be with lis. AVe have been in the same place
?!o\v for three wecli^;; nwt} a qcieiiT phicn, with b-et'.vV o^>-
portuuities for you to go on with your interminable writ-
H
INTERROGATION POINTS.
153
ing. r am sure you could not find. T think P^lizabeth is
ratlicr luirt witli your conduct, alLiiougli she would not say
so for the world. She is certainly gayer tliaii she was ; but
that is not strange ; a girl of her age must have some
amusement. I told her yesterday, that if you were within
a thousand miles of her, and likely to hear about it the
same season, I should almost accuse her of flii-ting. Have
a care, Stuart; Elizabeth is young and beautiftd, and accus-
tomed to attention. She will not endure patiently neglect
of any sort ; and if you are not attentive now, what can
she exiject for the future ? "
There was more of it in the same strain ; the
reader's face gathered in a frown, and lie presently
skip])ed to the next page and glanced hurriedly
down its contents, then took up the other letter
with a sigh. It was shorter than his mother's, and
the liand was even more feminine and difficult to
read.
" My dear Stuart, —
We are still to address you nowhere in particular, it
seems. Your friend Fletcher is certainly very kind. Does
he have the privilege of reading tlie letters before ho for-
wards them, to pay him for his trouble V It seems some-
times as though you were nowhere. We wonder daily
what you can find to hold you to the country so lale. The
utmost that [ could ever endure of the country was a very
few weeks in the summer, liut I believe you always raved
over it; it is anotiier illustration of how startlingly our
tastes differ.
" We are really quite domesticated at this point ; lliere
is talk of our remaining ail winter, in which case it would
have beeu a delightful place for you to indulge your scrib-
■ft-
1
H i
154
AS IN A MIRROR.
bliiig proi>Gnsitics. Tlicre is a certain ]\Ir. Capeii here, an
Englisli iicutlciuaii willi a prospective title 1 believe, who
is very attentive, chielly to your mother, though of course
lie has to let me share his courtesies for propriety's sake.
How should you enjoy a stei>papa, my dear boy? He is
not old, but neither is your mother. 1 am not sure but it
would be a good idea. If you say so, I will encourage it
to the best of my ability."
At this point the letter was tossed angrily down,
and the frown on the reader's face had gathered in
great cords. He could not have told what it was
that irritated him so painfully. He had for year's
contemplated the possibility of his mother's many-
ing again. Not exactly with satisfaction, it is
true ; they were so totally diffei'ent that there
could not in the truest sense of the word be very
close companionship; still, the young man had
been wont to say mournfully to himself that his
mother was all he had; and at the same time he
had schooled himself to the possibility of her as-
suming closer ties than his ; so it was not astonish-
ment over the unexpected that helped to deepen
the frowns on his face. It was rather, perhaps,
tlie utter absence of feeling of any sort, of heart,
in either letter, that struck home with a dull pain.
INIoiher and Elizabeth., — the two names had been
associated in his life for years, — always indeed ;
for Elizabeth was a second cousin, left earlv to
his mother's care. For at lesist four yeare he had
thought of her as his promised wife. This had
u
•I
INTERIIOGATION POINTS.
155
it
n
s(!emed a natural and entirely reasonable out-
growth of their intimacy ; his mother had desired
it, and neither he nor Elizabeth had been in the
least avei-se to the arrangement. He had been
somewhat tried, of late, ))y her apathy with regard
to his literary studies, and her indifference to his
success as an author ; but he had told himself that
she was like all young women. Now as the frowns
deepened on his face until it was positively scarred
with them, he admitted to himself that all young
women were not like her. "What is truth?
What is truth?" repeated the wretched phono-
graph in his brain, over, and over, and over / He
was angry even with that. He swept all the papei-s
and letters, Reuben and Hannah, the creations of
his brain, Fletcher with his gay nothings, his mother
and Elizabeth with their empty nothings, into his
padlock box and turned the key. Then he went
to bed ; but it was late that night, or rather it was
early in the morning, before he forgot his perplex-
ities in sleep.
p 1
156
AS IN- A MIKROR.
\
CH APTEK XTII.
TKUTH VERSUS i' > LSEHOOD.
I^ORLISS ELLIOTT ^vas tilted back in an
Vy easy-chair \n one of the 8inall reading rooms
connected with the coilegt.'. His attitude was that
ot alounjxer, and sev^jral oLher young feUows were
sitting or standing about in positions suggestive
of leisure and recreation. Some topic of consider-
able interest, involving a difference of opinion, had
been up f(«r discussion between two of them; and
Corliss hud just drawn attention to himself by
asking: —
"Why don't you two fellows appeal to me to
settle that dispute for you?"
"How should you know anything about it?"
one of them asked. " You don't even know the
person we are talking about."
"Don't I, indeed! What makes you so sure
of that?"
"Well, do you? He liasn't been in town but
about a week ; and he hasn't been out to the col-
lege at all, despite the fact that he has a dear
cousin in this neig]d)orhood."
"It is never safe to jump at conclusions, Harry,
b
TRUTH VEPSUS FALSEHOOD.
157
f
I
I
t
I
my hoy. I know the color of his liuir and eyes as
well as I do those of my own father, not to speak
of several other important items of information
that I could give you concerning him on occasion."
The young man, Harry, was about to eidist
him for his side of the debate, when the other, who
had been gazing meditatively at Corliss, suddenly-
turned their thoughts into a new chaimel.
" I say, Elliott, you were not — u})on my word I
believe you were — one of those fellows the other
night ! " The color instantly flamed into Elliott's
face ; but he answered with his easy laugh, —
" What a definite question ! What a lawyer
you will make, Alf ! Fancy pitching such care-
fully planned and lucid queries as that at the
head of a trembling witness ! Let me see ; I was
a 'fellow' of some sort the other night? undoubt-
edly ; and I was one of a lot of fellows, no doubt,
but how shall it be determined which lot you refer
to?"
" He wouldn't chaff like that if he had been with
them last night," volunteered Harry. " You've
heard of the precious scrape they got into at the
Belmont House, haven't you ? "
" Oh ! some more gossip ? That's right, Hal ;
lawyers have to be on the lookout for all such
little things. What did we do at the Belmont
House to create a sensation ? "
"So you were one of them?" chimed in the
other.
1-)8
AS TN A Miunon.
t it
t w
l( I
" f wonder wo never thonglit of you ; we knew
you were out .somewhere lust night. Tell us
uU iihout it, ('Orl, that's a good fellow. If you
hadn't been out of town to-day, you would know
that there has been quite an excitement over it.
Lots of stories are afloat; one is that the Prex is
going to expel every one of you. It isn't true, is
it? We think it would be mean for a little fracas
like that, and gotten up in honor of a stranger
too. We'll stand by you, Corl, if that is it;
though we thought it was mean in Bliss not to in-
vite all our set. It was Bliss's spread, wasn't it ?
And what did you break, anyhow ? Those yarns
are always so awfully exaggerated."
They closed about him in great eagerness, — all
the young men in the room ; all talked at once,
each asking a question about the affair at the Bel-
mont Mouse. They had evidently been brought
back to a subject that had excited them much
earlier in the da}', and from which they had been
resting, having gleaned, as thoy supposed, all pos-
sible information. Behold ! here was a new and
unexpected vein to work.
" I'm sorry ^ ou were with them, Corl," said one
of the older boys. "It isn't simply tliat one even-
ing's performance ; but that fellow Travei-se has a
bad name, if he is from Oxford. I shouldn't care
to be associated with him. How came you to know
him so well ? "
" Oh, hold on ! " shouted another. " Dick is
all
TRUTH VKh'Srs FALSEHOOD.
159
green with envy, ('oil, because he wasn't invited.
Don't list(!n to his pieaehiiig, hut tell us ahout the
scrape, and liow you are going to get out of it.
We heard that they couldn't find but three that
they were sure of, and those three wouldn't give
so much as a hint about the othei-s. You weren't
one of the three, were you ? "
" My dear fellow, liow am I going to know, un-
less you tell uie who the three were?" This was
Corliss's laughing rejoinder; then, his face sud-
denly growing grave, "It's a bad business, boys.
I'm glad you weren't in it ; though we had no end
of fun, and didn't mean any harm. "What's that?
Travei-se ? Oh, he isn't so bad as his reputation ;
hardly anyone is. No, we haven't been expelled
yet, at least I haven't; but there is no telling what
will come. You fellows will stand by us, won't
you, whatever happens ? "
In this way he parried rather than answered
their questions for several minutes. At the time
they seemed to themse-' <:• to be acquiring a great
deal of information ; but after it was over, they re-
viewed the interview with a mortified realization
that Corliss had told them nothing, after all, about
the famous Belmont House trouble. In the midst
of one of his gay, half serious, half comic responses,
a click like that of a closing door sounded in the
alcove just behind him. He was separated from
it only by a portic;p. He stopped suddenlv, and
turned toward the portiere. " Is some one in there,
160
AS IN A MIRROR.
.
:^i
'tU
I.
1'
M:i:
kii
boys ? " he asked. '* I glaiued in Avlien I sat down
here, and thought it was vacant."
One of the boys pushed l)a(k the curtain and
h)oked in. " No," he said, '' there is no one here ;
it is that okl door ; it gives a click every now and
tlien."
Corliss drew a sigh of r( lief. "I was preparing
to ho scared," lie said gayly ; "it would have
been rather hard on me to have had the Prex, for
instance, hiding there, to listen to my confessions."
Then the questions and answers went eagerly for-
ward. In i)()int of fact, President Chamhers had
been standing in the corner of the alcove, almost
concealed by the heavy curtains, looking thought-
fully at a book whose leaves he did not tuiii. It
was ho who had clicked the door as he passed
out.
Fifteen minutes afterwards, while Corliss Elliott
was still alterms.dy astonishing and irritating his
small audience, Jackson, the coh.r.d dignitary who
managed all the important affairs of tlu^ college,
appeared with his courtly bow to s ,- tliat Presi-
dent f hambers would like to 1 ve M Elliott
come to liim in his office immediately.
"Now for it! " exclaimed the boys, while ^ r-
liss suddenly and in silence tilted forward liis
chair, and sprang to Ins feet.
"I'n^ glad I'm not in your shoes," said Harry
sympathetically. '' JJut remember," added another
voice, '' w^e will stand by you." Then Corliss
'J'UL'TII IKliSUS FALSEHOOD.
IGl
>>
Elliott moved uwiiy, -wondering wlmt in the world
Presidont C'hanibei-H could want with him.
The President gave no time for consideration ;
glancing up as the joung man entered, he began
without other recognition than the slightest possi-
ble bend of his stately head.
"Elliott, you doir)tless remember that I gave
you fifty dollai-s yesterday morning, and asked you
to st('[) in at Wellington's as you passed, and pay
the bill ? "
" Certainly sir," said Elliott politely.
"• Very well ; Avluit did you do with the money ? "
"Paid the bill of course." And now Elliott's
voic-e had taken on both a (questioning and a
haughty tone.
"And secured a receipt for it? "
" No, sir; the receiving clork was very busy ; and
he remarked to me that I might leave the bill with
the money, and he wonld send u[) the receipt by
niail. I knew the college had dealings constantly
at Wellington's, and supposed it would bo all
right. Is there anything wrong?"
"Yes; many things a/e wrong; this is by no
moans the woi-st i\ ature. Words would not ex-
press my astonishment, I may say dismay, at learn-
ing that you were involved in the disgraceful scene
that took ])lace at the Belmont House last night.
Had 1! iutortiation come from any other source
than the < ,. ii did, T should liave indiQ-nanfly
denied it, on the grouii tliat your father's son
162
AS IN A MlUUOIi.
i
j
1
could not liiivo 1)0011 guilty of hucIi a lapso. To
find that 30U wvvq not only a i)aiticipani, hut
that the renioinhniuio of it simply ainusos you, and
is even to be hoastod of, almost slaggoi-s my boliof
in young nion altogothor. I had not imaginod it
of you. I have dooidod that you porhaj)s anti-
cipatod tho result, in dollars and cents, of tho
disgrace, and are now awan^ that your share will
amount to soniethiiiLC more than lifty dollars.
Plate glass and decorated china are expensive
articles to play with, young man."
By this time Corliss Elliott's face was aflame.
His anger, which had been steadily rising since tho
fii-st words were spoken to him, had readaxl white
heat. Yet he kept his voice low as he said, *' May
I be allo\\ed to ask what informjint against me is
so trustworthy, that on tho strength of his words
you feel yourself at liberty not only to accuse me
falsely, but to insult mo by insinuations that I
should think Avould bo beneath you ? "
President Chambers looked steadily and sternly
at the flushed face ; but his voice was sorrowful as
he said, —
"Elliott, if you were iiniocent, I should pass
over the impudence of your language, I believe I
should even rejoice in it ; but it is bitter to me to
remember that my informant was no other than
youi-self. I was in the lower reading-room this
evening, in the alcove just back of where you sat,
and heard your remarkably genial, even merry,
^;i !^
TKUTIl rA'A'.sr.S KALSEllOOD.
(IS
168
admissions to your cliissnuiti-s, a.- vw'! a.s your
frank avowal of intiniatu atMinaint."v',.,,. .vitli a man
wlioin 1 l)oli(3Vo to he «liorowgIily bad in every
sense of the word. After that, can you woiah-r
ut my snspieions ? "
The young man eanght liis hivatli in a sudden
giisi) as lie listened, and stilled what sounded like a
groan. For a nwrnient he stared almost vaeautly
at the stern hice before him, as though he felt un-
able to gather his thoughts into uords. Then he
burst forth, —
''President C'luunbei-s, there Avas not a word ot
truth in that. I Avas just ehalling the fellows, to
show them how easy it was to eheat them. I had
not heard anything about the trouble at the liel-
mont House until they told me, and I don't know
any of the particulai-s even now. I have been
away all day, by permission of the authorities.
'J'he l)()ys were so excited and so gullible that I
could not help having a little fun at their expense.
IJ(!sides, I had reasons for wishing "' — Here he
came to a sudden stop. It was clear tliat his lis-
tener did not believe him. The stern look never
left his face, instead, it deepened, as he said after
a moment of impressive silence, —
" Can I believe that a self-respecting young man,
deliberately and without other motive than fun,
would tell as many lies as T heard you tell to your
classmates, if what you are now saying is true?
Klliott, is it jjossiblo that you do not see that this
104
AS IN A iMIIMlcm.
ni
S-!
n
mi
way of trying to evade disgrace is Imt a deeper
disgrace? Listen! " lifting liis Juuul witli an im-
perative gestiu-e, as the impetuous young voice
was about to bui-st forth. " You liave accused
me of insulting you by an insinuation. I did
ypeak woi'ds to you tliat nothing but your own
language, as heard by me, could have wrung from
me; Imt I ought to speak plainer. It is right that
you should know that the fifty dollars which you
say you left with the receiving-clerk at Welling-
ton's, he says he has never received. I came home
from there, lirm in the belief that you could explain
the matter as soon as you reached here. I thought
that the hour might have been later than you sup-
posed, and you might have felt compelled to let
the errand wait until another time, or that it had
slii)ped your mind ; but when J heard you to-night,
and learned that you were one of those who had,
but the evening before, defied authority, and dis-
graced yourself and the college, and then that you
could laugh over it, I felt that I was juslilied in
bcheving that you had been tempted into other
lines of disgrae(\ I do not wish to be hard upon
you," he added in tones less stern, as he saw the
sudd(!nly paling face. *' I would be glad to help
you, and to shield yim (vom all the public disgrace
possible. With regard to this affair at the liel-
mont House, the trustees and faculty ai-e agreed
to a unit that public and decided examples n)ust
be made «(f those who, in so Hagiant a maimer.
TRUTH VERSUS FALSEHOOD.
165
i
dared college sentiment. Every student knows the
position which we hold in regard to tliese matters.
It is not possible for any of you to sin ignorantly.
But as concerns this other, Elliott, I am pei-suaded
that you may have been led into sudden tempta-
tion ; and if you will be true to me, and state every-
thing exactly as it is, I will shield you, and give
you a chance to recover yourself."
" You are very kind," said Corliss ; '' very kind
indeed ! But I want you to distinctly understand
that I do not wish any shielding from you, nor any
'chances,' as you call them. It shall go hard with
me if I do not make you repent this night's work."
And turning, he strode from the room. He had
never been so angry in his life. The veins in his
temples seemed swelling into cords, and the blood
beat against them as though determined to burst
forth. Bareheaded and without overcoat as he was,
he strode into the chill night air, uncertain which
way he went, and indifferent as to what became of
him. The idea that he, Corliss Elliott, son of a
father whose word was accounted as good as a bond,
grandson of a man ^^•ho had been noted for iiis un-
swerving fidelity to truth and honor, should have
it hinted to him that he had spoken falsely, acted
falsely, actually descended to the place of a com-
mon thief! It was almost l)eyond belief. Thus
far, no thought of the immediate consequences of
this sta,te of thino-s had ent^^red hin mi"- T'-f^
people would hear of it, that he would be expelled
I) >•
166
AS IN A MIRUOR.
in
iiii
from college in disgrace, tlisit his motlier's heart
would break, and his father's l)e wrung with agony,
did not occur to liim. It was simply the sense of
personal outrage which he felt, and the overwhelm-
ing desire to punish President Chambei's for the
insults that he had heaped upon him. In that
state of mind he was, of course, incapable of con-
tinued thought, or of connected thought of any
sort. Twice he made the circuit of the grounds,
raging inwardly so much that he was not conscious
that the night w.as cold. When at last he came
to himself sufficiently to jusk what should be done
under the extraordinary circumstjinces that now
surrounded him, the strongest feeling he had was
a desire to escape from college authority. Not
that he feared it. Not he ! It might rather lie
said that he scorned it. The very grounds had
suddenly become hateful to liim. If he could only
1k3 at home that minute, in his mother's room, tell-
ing her the story of his wrongs, with his hand
slip|)ed into both of hers, while his father sat
o])posite witli his keen, searcliing, yet sympathetic
eyes resting upon him, and Hildreth leaning (ner
the liack of his chair listening intently, while she
planned even then how to help him I In the dis-
tance he heard the whistle of an out-bound train.
He stopped before a friendly lamp-post, and looked
at his watch. In less than an hour there would
be another, going westward ; and in two bom's
more be rould be at home. Why not ! Not in
4
■^
k'i
&;
TRUTH VERSUS FALSEHOOD.
167
's heart
1 agony,
sense of
rwhelm-
for the
In that
of con-
of any
grounds,
Dnscious
le came
be done
lat now
had was
y. Not
ither be
tids had
uld only
uni, tell-
is hanii
ther sai
pathetic
[n U
172
AS IN A ?IIRROU.
to get work better suited to him than that which he
was now doing. He said he could imagine a chain
of circumstances that might have led, in a fit of
desperation perhaps, to taking the firet thing that
offered ; tlie times ha, a lot of college fellows," explained
Thomas, " and as mean a lot as they can get up,
even there, I guess;" from which verdict it will be
understood what estimate Thomas was getting of
higher education. " And they are going to la-ing
a lot of girls with them from the city; some of
them have been there before, and Dick says no
sister of his siiould have anything to do with them
girls. Hut one of them they are going to get here,
and that's Elf EPiott."
"Take care, Thomas!" -aid John Stuart sharply,
and he felt the indignant blood flushing' his own
face; "Miss Elliott ^^■> aid not like to hear you us-
ing her young sister's name in such connection ; if
you are a friend of hers, you should remember that."
" I am taking care," said the boy impatiently;
"if I hadn't been, do you think I would have
tramped out here to tell you about it ? I thought
maybe it could be stopped, and that you could do
something about it; if you can't, why, I'll lind
somebody else."
" Yes," said John Stuart soothingly, very much
ashamed of his unnecessary outburst ; " I see your
motive is good ; tell me all that you know about
it ; something must be done. Why do you think
Miss Elfrida is connected with it ? "
FOH HER SAKK.
176
" Because some of the girls from our neighlwr-
hood I her school ; two of 'em do, you know ;
and l1. V overhear talk ; and they know that Elf
Elliot and one or two other „irls have heen writ-
ing lettei-s to some of the coHege hoys. They don't
sign their own names, you know ; they don't sign
the names of anybody that really is, and they just
do it for fuii ; only you ktiow what Miss Elliott
thinks of such fun. You heard her a few weeks
ago, didn't you, talk about that in the meetin' ?
1 some of the girls looked at one anoUier then ;
saw she dicUi't know her own sister was doin'
Well, the college fellow she has been writin'
to has made a plan to come out here, and get her
and go for a ride, and bring up at the Wayside
House, and introduce her to them other girls, and
they're a set ! Jack says ; not i\ decent one among
'em, he says ; and it seems awful, don't it, to have
her sister among 'em ? "
" Tell me how you learned this last, Thomas."
" Why, one of our girls that goes up there to
school sets right behind Elf Elliott and that Hol-
combe girl, and she heard them talking it all over.
Elf, she don't know about being taken to the Way-
side House ; she just thinks she is going to have
a ride with him, you know, and I s'pose she don't
see no great harm in it ; but Jack says she is one
of 'em, that he heard the two fellows who came
out to order the supper and room and everything,
talking and laughing about it."
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17G
AS IN A MIRHOR.
I
i
in
m ^1
Thomas must certainly have be^n satisfied Avith
the close attention that his story received, John
Stuart listened, and questioned, and went over tlie
main points again, approaching them skilfully from
another angle, to he sure that the narrator did not
contradict himself; and felt sure at the close that
the story he had heard had some foundation, enough
to make it important to give it attention, and that
innnediately.
lie looked at his watch, and found that the hour
was even later than he had supposed, and that
what was done must he done quickly. Then he
hurried his horses and got rid of Thomas, with the
assurance that he had done all that was necessary,
and that the matter should receive prompt atten-
tion ; also with an injunction not to mention what
he had told him to another human being. This
last was earnestly impressed.
"Remember, Thomas, Miss Elliott would be se-
riously injured if this story should get out. Since
there are only a very few of us who know it, and
all of us are to ])e trusted, we may hope to save
her sister fi'om unpleasant consequences, and at
the same time shield lier. I am sure I can depend
upon you to make the others feel the same."
Thomas went away with the belief that he was
being depended upon to do an important work,
and also with the vague feeling, which had come
to him before, that John Stuart was a " real smart
li 11
man.
>>
roll HER SAKE.
177
Yet John Stuart, left to himself, had no such
comfortable realization of his power. He drove
rapidly, under the impression that there was need
for haste ; but just wliat could be done had by no
means occurred to him. Had he heard this remark-
able story earlier, he might have proceeded with
caution, and accomplished results without friglit-
ening anybody. Tlien again, for the hundredth
time, came that dreary second thought that, were
he himself, instead of a man masquerading under
an assumed name and character, his way would be
infinitely plainer.
However, the fii-st step was, of coui-se, to learn
whether Elfrida was at home, and if so, whether
she had an appointment for the evening away from
home. Susan could lielp liim thus far.
" No, she ain't to home," said Susan, speaking
in a crisp tone, "and it's my opinion that she
ought to be; I think mvself that her i)a is a good
deal sicker than they tell about. He ain't no hand
to lie abed for common thinafs."
" Can you tell me where to find Miss Elfrida ?
I have an errand to do for her."
"Oh, you'll find her, I s'pose, down to that
Holcombe girl's house ; at least that is where she
has gone to spend the night. I told Hildreth I
would keep her at home if I was her; but Hildreth
said she was so kind of nervous, and not like her-
self, that her mother tliought she'd better o-o.
They think she's worryin' about her pa ; but it's
1 ^ 1
.l.'l 1
s.
h.
\ ! h
U I
\ ;
1
L
178
AS IN
MIRROR.
queer kind of worryin' that'll be willing to go off,
and leave him all night. I don't see, for my part,
what she finds in that Holcombe girl to be so fond
of ; they ain't a mite alike."
John left her still moralizing, and went out in
haste, to consider. He had been gone all day oii
business that Mr. Elliott had felt to be of impor-
tance ; he had heara nothing about plans, but El-
frida often walked home in pleasant weather. Now
it appeared that she must have left in the morn-
ing with the intention of spending the night with
Laura Iloicombe. John did not like " that Hol-
co)nbe girl " any better than did Susan.
Without any clear idea as to what he should do
next, he went to Mrs. Elliott for permission to
drive to the village on important business. It dis-
tressed him to remember that she gave a reluctant
consent, and evidently wondered, as well she might,
what business of importance could call him back
to the village, leaving work that had been long
waiting for him. She was, however, too preoccu-
pied to ask close questions. Xot so Hildreth ; she
came out to the wagon with troubled face.
" John, musi i really go back to town to-
night? There aio so many things to be done to
get ready for the night. Why didn't you stop and
attend to the business when you came through ? "
" This is something that I have thought of
since," said John, lamely enough ; and went away
angry with himself that he seemed to be living a
'n
FOB HER SAKE.
179
go off,
my part,
so fond
t out in
. day oil
f impor-
but El-
r. Now
e iTiorn-
^lit with
lat Hol-
lould do
ssion to
It dis-
eluctant
e might,
im back
en long
preoccu-
th ; she
LHvn to-
done to
(top and
)ugh?"
ight of
nt away
living a
life which made it necessary to give every sentence
he spoke a double meaning.
"The way of the dissembler is hard, at least,"
he told Mmself bitterly as he drove away. What
did he mean to do next? He would drive at once
to the Holcombes'. and learn if Elfrida was there ;
and then what? He drove on hurriedly, entirely
uncertain of his next move. Would it have been
better to have told Hildreth what he had heard?
No, he answered himself emphatically, he would
shield her as long as he could from any added
anxiety. He wondered how it would do to tell
Elfrida that he had a message for her, and then
take her ho..ie ; telling her, by the way, the story
that had come tc his eai-s. Elven if there was not
a word of truth in it, it might open her eyes to the
importance of taking the utmost care of her move-
ments, lest they could be construed into evil. This
was tht only course he had thought of when he
reached the Holcombes', only to be informed that
Miss Elfrida had gone to take a short drive with
a friend.
"Did Miss Laura go with her?" he ventured
to ask.
'' Oh, no !" Mi-s. Holcombe said ; Laura was not
well enough to go out evenings ; didn't he know
she had been sick again ? It was an old friend of
Elfrida's who had called for her, a college friend
of her brother, she believed. Then she, too, ques-
tioned closely in return, and hoped that Mr. Elliott
180
AS IN A MIUIIOU.
J
■;
J!i
:t:
Ssi
I
r,
I I
was not woi-se. Laura would l)e dreadfully disap-
pointed if Eltie had to go home.
He got away as soon as he could, taking the
direct road to the Wayside House, and making all
speed ; but he overtook no one. There was a gay
company at the Wayside House, and among them
undoubtedly several "fast" young women and
some college men, thus much of the story was
true ; but Elfrida Elliott, so far as he could leavn,
was not present. He told the host that he had
called with a message for a person whom he had
expected to meet there, and, declining to leave any
word, was departing, when he caught a glimpse of
Corliss Elliott in the small room opening from the
main reception-room, leaning against a mantel, and
looking moodily into the fire. He went out with
a new trouble knocking at his heart. Was sorrow
coming to Hildreth through this young man also?
And was there nothing that he could do? Did
the young man know that his sister was to be of
the questionable company in that questionable
house that night?
Busy with these thoughts, he drove very slowly,
all the time on the watch. The long lane down
which he was driving was the private entrance
to the Wayside House. At the gateway he was
stopped by a handsome turnout. The driver, ap-
parently a gentleman, was having some trouble
with spirited horses, who resented the appearance
of the gate-post. The light from the gate-lamp
FOll HEll SAKE.
181
' disap-
ng the
dug 5iU
s a gay
ig thoin
oil tind
)ry was
[\ leavn,
he had
he had
ave any
lupse of
rom the
itel, and
»ut with
s sorrow
an also ?
)? Did
to be of
itionable
shone full on the carriage. It was p:ifrida Elliott
who shrank back from the glare of light. In an
instant John was at her side, speaking distinctly.
" Miss Elfrida, you are needed at home imme-
diately; I came here in search of you."
" O John ! " slie said, her very lips pale with
apprehension, " fatlie- is woi-se ! "
He had made no sort of reply. While he helped
her, frightened and weeping, from one carriage to
the otiier, and her companion tried to express his
poHte regrets, looking all the time excessively an-
noyed, John Stuart held himself to utter silence.
He would have enough to say, that he did not
under these peculiar circumstances know in the
iiuist how to say, when he had driven away with
his charge.
Y slowly,
ae down
entrance
' he was
'iver, ap-
1 trouble
peararice
;ate-lami[)
j
f "
1
1
!' ^
j
i
i
182
AS IN A iMIUUOU.
CIIAPTKIl XV.
TANtiLKS.
ISi'
' 4
b
,3
t
}
if
r
" TOHN," said Corliss Elliott, as he took his scat
J ill the sleigh, " how ill is my father? " His
voice shook with strong feeling of some sort, and
even by the dim light of the station lamp his face
showed pale and drawn. John Stiiart felt a keen
pity for him, and as they rode swiftly along talked
as cheerily as he eonld.
" I do not think there is canse for serions anxi-
ety, lie hai; a slow fever, which is, of coui-se,
exhausting ; but the doctor speaks confidently of
the outcome. His inability to sleep has been the
most trying feature of the trouble for a day or
two; and in his semi-wakeful feverish thoughts
there seemed to have been troubled fancies about
you ; so that your mother and sister thought, if you
could be beside him in health and strength, these
might be dispelled, and he be able to rest."
John was forgetting himself again in the inter-
est of the present moment. Had Corliss not been
too self-occupied to have noticed, he would have
stared at hearing just this form of addres' from
the hired man.
TAN'GLKH.
183
)()k his scat
er?" His
e sort, and
u}) liis fiu'o
felt a kocn
long talked
>iiou8 anxi-
of coui-se,
iifidently of
IS been the
r a day or
li thoughts
mcies about
nght, if you
3ngth, these
est."
n the inter-
iss not been
would have
ddres^ from
'''J
Part of tlie Hmiv.uca aimcA liim pain. IH;
ihvAv a (Uh^p quivering sigh that went to John's
Ix'art, as lie said treniuloiisly, ^ [j^. j,^ tronblcd
Hi)oiit me, is he? That seems almost proi,hetic,
poor father! I do not know how I am to g(.t
along withont his advice ; I never needed it more."
'I'iien, after a moim;nt's silenee, "John, I must
manage in some way to see Jlildreth to-night, and
to see her alone. Can you think how it eaa he
don(! y "
He was in trouble, certaiidy, else lie would
never have appealed to the hired man in this way!
He had been always more or less interested in this
experiment of his father's, and was uniformly
kmd to John ; but it had been the kindness of con-
descension, as though he would always say "I
am Corliss Elliott, a college student, and you are
my father's hired tramp." The tremble in his
voice, and his appeal, had in them a note of equal-
ity. He went on eagerly.
"The truth is, 1 am in trouble, in very great
trouble ; of course I cannot talk to my father, and
equally of course my mother must not be disturbed
now; but flildreth has always time and courage
tor everybody's trouble If I can talk it all over
with her, I know I shall ''eel letter at once. But
1 don t know how to manage it without worrying
my mother, and perhaps my father."
"Oh, I think we can arrange that," was John's
cheerful reply. ^^ J j.elp in taking care of your
f
I
184
AS IN A MIUKOR.
fjithor iiij^lits ; ami whoii lio lias enjoyed you for
a while, ami is ivstinj^, we can plan to have you
and your sister disai)pear together for a few niin-
utes.
lie did plan it suceessfuUy. No sooner was th(!
father lying haek with (piiet eyes, resting from the
pleased exeitement of seenig his hoy, than John,
who had meantime heen moving quietly ahout, ar-
ranging tiro and lights, and doing a dc.-en other
small things to add to the comfort of all, came
over to ISIi-s. Elliott, speaking low, —
"Could 1 remain here now on guard, while Miss
Elliott goes out with her hrother for a breath of
fresh air? I heard you urging it earlier in the
evening."
Mi's. Elliott responded promptly. Hildreth,
who had a week's vacation from school, and was
spending it all in her father's room, was a source
of anxiety to her mother.
*^ Go, Hildreth," she said earnestly, " and take
a brisk walk with Corliss out in the moonlight ; it
will do you good. Corliss, carry her off; she has
not been out of this room to-day, and there is
really no need. John," with a grateful glance
tow^ard him, "is as good as a trained nui-se."
The father added feebly his desire for the same
thing ; and the two slipped away, only one being
aware how eager Corliss was to go. John, at his
post near the window, ready for anything that
might be wanted, watched the two pacing back
i-iaM
TANflLES.
18.'!
you for
liiivc you
low mill-
t
r VVU8 tlio
from tlio
tan floliii,
iibout, ur-
..en other
iill, came
k'liile Miss
l)ieath of
icr in the
Hildreth,
, and was
3 a source
-' and take
mlight; it
■ ; she has
:l there is
ful glance
nurse."
L' the same
one being
ihn, at his
bhing that
Lcing back
and forth in the moonlight, with a great aelie in
liis hoart. The hoy was in trouble ; and he, by
reason of his own folly, was powerless to help him.
If he were occupying his proper position in this
hous(;holi(lly at tiiucs lor coluMence ; she,
alert, keen, (HU'stioniug, }«'t alive with teiuler Hyni-
pathy.
"O Corliss!" hIh' said once, lier voice full of
sadness. Ih^ hasteiKMl to answer the unspoken
reproach.
"Yes, I know; it all comes from my intolerable
habit of charting, playing with the truth. You
said it would get me into trouble some day, and it
has. I did not think it could. I thought you
were over-particular, but I have learned a lesson 1
I (h)n't do it half as nuich as J used, Ilildreth, I
don't, indeed. I can seem to see your eyes looking
right into mine, and stopping the words. 1 wish
I had seen them that night; but 1 was excited
and anxious, you know, that the fellows — no, you
don't know that, either."
" What is it that I don't know^ Corliss? Let
me liave all the truth this time."
The boy looked annoyed, and hesitated a mo-
ment ; then he said, " It has to do with a matter
that I was not going to mention for fear of caus-
ing you needless anxiety ; but 1 shall have to tell
it now% and it doesn't matter, since it came to noth-
ing. You know^ the Wayside House, at the junc-
tion, what a bad name it has ? Well, there are a
lot of fellows in college, or not a lot, either, three
or four, wdio are about as bad as they need be.
Two of them, it seems, have been holding corre-
spondence with some girls in this neighborhood. I
TANGLKM.
IMI
tloii't know who the girls are ; they have asHiimed
luiineH, or at least names tliiit I never heard of he-
fore. One of the hoyH, named Ilooper, is tlu; woi-st
seamp in eoUej^'e, or out of it. He luis heen writing
Jettei-s hy the vohuno to this girl, whoever she is,
and making fun of her to all the hoys in his set.
I doji't hear mneh ahout their proceedings, for, as
you may naturally suppose, I don't helong ; hut I
overheard enough one night to interest me, and
I went in whert^ they were, just as he was exhibit-
ing a i)ieture. The girl actually committed the
folly of sending her photograph to iiim ! Ilil-
dreth, if you could have heard those fellows talk
as they bent over it, I tliink your eyes would have
blazed ! I caught only a glimpse of the face, and
it was taken in a fancy head-ciiess of some sort
that shaded the features ; but I was almost certain
that it was Nell Marvin! You (hm't think it
l)ossible that Nell could have sent him her picture,
do you? I tried in every possible way to get
another look at it ; but the fellow did not mean 1
should see it at all, so I failed. After that, I
tried to find out what their next scheme might
be ; they always liave something on hand ; and I
found, no matter how, it took a good while to do
it, that they had an apponitment, two or three of
them, with ladies, so-called, at this same Wayside
House, on Tuesday evening of this week ; and that
that rascal Hooper had an appointment to meet
the girl with whom lie had been corresponding,
s
I t
188
AS IN A MimiOU.
f
l!
at the same place ! 1'liink of it, Ililtlreth ! The
only thing I could think of Avas to rush off the
next afternoon down here, and spend the evening
at the Wayside House; and a charming evening
I had of it! Think of heing so near home as
that, Hildreth, and not being able to come home !
Tliose precious scamps and their so-called ladies
were on hand, but there Avas no girl among them
that I had ever seen before ; and tlie chief scamp.
Hooper, wasn't there at all. He was expected,
hov ^r. I overheard all sorts ol conjectures as to
liis non-appearance ; the fear that lie would come,
later, held me there until the party broke up.
" They had a lovely row, some of them, before
that time; drank too much, you know. Well,
there was nothing for me but to get back to col-
lege ; and, meantime, trouble had been brewing
there for me. This fracas at the Belmont House
occurred, you understand, on that very evening.
It would be easy enough for me to prove an
alibi, oidy — how much better off would I be in
proving myself to have spent the evening, and
away into the night, with a questionable company
at the Wayside House? For that matter none
but questionable companies gather there, while re-
spectable people do frequent the Belmont. You
can see why I was anxious to throw those boys
off the track in regard to where I was that even-
ing. I hadn't heard any particulars about the
troulJe at the Belmont, and I don't know any-
TANGLES.
189
ith ! The
sli off tlie
le evening
g evening
' home as
ne home !
led ladies
long them
ief scamp,
expected,
tures as to
uld come,
e up.
!m, before
V. Well,
c^k to col-
i brewing
nt House
evening,
prove an
I I be in
ling, and
company
tter none
while re-
nt. You
lose boys
hat even-
bout the
now any-
thing about it yet, save that some costly dishes
and furniture were smashed. I suppose there wall
be a big l)ill to pay, but of course I can get out of
that. As to the fifty dollars, I'm in awful trouble.
I paid it in as certainly as my name is Elliott;
and I paid it to the assistant book-keeper, who
stands very high. How is it possible for him to
say that 1 di(bi't; and what has become of it?
You see how it is, Hildreth; circumstances are
all against me. If I had been at home that night
in my room, at work, as I should have been but
for that notion I got that some of our young peo-
ple wei-e in danger, why, I could prove it in two
minutes ; in fact, there would be nothing to prov*? ;
the boys wouldn't have thought of such a thing as
r. being among that crowd if I had not pretended
to know that wretch of a Travei-se, whom I ha\e
not even seen. It all comes back to that, Hildreth ;
J have been playing with falsehoods, and they have
got me into a scrape, as you said they would. I
don't see any way out. When I started for home
to-night I was too angiy to think ; I am yet, for
that matter. What business had President Cham-
bers to charge me with being a thief ! Suppose
the fifty dollai^ cannot be found, what is that to
me, when I know I laid it down before the book-
keeper's eyes, and he acknowledged it ? Hildreth,
I have been treated meanly; I am sure my father
would say so; j)ut just how to manage it I don't
know. I .suppose 1 shall have to pay it again.
Wl
100
AS IN A MIllUOU.
Do jou think it would be possible for us to raise
that amount extra, Ilildreth, while father is sick?
And why should I pay it, anyway? Wouldn't
that look like a confession of crookedness on my
part? I cannot think clearly; if there was only
some one with whom we could advise."
" How would it do to talk with Rex Hartwell ? "
The young man shrank and shivered. " O
Hildreth, I couldn't ! he would think I wanted to
borrow the money from him ; and I would rather
work it out on the road than do that. Must peo-
ple hear about it, do you think? There will be so
many details to explain, and all sorts of false
stories will get afloat. But then, if I am expelled
from college, it will be all out anyhow. What a
miserable business it is ; and I always prided my-
self so much on our good name. To think that
I should be the one to stain it I "
The poor fellow's voice quivered with pain, and
his sister arose at once to the situation.
" Never mind, Corliss ; we shall find our way
out. It is not as though you had really done any
of the things with which you are charged ; if that
were so, it almost seems as though I could not
bear it. As it is, we shall be shown a way to make
the truth plain. Let me think it over to-night,
and in the morning I am sure some light as to how
to act will have come to us."
The boy's grasp on her arm tightened ; and liis
voice had a husky note, as he said, —
)i
1
Z4
TANGLES.
191
» to raise
p is sick?
Wouldn't
ss on my
was only
Ttweir?"
;d. " O
v^anted to
Id rather
^^Iiist peo-
vill be so
of false
expelled
What a
ided my-
link that
pain, and
our way
ilone any
; if that
ould not
to make
to-night,
s to how
; and his
N
" You trust me, Ilildretli, don't you ? You don't
believe ff)r a moment that I am guilty of any of the
horrid things ? "
Her reply was prompt and reassuring. " Why,
of coui-se, Corliss. How can you ask such a ques-
tion? I know you do nothing but play with false-
ness. If you would only give up that."
"I will, Hihlreth; I give you my word for it.
If I get safely out of this scrape, see if hereafter I
don't make my communications 'yea,' and 'nay.' "
They were opposite the window again, and he
caught sight of Jolni standing framed in it. This
reminded him of sometliing he had meant to say;
he broke in with it abruptly.
"Hildreth, does John frequent the Wayside
House ? Last night, when I w as hanging around,
watching for what might develoj), I saw him walk
into the reception-room, and look about him, like
a pei-son ia search of some one. I slipped into
the small room, foi-, as yon may well suppose, I ^ the next morning, when he bade his father
a cheery good-by, and assured him that he would
get away as early as possible on the following day,
and that he would not go back at all, were it not
for some important mattei-s at college needing his
attention.
Hildreth, too, was cheerful. "• Keep up a good
heart, Corliss," was her admonition; "the truth
must conquer, you know, it always does. And,
Corliss, if you find that money is needed, I mean,
if you decide that it will be right to pay that
money over again, we can raise it; don't worry
about that, either."
This she said in the face of the fact that money
was scarce, and that she had not at that moment
the remotest idea how to raise the extra sum. It
Avill be remembered that, although Mr. Elliott was
■what was counted a successful farmer, he was by
no means a wealthy man ; and to raise even fifty
additional dollars, at that season of the year, would
be no small matter.
:l
REVELATIONS.
195
well into
Ills fjitlicr
he would
mug (lay,
ere it not
ceding hjs
i[) a good
the truth
IS. And,
, I nieau,
pay that
I't worry
at money
p moment
sum. It
Uiott was
3 was by
ven fifty
ir, would
When Corliss was fairly gone, som(; of the
brightness that had been woin for his sak(; fad(!d
from Hildreth's face. She was haunted now with
a nameless anxiety eoneerning Klfrida. The child
was at home, having begged permission to remain
there. She was well, she said, but she did iK^t
feel like school ; it seemed to her that she should
fly if she tried to study.
''She is worried about her fat'her," was Mi-s.
Elliott's conclusion ; " she certainly nuist have
heard some grave doubts expressed as to his re-
covery. She cried last night whenever I men-
tioned his name ; although I assured her that the
doctor, when he came last evening, i)ronounced
the symptoms in every way better. Do you think
that exaggerated accounts of his illness can have
gotten around ? "
"Possibly," said Ilildreth, more reticent than
usual with her mother, and resolved upon a quiet
talk with Elfrida at the first opportunity.
It M'as late in the day l>^3fore the opportunity
occurred ; in fact, she had hnally to make it. She
grew the more resolved to do so, as it became
evident that Elfrida distinctly avoided her, or,
at least, studied to avoid a moment's convei-sa-
tion with her in private. There was certainly a
stronger, or, rather, a different, disturbing force
than her father's illness. Nervous the child cer-
tainly was, and had been, her sister reflected, for
several dnjH ; and as her nerves were naturally in
IMG
AS IN A MIRllon.
a iR'iilthy iind well-iminageil state, it beeaine iinpor-
tjint to loam wliat had unsettled them. Just how
she assoeiated the ^jfirl's unrest with what Corliss
had told her about the Wayside House, and the
mysterious photoj^i-aph, she oould not have told;
indeed, she assured herself" indignantly that she
did not associate them for a moment, only the
two anxieties would persist in floating through
lier mind. Nevertheless, whenever she recalled
Coi'liss's words about anonymous letters written
by some one in their neighboi-hood, a strange
shiver ran through her frame.
About the middle of the afternoon Elfrida came
down-stairs dressed for walking, and announced to
Susan that she was going for a long walk. Tiiat
young woman, who had been sorely tried with the
girl's uiuisual nervousness, replied tartly that she
lioped she would "walk off her tantrums," and
come back acting like herself.
Ilildreth was on duty in her father's room at
the time, but us soon as she was released made
ready to ft)llow, having taken note of the direction
Elfrida had chosen. She understood her habits,
and met Iier on her return trij), just as she had
planned, half a mile from home.
" I have been sent out to take the air," she said
cheerily to Elfrida, who had been walking with
eyes bent on the ground, and who started like a
frightened creature at first sight of her.
'' Is that so ? " was the eager reply ; " then go on
IIKVKLATKANS.
107
to tho rocks, thoro will be a lovely sunset view
tfMiight. I thoiiojit of waiting for it myself."
- No, r have not time for ti.e sunset to-day.
I must get back and liolp inotiu^r; besides, I came
tins way on purpose to meet you. I want to have
a little visit with you ; we have Iiardly seen each
other for a week oi- tw<,." She linked her arm
within her sister's as slie spoke, and the two
moved on togetlun-. Klf.-ida, however, liad made
no response; and as Ilildreth stole a glance at her,
t>hc saw that she was crying softly. Jler evident
misery struck to the elder sister's heart.
"What is it, dear? "she asked, in tones sucli
as a mother might have used; -you cannot be
worried about fatiier, at U-ast, you need not be ;
we are more hopeful of his sjjccdy recovery thai'i
we have been for nearly two weeks. The doctor
spoke positively this morning, you know ; and fatlier
feels and looks better in every wav. Everythino-
IS going all right, Elfie; what is it that troubles
you? Has some one been telling you that father
was very ill, and not going to recover? "
Elfrida shook her head, and began to cry
harder. "^
"Then it must be some trou.ble of your own
dear; I have seen for several days that something
was wrong. Can't you confide in me, Elfie ^ I
thought I Avas your best and dearest friend, next
to mother; and she is so busy with father,—
canuot I take her place for a little while?"
p
198
AS IN A MI II lion.
" I don't know how to tell it," said poor Elfio ;
and her tone was so full of abject misery th. t
her sister was sure there was something j^nuvely
wrong. They walked on for some seconds in
silence, tlie elder sister trying to determine how
best to approach a girl wlio liad suddenly become
a bundle of sore nerves. Slu; had meant to ques-
tion her closely as to wiiy John was at the IIol-
combes', and how it Avas that she changed all lier
l)]ans, and came home with liim. lint the girl was
evidently too much excited now, and too miser-
able, to talk about personalities. She deteimined
to try to interest her in something that she had
forced herself to believe was entirely outside of
her sister's knowledge. Perhaps through that
story Elfie would get control of herself, and begin
to realize that there was real trouble in the world.
"Corliss told me a strange thing last night,"
she began quietly ; " iie is troubled about some of
the college boys, wild fellows, not at all of his
set, of coui-se. There is one in particular, named
Hooper, about whom he is especially anxious ; or, at
least, ho is the one for whom he has the least hope
of any young man in college. He says there is
hardly any evil that that boy is not capable of
planning. He overheard through some of that
set that certain very bad or very foolish girls had
been corresponding with them, strangere, you know,
Elfie, never having so much as met them ! What
especially worried Corliss was that this Hooper
\ '
KKVICLATIONS.
199
ious ; or, at
](]. Can
you i.na^ino who it can In,? They luso assnnu.l
nanu-s, J.o thinks; and «iio has oven sent him hw
photograpli ! Sliouhl yon suppose that a girl wh.,
inul intelligence enough to write a letter could be
guilty of such an act of folly as that? Corliss
came upon the fellow when lie was exhibiting it,
uud hiugiiing and making simply terrible speeches
over It. Corliss caught just a glimpse of the pic-
ture, and has been haunted ever si.ice with the
ulea that it bore a resemblance to Nell Marvin
Ot coui^e It was a mere resemblance, but only
think how dreadful ! It makes me angry fo. all
pure-hearted girls, to think that there are others
wlio can bring their class into disrepute in this
way. Ihen, woi^e than all the rest, they had
planned, those fellows, to bring a party of so-calle-
«Hle to join them. Corliss was so troubled about
It all_, for fear, you know, that some poor ignorant
gn-1 m our neighborhood would get into trouble,
that he secured leave of absence, and came out to
the Wayside House."
"Corliss came to tlie Wayside House ! " inter-
-Pt.d El rida, her voi.e indicating intense excll
ment; and she trembled so violently that the hand
^^tingonHildrethsarmshookas^witi;!;::;::^
200
AS IN A MIKllOU.
U\
s
"Yes," said Ilildrctli j^nivcly, iiiul with siiikiiipf
lu'iirt. Soiiu'thiiijj very serious must bo the nmt-
tcr. Her iiope wjis, poor sister, that Hlfrida must
have beeoine aware, iu some way, of the eorre-
8pou(hMi('i', aud knew \vlio was earryin*,' it on,
and that her eonseienee was trouhliiit»' her heeauso
she liad kept it secret. She tried to finish her
story without visible agitation.
"lie spent the entire evening at tlie Waysido
House, in sueli company, he says, as he was never
in before, and desires never t(» 1)C ogain ; but lio
knew none of the jjcople, at k'a^t none ot llie girls.
And this Hooper did not appear at all. He does
not know now whether Hooper learned in some
way that lie was there, and feared that he would
recognize the girl, or what detained him. Ccn-liss
is still worried and anxious. He talked with mo
this morning about it, and suggested that perhaps
you could help us to get at the truth. It touches
home, you see, coming right into our neighbor-
hood. Do the schoolgirls ever talk up any such
ideas, Elfie ? Of coui-so none of them would go
to the Wayside House; but there is no girl among
your classmates who would write an anonymous
letter, is there ? "
Elfrida made no sort of answer; and Hildreth,
suppressing an anxious sigh, after a moment went
on.
" There's anoth^rii' l];ing. Cn-l^'^s says that, while
he was waiting theiu that evening, he saw John
UKVKLATrONS.
201
moving iilu.uf •, '..0 lurKO room, as tbou.^l. l.e, too,
were ^y■.nUn^ for ,s(,nu.l.o,ly. (Joilk., didn't sp-ak
to linu, hoca.isc, of coiii^e, lu^ did Jiot caiv to he
re(.ogn,/.Ml in that phice if it c..nld he avoided •
but he could not help wonderin- if John were i,',
the hahit of frolug to the Wayshh'. I eannot think
tlmt Jio is, and yet I (h, not know; there is .onie-
tinner snspieious uhout him, an b-v -v i t
_,--L . MiuM „tip ihih, ami i cannot
nEVELATFOXS.
20
lO
^ of nice
see him,
le world.
;ttei-s. I
ling that
111 honor
letters,
himself
If in the
be mis-
T effort,
as hoth
)r.
3or girl
.11 upon
liad de-
hat we
needed
lii'ongh
now it
often
I had
know,
11 over
good,
e you,
rbody,
• they
iannot
bear to think that what Corliss says of him is
true.'' Another hni-st of tears. Iliklreth felt the
strangest mixture of emotions. She could have
shaken tiie trembling girl leaning on her arm for
being such an arrant simpleton, and she could
have gathered her to her heart and wept over her
as the innocent dupe of a villain ; and she was still
such a child ! They had thought her singularly
free from temptations of this sort.
"Please, I^llie, try to control youi-self, and tell
me all about it," she said at last; it was the ut-
most that she could bring herself to say. "Does
the Wayside House meeting come in?"
"Why, he wanted me to go and take a ride
with him ; he was to meet mo at Laura Ilolcomhe's ;
and— O Iliklreth, there is something more that I
am afraid you will think is dreadful. He wanted
my picture, a good while hefore this; and I would
""t send it to him, not my own, of course. I
bunted thr<.ngh the ph(.tographs in Corliss's collec-
tion for a fancy one ; and I came upon that one of
iNell Marvni's that she had taken in her weddino-
finery when she was her Aunt Kate's maid o." honol^
you rememher. You can hardly see her face in
It, because there is such a cloud of drapery. Well
I sent him that, and let him think it was I."
"O^ Elfie! " The listener could not repress
this single outcry of indignant pain.
"Was it awful, Iliklreth? I can feel that it
was, now; u, is very strange how dreadful thino-s
t3
206
AR TN A MTKTlOn.
m
11
sound, told over to you, tluit seemed nothing but
fun when Laura and I phmned them ! I hud not
the least idea that he would ever learn Avhose pic-
ture it was. Then, when I began to know him
better, and to anjoy his letters, and really like
him, as I told you, I thought it would be suc-h
fun to let him come and call on Laura and me,
and show him tliat the picture he had been raving
over Avas not mine at all. I thought we should
have a good laugh over it, and that would end the
matter. So that night he came. Laura and I
were to go to drive with hiui. but Laura was not
well enough to go, and ho insisted on my going
without her; he said I had i)romised. lie did not
mind about the picture in the least; in fact, he
said he liked my face much better than he did the
pictured one. I thought he was everything that
was good and noble. I did not know we were
going to Wayside until just as he was turning in
at the gate ; then ho said that he had an appoint-
ment there with a college friend, and when I told
him that I did not want to go thei-e, he asked me
if r would just stop in with liim for a moment or
two Avhile he spoke to his friend, and then we
would come right out. He said he had no idea
that the house was any different from other coun-
try hotels, aud that he nuist warn his college friends
of its local reijutation."
"Did you go Avith him to the AVayside ircmse'/"
interrupted Hildi'eth.
UNDEU SUSPICION.
207
liing but
[ luid not
hose j)ic-
now liiin
ally like
Le siieli
and me,
sn raving
e slionld
[ end tlie
a and 1
was not
ly going
B did not
fact, he
! did the
ing tliat
\\e Mere
riling in
appoint-
1 I told
■ne out of the can-iage, a,„l nut
me mto o„«, and drove away quiokty witl,
ayng a wo,,,, until ,ve were ou the road th
"""g It was f„r ,„e to go to the Way.si.lo House
You need not wor,y about .folu,, Hildreth 1 s
good ; he made „,e ,,..„„,ise that I would t 1 ou
a 1 about it. He had heanl it son.ewher 'the
:"'; "'»'■>'- *'"t the letter. I n.eau, and a
a d^pronused I would tell ,ou every wo.d, ani
ill d.,„ l,„ * , •* ''"™ ''''«» Plannins
i sept I .Idretl, do speak to n.e, or I shall
d-e ! Have 1 disgraced father and n.other and
you and everybody, and inju..d Nell? (U Z-t-
■ne ! If I could just die, and be forgotten - '
It was a ehihlish wail, and for the n.oment did
not appeal to ilil.lretlrs heart; son.eway t
ore huunhated still under the foree of'this n w
t. nth John, the hired n,a„, her father's trann,
taken .n, m the fi,.t plaeo, out of eharity, „,us 1.1'
eonetoeometothereseueofhersiste;.- 1:
the hurmng question was. l,„w did he oo„,e by the
knowledge that he possessed? If only he we
a snnp e, onest hired n,an, earning i'is honest
•■vmg byda.Iytod,- if he had been one of the
roughest an,I n,ost uneouth of their baek eonn !
ne.ghbo,«eon,etothereseue,_sl,eeouldhao
UNDER SUSPICION.
209
blessed him; but what was John? Possibly, for
all she knew, a worse man even than Augustus
bayre Hooper, iuiving knowledge of evil because
he was Iiimself of that same evil world. Then
came the thought of the humiliation in store for
her because of the necessity for talking the whole
wretched business over with John, discovering
just how much he knew, and, if possible, from
what source he liad gathered it. Her face burned
at the mere idea, and then paled at the memory
of Nell Marvi.i, and the disgrace that had been
carelessly brought upon her. What would Nan-
nie say if she heard of it, or ivheu sue lieard of it?
Must it not, as a matter of honor, all be told?
The poor girl found lierself bewildered over these
questions of right and wrong, uncertain which
way to turn. If she could only Iiave appealed to
Iier clear-headed father, or to her quiet, far-seeing
mother, but she was firm in the conviction that
neither of them must be told for the present ; of
(bourse, it was out of the question for her father,
and she could not feel that it would be right, un-
der present circumstances, to add to her mother's
burdens.
^Meantime, what was to be said to Elfrida ^
Not one word of comfort had she yet spoken, for
the reason, poor girl ! that she had not reached
the point where she could sincerely speak comfort.
She struggled with the sense of disappointment,
and angry irritation against Elfrida. How could
ill.
Mr
i
h r';
210
AS IN A MIRllOli.
ii girl who had grown up in such a home as liei-s,
with such a father uiul inotiier, have gotten so
far astray / If this was what the wicked outside
workl did for a sheltered and carefully guanh'd
one, how coukl girls who came up without the
environment of a Christian home ever escape?
It was thoughts like these that made her answer
the chikl's last appeal so coklly.
" People cannot die, Elfie, at a moment's notice,
and leave the consequences of their — mistakes to
othei-s.' She had liesitated for a word, and had
almost said "sins ;" hut a glance at the woe-hegone
face heside her restrained her tongue, and made
her say "mistakes" instead. "It is much more
nohle to live, and do one's utmost to set right any-
thing that may have gone wrong through fault of
ours." One more probing question she would ask.
" p]l(ie, you say that you did not at any time real-
ize that you were doing wrong ; it was just a bit
of fun from which no serious consecpiences were
expected. Will you tell me, then, why you did
not explain the wdiole sclicme to mother and me,
and let us share the fun with you? It seems to
me that we are both capable of enjoying fun,
and quite ready to sympathize with it. Had you
thought of that, dear?"
Elfrida's eyes drooped, and there was silence for
several seconds ; then she said, speaking low, —
"liildreth, Laura Molcombe thinks you are over-
particular about some things, and I am afraid she
UNDEll SUSPICION.
211
has made mo feel so sometimes. I told myself
that that was the reason wliy I sjiid nothing to
you al)out it; but I am going to speak exactly^'the
truth after this, to myself as well as to other peo-
ple, and I know now that I did not tell you be-
cause I felt that you and mother would be sure to
put a stop to the whole thing. At first I didn't
want it stopped because it was such fun, he wrote
such merry letters; and after that I liked him so
well that I wanted you to meet and like liim
too before I told you anything about it. Then I
thought lie would be a friend to all of us. He
said he was going to take pains to get acquainted
with Corliss, and that, being older than he, there
were perhaps ways in whieli he could help him."
Ilildreth's lip curled derisively. Such a crea-
ture as he help Corliss !
It was proljal)ly well for both the girls that home
duties held their attention closely for the remain-
der of that day. Certainly the older sister was
not yet ready with either advice or comfort, beyond
the few words she had compelled herself to syeak.
When, at last, she was at liberty to go over the
whole trying business in the privacy of her own
room, she tried to shoulder calmly her perplexities
and responsibilit ', and determine Mhat should be
done. But she found (luietness of spirit very hard
to assume. She had hoi)ed to give this fii-st hour
of leisure and solitude to Corliss and his very seri-
ous troubles ; and, behold, here was a much more
212
AS IN A MlUUOll.
I i
serious matter pressing up to claim immediate and
al)sorl)ing attention. It is true that Corliss had
hronght his troul)l('s upon himself by the merest
folly, hut there was a bright side to that trouble ;
it was folly, and not deliberate sin. Wliat if he
liad been one of the company at the lielmont House
on the evening in question, and had been forever
associated with the disgraceful scene, miiuite i)ar-
ticulai's of which were spread out in this even-
ing's paper for the wondering country people to
read? No names wei'O mentioned; but such mat-
ter always got abroad, especially in the country.
What if one could not in^lignantly deny that Cor-
liss had liad the remotest connection with it? Or
what if he had been goaded by poverty ijito the
a[)[)ropriation of that fifty-dollar note? Certainly
there was a blight side ! What a rest of soul it
was to her to realize that not so much as a pass-
ing suggestion as to his honesty had disturbed her.
When it c inie to a matter that Corliss chose to
consider important, his word ctmld be implicitly
l)eliQved. What an infinite pity it was that he
found his amusement in exaggerations, or at times,
as in this case, in positive untruthfulness. But
there was a way out for him, of course, and that
a speedy one ; or if not, if it came to public embar-
rassment and disgrace to endure, there was al-
ways that central brightness flashing out from the
thought that she could be sure that he was bear-
ing disgrace unjustly. But Elfrida's trouble was
U>!DKU
ICION.
213
dn iinotlu'i- i,Iaii(«. Tlic p,,,,,- ,.h[\a luul „) at>t-
edlygono iistray. Not so far as she might have
goiHi; s\h^ IukI Iktu nu'rcifully shielded I'lom an
introduction t., a world outside of, and far below
her, Kueh as an evening at the Wayside J louse
would liavo given her. W„uld it perhaps have
been a revelation tluit she actually needed, in or-
der to open lier eyes to the dangers awaiting f„„l.
i.sh feet in tliat eruel world? X<,t that llildrelh
would for the world have had the experiment
tried ! And that it was not, they had John to
thank ! Then she thought again of the interview
she must Jiave with him, and the careful questitm-
ing there nnist be to lind how much or how little
he knew. What did that mysterious and, at times,
suspicious John know of the world? JIow cou-
vei-sant was he with the Wayside House and places
of like reputation ? How nuich of what he would
t^ll her would be ti-uth, and how nmch invented
to suit the occasion? It was very bitter; but it
seemed to her then, that, because of the habit of
falsifying that had taken h(.ld of people, there was
almost nobody whom she could trust. Never
mind, she nuist shoulder the burden, and do the
best she could. Perhaps she ought not to have
waited until morning. Her young sister's name
might even now be tossing about among the low
and the coarse. Also, there was Nell IMarvin's
photograph, -how were they to get possession of
It again, or to explain to Nellie and her father ant as to whiit rej)ly to make.
" It is certainly very generous in you to offer to
under' SUSPICION.
217
help inc," ho said at lust, "and, of course, I am
oblio-ed to you ; hut, at present at least, I shall not
horrow. 1 shall have to confess that you have
given me a surprise ; I didn't imagine that you
had a bank account. The circumstances under
which you came to my father, had not led me to
suppose that you were a moneyed man."
John's face grew red under the taunt, and the
realization of his own folly ; he had made another
mistake. lie drove on for some seconds in silence,
then he said coldly, —
" A man can earn money, Mr. Corliss, by work-
ing with his hands, and be honest about it."
" Of course he can," said Corliss heartily. « I
don't want you to imagine for a minute that I look
down upon any working-man, or feel superior to
him; but, John, an honest working-man, wdio has
money laid up, doesn't, as a rule, turn tramp, and
come into a neighborhood where he is an entire
stranger, in search of a meal. However, that is
none of our business, T suppose, so long as you do
your work well ; you look as though you would
like to say something of that kind to me, so I will
say it for you. I'll tell you something that may
surprise you. I had occasion to go to the Wayside
House on 1)usincss night before"^ last, and I was
very sorry to catch a glimpse of you in the same
place. You may be so much of a stranger in the
neighborhood as not to understand the character
of that house ; if this is so, the sooner you can be
218
AS TX A MTKROR.
■1','
W
I
i(
!
i
f
i
f
i
I
put on your guard the better. So far as I know,
no respectahle person frequents it; and it is the
reguhir resort of some of the worst characters in
this part of the country. If you are a good honest
fellow, John, as I want to think you are, you will
not mind my plain speaking. 1 am quite sure that
my father would not like to continue in his em-
ploy a man who is in the habit of going to such
places."
"I was never at the Wayside House before in
my life," said John quickly; "it was very impor-
tant business which took me there that evening.
I saw you there, jMr. Corliss, and -wondered at it.
I have heard about the house ; your father him-
self told me of some things that have taken place
there. You have been good enough to tell me
that you were sorry to see me in such a place;
perhaps you will excuse me if I say that 1 had
much the same feeling about seeing Mr. Elliott's
son there."
Corliss laughed. " There are two of us, are
there? " he said gayly. " I believe it v> .s also my
fii-st visit to that renowed spot. Queer that we
cliose the same niglit, isn't it? Do you know
what I would advise? That neither of us n-o
again. The business that I thought called me
didn't amount to anything ; it would have been
better in every way if I had not gone ; I dare say
the same could be said of youi's."
John make no audible reply to this tentative
are
,
TTXDEU .SURPICroX.
219
• liicstioii. Jn liis lioiirt lio said, ''Indeod it could
not! H you knew wliat took nic there, my lofty
youug man, you would go down upon your knees
in gratitude for my effort and its success."
They Avere nearing the station ; and the hoi-ses
heing restive under the passing of a freight-train,
the driver had a good excuse forgiving undivided
attention to them.
After his passenger had alighted, and bowed his
good-morning, he turned back to say kindly, —
" I don't know whether I thanked you for your
kind intentions. I really am very grateful; if I
ever need your help in any way, I shall be sure to
remend)er. And if you should need my help at
any time, I shall be glad to give it."
Then he ran for his train.
:
;ii8
'■'•In ¥
f:ihL
hi
M
in
|i •
220
AS IN A MIRROR.
CHAPTER XVIII.
ACTS IX. 11.
JOHN STUART drove home from the station
ill wliat might l)e called a mixed frame of
mind. There was undoubtedly a ludicrous side to
the interview just closed. He had been thinking-
more or k'ss about Corliss Elliott for several weeks,
partly because he seemed to him such a merry-
hearted, easily led fellow, and lie knew the pecu-
liar temptations of life iu certain colleges for such
as he; also because; he knew by reputation cer-
tain students at this particular college who he
fancied Avere friends of Coiliss : and mainly — this
he told himself, with that stern resolve to think
just the truth— because he was Hildreth Elliott's
brother, and evidently peculiarly precious to her;
and her interests — he never allowed himself to
carry liis trains of thought in this direction an inch
farther.
liut he laughed, in spite of the undertone of
gloom, over the ludicrous side of the interview.
He had been troubled for (Corliss, and Corliss liad
been troul)l('d for him; lie w.'is suspicious that
Corliss had gotten into trouble that would bring
ACTS IX. 11.
2:21
I
soiTow to his sister, and ('orliss was suspicious of
him in a dozen different ways. Hotli of them had
been guests, at least once, at a disreputable liouse ;
and each deeply regretted it for the other !
After the laugh, his face gloomed; he had
failed in his attempt at helpfulness, and reason-
ably so ; he could not but admit that all he had
done had been to make his own position more sus-
picious.
" That is what I am," he said irritably, "simply
an object of suspicion ; the boy frankly tells me
of it! I am a fool, and I continue to get myself
more deeply involved each day. Yet what can I
do? It would be the vilest ingratitude to leave
them just now, in their trouble ; but until I do
leave them I fear there is nothing that I can do to
help them. I have put myself into a strange posi-
tiou, certainly.''
He sighed heavily, and then gave the horses an
irritable flick with the tassels of his whip, as
though they were to blame ; and, as they quick-
ened their steps and hurried him homeward, he
continued to make himself miserable over the vari-
ous efforts he could now make for the Elliott fam-
11}% provided he Avas in their eyes what he was in
reality.
Seated in the train, speeding toward college and
trouble, Corliss Elliott went all over his recent
interview, with a half-smile on his face. It was
so ridiculous to think of John offering him money!
i I
ii
090
-I Pi': IIP
AS TN A MinnOR.
IJiit it wiis kind in him, and sliowed wjinn-lieiirted-
ness; llu; fallow ouolit to be liclped. Why was
not Hihh-t'th iit work tiying- to do it ? I^lion he
was obliged to smile again ovei- the folly of that
thought. Poor Ilildrelh, who .seemed to l)e the
one who had always to shoulder the family bur-
dens — had he not himself just laid a heavy one
upon her? Doubtless, too, she was doing what
she could for John; she would not be liis sister
Hildreth if she were not. This thought reminded
him of a little note that had been thi-iist into his
vest-pocket; Hildreth had handed it to him as
she bade him good-by. " Read that when you
iire quite alone," she had said. It was dou])tiess
some added word of sympathy for him in his
trouble, or of suggestion as to the way out. Dear
Hildreth! she had lain awake half the night,
probably, thinking of him ; Avhile he, after sitting
with his father until midnight, had been so thor-
oughly tired, over the excitements of the day, that
he had put everytliin^ from him, and gone to sleep
like a veritable schoolboy. He glanced about
him at his fellow-passengei-s ; the train was full
enough, nevertheless, he felt quite alone. Not a
face there that invited his attention, lie would
read the little note, and see what suggestion Hil-
dreth had to offer. She Avas level-headed, tliis
sister of liis ; and anything she had thought out
was worthy of consideration.
ACTS TX. 11.
228
'• Dkau CoitMss [it began], I went all over your ulfaiis
a hiindred finies, I lliink, last nigl,t, jnul found no lit-lit or
comfort until I suddenly reMU'ml)ered a direction that 1 had
once resolved to follow : 'Casting all your care upon hini,
for he careth for you.' T proved it once more, taking the
whole matter, with all its possible entanglements, to Jesus
Christ. When T arose from my knees, of course not a
circumstance was in any way changed, yet my weight of
anxiety was gone ! I felt sure that you would be brought
safely through, and that the experience wciUd woik for
your good. Do you know what I thought next? 'Oh,
if Corliss only i>raiiedr I said to myself. It does seem
.strange, Corliss dear, that you are not willing to try that
simple remedy for all ills, which has never been known to
fail. Won't you let me ask you once more, more earnestly,
if possible, than I ever did before, to tak(! it all to Christ?
"Xow I can ahnost hear your old refrain about being r.
goat, and having therefore no I'ight to the sheep's pastur-
age ; but of course you know that that is simply a merry
way of begging a serious question. Suppose a sheep per-
sisted in remaining outside with the goats, though offered
all the protection and jirivileges of the sheepfold? But T
do not mean to preach ; I only want to ask you most ear-
nestly if, in this crisis in your life, you will not test Jesus
Christ."
The young man slowly folded the little note,
find laid it away. Its contents had been very dif-
ferent from what he had imagined. He could not
tell why the simple Avords appealed to him so
forcefully; it was not the first, nor indeed per-
haps the hundredth time, that Ilildreth had, in
one form or another, put in an earnest plea for
him to become a man of pravor.
224
AS IX A MTIinOR.
He hiul put h.T petitions usido with guy cour-
tesy, always with the nunital rcsolntiou ti) some
time or other o-ive atteiiti(m to this matter; autl
with this concession he had always been able to
tui-n his thoughts quickly into another chaimel.
This morning he was not. In vain he tried to
concentrate his thought on ins present perplexi-
ties, to arrange an interview with President Ciiam-
bei-s, to apologize for some of the rude words he
had spoken on the evening before; to plan ways
of making plain his absence from the city on the
Tuesday evening in question, without confessing
that lie had spent it at the notorious Wayside
House, wliere seveiul of the college men had al-
ready encountered disgrace. Above all things, to
try t(- plan some feasible theory concernin'r the
disappearance of that fifty-dollar note. He could
not think consecutively about any of these mat-
ters. Instead, his brain kept constantly repeating
to him that last sentence : " I only want to ask
yon most earnestly if, in this crisis in your life,
you will not test Jesus Christ?" That was a
startling way of putting it ! Almost irreverent, if
It bad come from any other pen tlian Hildreth's.
Had one a right to talk about testing God?
Straightway came to mind an old verse learned in
childhood: "IJring ye all the tithes into the store-
house, and pi-ove me now herewith, saith the Lord;"
what was that but a challenge to be tested ? It
was true, as Hildreth had intimated, that he and
i
ACTS IX. 11.
225
Elfrida had actually jested together al)()ut their
being goats, while all the rest of the family were
of the best sheep in the fold; but, on this i)artie-
ular iiT^ .ing, it did not seem like a jest, he did
not want to be left out, homeless. He wanted to
claim utmost and eternal kinship with that blessed
father and mother of his. Then he thought of
how pale his father had looked after the fever
went down, and how the hand he had held out to
grasp his had trembled. That kind hand which
had never failed him in any need ! If God really
were like a father, how much he needed him now!
To be able to tell all his story to that blessed
earthly father of his would be such a relief ! If
one only knew how to go in that way to God!
Certainly tliat was the way in which Ilildreth un-
derstood religion ; there was no sham to her, not
the merest shadow of a make-believe. He tried to
determine just what his own belief was.
He had been the subject, at given times in his
life, of certain experiences that might perhaps be
called sentimentalisms. That is, his emotional
nature had been reached by some powerful appeal
to it in the narae of religion; but he had never
been deeply enough moved for action. The im-
pression which was being made this morning was
different. There was nothing in Hildreth's note
to excite him or to awaken emotion ; yet he felt
himself arraigned, as before an invisible judge, to
account for his position. He believed in prayer.
liHl
^■n
226
AS T\ A MlUIton.
I
^■'1 '1
1
B'
SI*
■':
^H
i
B
^■P
! < ■
't .H
1
1
1
^■'''1
'1 1
of coui'se ; his fiitlioi-'s sou could uot have douo
less. But just what did he believe iu regard to
it? Why this, beyoud questiou : that it was pos-
sible for a huiuau being to seeiu-e audience with
One, known in history as Jesus Christ, a divine
being, inlinite in wisdom and power and love —
therefore, a being both ihle and willing to l)e-
friend him. Why, then, if he were a pei-sou of
average connnon sense, did he persist in holding
himself aloof from the help that such a belief un-
doubtedly afforded? Why should not this power-
ful Friend be his friend? Why should not the
promise on Avhieh his parents and his sister leaned,
the promise of divine guidance for the asking, be
his also? He confessed to himself that, very often
indeed, as he had looked into his sistei-'s pure face
and earnest eyes, he had been reminded of a Bible
verse, learned in his early boyhood, about certain
persons who took knowledge of certain others that
they had been with Jesus. Jle admitted that had
he been ii; lined to be sceptical, his sister's singu-
larly consecrated life would have been an un-
answerable argument to him ; but he was not
sceptical. Nothing that he had studied in the
schools seemed clearer or more certain to him than
did the fundamental verities of the Christian reli-
gion. It had been but a few days before, in a free-
and-easy convei-sation with some of the students,
during Avhich certain sceptical sentiments had been
advanced, that he had assured tht
■ipe;
that he
ACTS IX. 11.
227
had ilii'ou volmnos of the Evidcnii^es of Christiiiu-
ity in tlie prisons of liis fatlici- iiiid inotlier and
sister; and that any fellow wlio had oi)i)ortunity
to study them, would as soon think of douhtin.L,'
the daily smuist! as of (juestionintr the founda-
tions on which such living- as theirs was built.
lie reealled llw iiroiuptness with which he had
made this resijonsc ; and he told himself that lie
was an in(!onsisteut fellow, unworthy of eredenee.
How was his life; proving that he was any better
than a boy who had no mother, and a mean fatluM',
and a sister without an ounce of brains? He
knew certain boys whose home life might be thus
described. If he honestly believed what, when he
talked with the boys, he professed to, why not
avail himself of the offered hell)? He certainly
was in trouble ; he might put it aside for the time
with the assurance that there was a way out, yet
all the while he was conscious of an undertone of
grave anxiety.
"That's an awfully selfish motive; you ought
to be ashamed to go to God for the fii-st time for
any such reason." lie did not recognize the
enemy of souls as the speaker, but his good sense
made inunediate answer.
"What of that?" It would be a selfish mo-
tive that would prompt him to seek human help.
Yet if there were an available human friend at
this moment, one whom he had reason to think
had holli ability and desire to help liini, it would
O.)
28
AB IN A MIUUOU.
I.i |i1
not take him two miimtcs to dooiilo to sock him
at the fn-st opportunity, ami lay the ease before
him. llo could conceive of a man who would he
great enou<,di to overlook past indifference upon
his pan, and vwn slights, and come forward to
liis aid. There were such pi'oi)lc ; undouhtedly
there were such fathci-s. Didn't he know that if
lie were the worthless creatuni President (!ham-
hcrs evidently considered him, and yet had gone
frankly to his father with the story of his trouble,
he would have been met more than half way, and
hcl[)ed to the extent of that father's ability? Why
should it be an incredible thing that God, who
had chosen to name himself Father, should do as
nuich ?
Yot let him be sincere in this matter. He
would not go even to his earthly fatiier Avithout
being ready to say to him, '' Father, I have done
wrong ; I have gone contraiy to what you would
have advised, and have brought this trouble upon
m3-self lai-gely by my folly. I want you to under-
stand that I don't mean to get into this sort of
scrape again ; I mean to follow your footsteps
after this as well as I can." AVas he ready to
make such a statement to a Father in lieaven?
Had he counted the cost? Yet, after all, what
was the cost? What obligations were to be as-
sumed in order to become a member of this family,
and claim the privileges of sonship? It seemed
wonderful to him afterwards to remember how
ACTS IX. ll.
220
frtMlueiitly during that moriiiiig's coiifureiico with
liim.soll:' tlieio apprnrod beforo him words that ho
had huinicd in chihlhood, ready to unsvvur his (luus-
tion.s authoritatively. Ono such canio now: —
" What {h)tli tlie Lord thy God require of
thee, but to fear the Lord thy (iod, to walk in
all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the
I^ord thy (iod with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul ? "
Tremendous obligations, certaiidy ; yet, really,
llusy were entirely reasonable, remembering who
he was, and what he knew of (iod. Had he not
always intended to give this subject serious atten-
ticm some time? Did he not believe that it was
every man's duty to use his common sense in this,
as in all other mattei-s, and act in accordance with
his best judgment? Those fellows who had bad
habits to give u[), and who did not care to maki;
the best they cc 1 of their lives, certainly had
excuses for delay that he had not. He believed
that he had been simply a fool to put off settling
suv'h important questions as these. He did not
know why ho had done so. It seemed strange that
they persisted now in being thought of. It was
quite vain to try to push them aside with the ex-
cuse that he had affairs re(iuiring immediate atten-
tion ; they pei-sisted in remaining uppermost in his
mind as the most important of all affaii-s. Instead
of going in search of President Chambers, as he had
intended to U- as soon as he reached the college
AS IN A MIRROR.
grounds, he went directly to his own room, and
closed and locked the door.
It might have been an hour, perhaps it was
longer, that he sat with folded arms staring straight
into nothingness, thiiddng as he had not thought
before in his life. Recalling it afterwards, he re-
membered that there went from him, for the time,
all memory, even, of what was awaiting him in col-
lege ; this one subject pressed its claims in a singu-
larly assertive manner. At the close of the hour,
or whatever period of time it was, he arose with
the air of one who had settled something, crossed
over to the window, drew down the shade, and
dropped upon his knees.
" Jackson," said President Chand)ers that after-
noon, "did Elliott return by the morning train? "
" Yes, sir ; he came in at eleven o'clock."
" Do you know where he is ? "
" lie went directly to his room, sir, and I
haven't seen him since. I noticed particularly
that he did not come out for his twelve o'clock
hour."
" Jackson, go to his room, and say that I should
like to see him innnediately."
Jackson bowed himself away, and in a very
brief space of time returned alone.
" Well," said President Cliambers inquiringly,
"did you find him?"
" Yes, sir: he is in his room, but " — .
" Did you give hini my message ? "
ACTS rX. 11.
231
"No, sir, I didn't, because he is — he is very
much engaged, sir, and I didn't think you would
like to have him disturbed ; I didn't even knock
at the door."
" Indeed ! What is the nature of an engage-
ment which is so important in your eyes that you
cannot deliver a message from me ? Is it visible
from the key-hole ? "
" No, sir, I didn't see him, but I heard him ; to
tell you the truth, sir, he is pi'aying."
A sudden softened look overspread the hand-
some face of the president; he had not known
that Corliss Elliott ever had engagements of that
kind.
"Very well," he said to the waiting Jackson,
"you did quite right. Watch your opportunity,
and send Elliott to me as soon as he is disen-
gaged."
232
AS IN A MIRROR.
i
i
It'
IS ^i
I;
•V i
CHAPTER XIX.
"BEFORE THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER.
CORLISS ELLIOTT waited for no word from
the president, but, directly he was permitted
to enter, went straight toward him, and spoke
rapidly : —
" President Chambei-s, I was just coming to ask
if I might speak with you for a moment, when
Jackson told me you had sent for me. I want to
ask your pardon, sir, for the very disrespectful
words that I spoke last night. I was so excited
and angry that I did not realize what I was saying.
I told you the truth, sir, in every particular; but
I can see, upon reflection, that under the circum-
stances you are perhaps justified in not believing
me ; and, in any case, I ought not to have said
what I did."
" Sit down, Elliott," said President Chambers,
motioning the young man to a seat ; " I want to
liave a little talk with you. There are two of us,
it seems. I sent for you in order to tell you that
I evidently spoke, last night, without due con-
sideration. Within an hour after my words with
you, information came to me that proved the
I
i
said
"BEFORE THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER." 233
truth of your statements with repaid to tlie Bel-
mont House disgrace. I am more ghid than I can
perhaps make plain to you to learn that you were
not present that eveningj and are not in any way
associated with the att'air. At the same time I
learned another thing that caused me pain. Are
you willing to tell me where you were on Tuesday
evening?"
Elliott's face flushed, but he answered quickly :
" I will tell you, sir, although I cannot say that
I like to do so. I spent the evening and the
greater part of the night at a country hotel called
the Wayside, about five miles from my own home.
It is a disreputable place, and my father has never
approved of my stopping there, even on business ;
nevertheless, I thought I had business that evening
which would justify my going."
"Are you willing to tell me the nature of the
business? "
" In part, yes ; I had reason to fear that a young
person in our own neighborhood had been led into
troid)le, and was in danger of being led farther ; so,
on the impulse of the moment, I went out there
to learn the truth, if possible. It came to nothing,
and I am sorry I went; but that is where I w^as
on Tuesday night."
The president's grave face lighted with the
semblance of a smile. " I am very glad to hear
it," 1h^ said heartily ; " for one tiling, I am glad to
have an authentic witness to what occurred at The
234
AS TN A MIRROR.
Wayside on that evening. I am not nnaware that
some of our own students were the ijlannei-s of
that ehoice entertainment, and I need liardly tell you
that all the circumstances connected with it will
he most carefully inquired into. You may he ahle
to do the college good service hy helping us to put
down this form of iniquity. I congratulate you
on having learned that none of the girls of your
own neighhorhood were implicated in the disgrace-
ful affair. And now, wnth regard to the Hftj-dollar
hank-note that you left at Wellingtons', no light
has l)een thrown upon its mysterious disappear-
ance; but, in view of tlie light that has come to me
from other sources, I am prepared to ask your par-
d(m for my last night's insinuations, and to assure
you that I have this morning no hesitancy in tak-
ing your word that yen did with it just as you
said."
For the first time since his troubles had come
upon him Corliss Elliott felt a choking sensation
in his throat, and knew that, if he had been a girl,
he would have burst into tears.
''Thank you," he said with difficulty. "It is
very good of you, indeed, after all the lies you
overheard me tell in fun ; but I assure you, Presi-
d(uit Chambers, I never told a lie in earnest in my
life. I could hardly belong to my father's family,
and not be true."
" I can well believe that," said the president
lieartily. " I know your fan)ily very well, and I
''BKFOUK THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER.
235
knew your gnuulfather. But I wonder if I may
remind you that, when you get your sport in such
ways, you are pUiying wiili edged tools ? "
Poor Corliss's face flusheil deeply. "I should
think mvself an idiot," he said, 'Mf I had not
learned that lesson. But, President Chambers,
what can have become of tlie fiftj-'dollar note ? "
The president shook his head. " I don't know,
Elliott, we will not go into that ; it is one of the
mysteries that perhaps may never be explained ;
sulhce it to say, that I entirely exonerate you from
all blame in the matter."
"•But I cannot have it left so, sir; it must be
found ! There are two of us who will suffer un-
justly all our lives if it is not."
You gave it to young Esterbrook, Elliott? "
'^ I laid it down before his eyes ; and he said he
would attend to it iu a moment, and would send
up the receipt."
" And you have entire confidence in Ester-
brook ?"
" [ would as soon think of my appropriating the
money as of his doing it ! "
" I am glad to hear you say so, Elliott. I, too,
have strong conlidence in that young man ; there-
fore, as I say, it must for the present remain a
mystery. But let me repeat my assiuunce " —
Just at that moment came a knock at the door,
and Jackson's l\ead appeared.
" A note iov you, sii", marked ' Haste ! ' "
a
ti
' i
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t\
ii
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236
AS IX A MIRHDU.
■iJI
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wmm»>.'m'
If
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^^BBsi^MC'
5
^^BSlH'
is
The president held out his hand, broke the seal,
glaneed through the eonteuts, with a smile ou his
face that grew as he read ; then rising, he went
over to Elliott, and lield out his hand.
"Let me eongratulate you, my boy; I am glad
tliat I assured you of my perfeet faitli in your
word. The missing note is found ; there isn't even
the dignity of a thief in the matter. Esterbrook
is humiliated to the dust to tind it with some ref-
use paper in liis own waste-basket! "
That afternoon John Stuart made the Elliott
horses travel faster than they had ever been known
to do in their short and easy lives. He left them
at the gate uncared for, while he hurried into the
kitchen, and intercepted Jlildreth on her way to
her father's room with a tray of tea and toast.
"A telegram for you, ]\Iiss Elliott." As he
spoke, be took the tray from bands that trembled,
and waited while they tore open the fateful yellow
messenger. Mrs. Elliott, coming at that moment
from the sick-room, waited, her face very [)ale,
oidy <■' '• a second; then Ilildretb laughed, and her
motli s heart went on beating again.
"What is it, dear?''
"It is from Corliss, mother; it says, ' O. K.
Ilallclujah !' and not another word beside. Corliss
was having some trouble in college, tliat he did not
want you worried with ; and is safely out of it."
" Trouble in college ! " repeated Mrs. Elliott,
IJKFOUK TIIKV CALL, [ WILL ANSWEIl.
237
I
woiideringly. " yVbout liis studies, do you moan?
Ilildreth, your fatlMT is calliu^." And liildretli
was spared the duty of re[)lying.
Her way tlirouoli dillieulties was less bright than
Corliss's had been. She found it very hard to de-
termine just what ought to be done. The inter-
view with John was not so trying as she had
expected. She had said that, if it were only one
of her scholars to whom she was indebted for
shielding Elfrida, she could be grateful ; and, be-
hold, it was Thomas, the dullard and blunderer!
John kept his share of the proceedings in the back-
ground ; from his standpoint what he did was the
merest commonplace, that would have been done,
as a matter of course, by any employee of Mr. Elli-
ott. Hildreth felt soothed by his manner; but, no
sooner had she left him, than she began to reflect
that it was very unlike the manner of the average
working-man. Once or twice he had appeared
strangely end)arrassed, beginning a sentence that
seemed to have a suggestion of helpfulness in it,
and then suddenly ceasing before it was completed.
Did he know more than he had chosen to tell her?
No, that could not be ; for his story had been very
direct and explicit. I le had not hesitated, nor eom-
l)elled her to question him for particulars; yet
there was something strange about him. She dis-
missed him from her mind, and took up Elfrida's
problem. Could she wait until her father was
better, and ask his advice ? No ; manifestly she
238
AS m A MIRROR.
■i;
mu
could not. Circumstances settled that point all
too promptly. l)es[)ite vigorous exertions on the
part of John Stuart, that she knew nothing about,
a painful publicity was given to the affair. A
scandal, such as gossips love to feed upon, had
arisen in connection with that evening at the
Wayside Mouse ; and reporters travelled every-
where, hiuigry for every particular that could in
the remotest degree be connected with it, being
skilful in putting together particulars that it
needed a microscope to make fit the central story.
Under such circumstances, it became simply im-
possible to keep hints about Elfrida out of the
daily papers. Her name was mercifully and by
great effort suppressed ; but a certain class of re-
porters know how to prepare a dish so marked in
its flavor that, though even its initials be not given,
those who pass may recognize it. They found an
efficient helper in Laura Ilolcombe, who, having
been sharply reprimanded even by her own parents
for her share in the disgrace, Avas sulky, and took
revenge by telling freely all she knew about the
corresj)ondence between " Elf Elliott " and the
unknown college boy, and the engagement to drive
with him without the knowledge of her own fam-
ily. Laura had even discovered, in some way,
John's share in that evening's programme ; and this
made a most to(jthsome morsel for the reportei-s.
It was not that Laura Holcombe was malicious to
that extent ; she even cried when she found that
\
"BKFORE THEY CALL, T WILL ANSWER." 239
,1
some of her talk had got into the papers, and was
plain enongli for all acnjnainted with the locality
to undei-stand. She had not meant to hrew deep
mischief for her friend, hut simply to talk, while
she was angry, and could find interested listenei-s,
who were not too scrupulous in repeating what they
heard. Possihly it was a salutary and certainly a
much-needed lesson for Laura. They had selected
two names from the college catalogue, and written
each a letter. Laura Ilolcomhe fully understood
that it was only hecause the name that she hap-
pened to choose helonged to a gentleman, who took
no notice of it, that she was not in a like plight
with her friend. No, I am wrong; it is douhtful if
she would, under any circumstances, have gotten
hei-self uito such a plight. She understood this
wicked world nuich hettcr than Elfrida did, and
helonged to that wretched class of human beings
who can urge another on to depths that they them-
selves are too wise to descend. The one had
sinned ignorantly, as a child ; the other had held
back like a girl who knew too much about the
world of sin. And the older sister, weeping and
praying, realized, what the sistere and mothers of
to-day are so slow to learn, that ignorance is not a
shield. If she had only talked more plainly with
Eltie, instead of trying to shelter her and keep her
in ignorance of the dangers that lie in wait for
the unwary!
Meantime, she wrought as well as prayed ; that
240
AS IN A MIRROR.
photograph, whicli ought never to liavo been sent,
must lie recovered. 7\fter cjirelul (h'li he ration she
resolved to write for it herself ; indeed, there was
no one else to do it. She considered the wisdom
of putting the matter into CJorliss's hands, and de-
cidetl that she must not. Corliss was young, and
not too discreet where his feelings were engaged,
and he was in the same building with the offender;
a serious (juarrel might result if he undertook to
have an interview with Augustus Sayre Hooper.
She wrote the letter, such a one as ilildreth Elliott
could write on occasion ; and let us hope that the
said Augustus Sayre Hooper arose from its perusal
with, for once, a true opinion of liiniself. He wrote
a reply that made Hildreth's indignation burn, but
he returned the photograph. The sarcasms in his
letter may have been increased by the fact that lie
was not finding the way of the trangressor easy.
The phials of President Chambers's wrath had been
poured out upon him, and prompt expulsion from
college had followed investigation. His only.sol-
ace was that he did not suffer alone ; there may
possibly also have been a drop of comfort in the
thought that the results of his ill-doings were not
so far-reaching nor so disastrous as were those of
two of his boon companions.
It had, of coui-se, been imi)ossible to save Corliss
the knowledge of Elfrida's share in the disgrace ;
indeed, the evening pai)ers would have eidightened
him, had he heard from no other souce. His pain
JMCFOIIK THKY CALL, I WILL ANSWER." 241
1
and slianie, when the aHtonndiiij^ facts fii-st revealed
tliemselves to him, it woiihl be impossible to de-
scribe. Uv tohl IIiidri!th afterwards, that, but for
I'resideiit Chambers's thoiiiJi'htful syin[)athy and un-
failiiiii^ kindness, it seemed to him that he shouhl
liave died. To think that tlie ifjnorant country
girl, that he had rushed away to try to warn and
save, had been his own beautiful young sister, his
playmate and darlinj^.
" It is a factory town, sir," lu; had explained to
the president, before he knew this terrible fact;
"and there are girls by the dozen who are densely
ignorant of the connnon proprieties of life. ]My
sister is trying to hel[) them in every way that she
can, and I thought it niight possibly be one in
whom she was interested."
" I undei-stand," President Chambers had said ;
"it was noble in you, Elliott," but his voice had
had a curious, almost a pitying, note in it. Corliss
had wondered at the time, and his face liad burned
over it afterwards. Even then, probably, Presi-
dent Clnunbers had known who the girl was !
Smarting under the shame of it all, he wrote such
a letter to his young sister as he regretted after-
wards ; and she cried over it as nothing up to that
time had made her cry. In truth, she, poor girl,
was having a lesson that might well be sufficient
for a lifetime. It was not enough that she had
all but broken the heart of her father and mother,
for the day came when they, too, had to know the
242
AS IN A MIIIHOII.
>
,:
■if
M
m
i
i
•fe ;
:!
I!
whole, uikI made tlus faees of l)rother and histor
Imrii with shame for her; hut the neighhorhood,
tliat portion of it whii-h was least to he respeeted,
got hold of serajis of her story, and imagined more,
and tossed it hack and forth on rude and eareless
tongues, until there were many who hegau to look
askanee at her, and speak of her as " tliat Klliott
girl," and to say that no wonder her father was so
ill, it is a wonder that he did not die, and that
they had always thought Elf Elliott a bold-aeting
girl, and that they guessed Ilildreth's pride would
l)e taken (h)wn a little now. And other helpful
and symj)iithetie words eame, by one source and
another, baek to Elf'idu, until she fairly shunned
the daylight, and was in sueli a deplorably nervous
state that it was judged wise to keep her out of
school ; though this Hiltireth regretted for her
bitterly, knowin.g what an ordeal it would be for
her when the time eame that she must return.
The time came speedily to this watchful sister
when she felt oidy pity for the i)oor flower whose
brightness had been crushed before it w^as really
time for her to bloom. Undoubtedly she had done
wrong, and of coui"se she ought to have known
better. But then she had sinned so ignorantly
and so childishly ; she had honestly believed in all
the fine theories that Augustus Sayre Hooper had
spun for her on paper. She had thought that,
through her, a friend rich and wise and powerful
had been introduced to the family, who would do
k
*'BKFOUK TIIKV l.iLL, I WIF.L AXSWKU." 243
\
vaguely wondorful tliiiip^s for CorlisH aiid all the
rest of tht'Ui. Ilildit'tli, as she went uaiefiiliy over
the Itittei-s, anxious to know just how nuu-h [Mjisou
had been scatteicd throui^h IIkmu, eould not hut
admit that the youujj^ man had a talent for writ-
iiillection.
, and let
hold of
probal)ly
been the
[ook, and
ce: —
"Why, Nannie I how could 1 do such a tiling as
that ? " '
" Why couldn't you ? That is what I am asking.
You wouldn't harm anybody by silence, and there
is a sense in which it would have shielded EUie.
Nell cannot very well help being angry when she
heai-s of it ; and as for father and mother, I don't
know what they will say, father is so terribly par-
ticular about such things. lie is like you. If I
had been you, I should just have kept it still ; but I
know you well enough to be sure that your dread-
ful conscience will give you no rest until you have
t(jld father and mother every turn of the story.
You ought to have lived in the days of the martyrs,
Ilildreth. Did you really have no temptation to
a different course?"
"Temptation?" said Ilildreth hesitatingly, with
a heightened color on her face. " I don't think I
thought of it as a temptation, but perhaps it was.
The thought came to me, that, if the story of the
photograph was not known at all, it might cause
less pain to others to have nothing said about it.
But you are quite right, Nannie; I could not get
the consent of my conscience to such a coui-se, it
savored too strongly of deception. Besides, such
things always get out. I have been expecting
every hour to hear fearfully exaggerated accounts
of it all ; and to have had to come to you then
with tlie truth would have been much more liu-
mil'ating than to do it now. It was that thouglit
\ W^Hi
\! m
ij ^fl| '
1^
< ■
248
AS IN
MIRUOU.
which made the right coui-se plain to me, because
I realized that I shoidd liave been ashamed to have
it known that 1 had had the truth from the begin-
ning. No, I have thought it all over, Nannie, try-
ing to learn just what would be the right thing to
do ; and the more I have thought and i)i'ayed, the
more lirm has become the conviction that in this
ease, as in most others, entire frankness was the
safer and wiser coui-se. 1 have told you now all
that there is to tell ; no stories, however garbled,
need add in the least to your anxiety or annoy-
ance. Suppose I had kept back portions of the
truth, and had been obliged to confess them by
piecemeal afterwards; don't you see how instantly
you would be troubled with the thought, ' Perhaps
there is more of it still, that she does not choose to
tell ' ? As it is, I believe you will trust me."
" Oh, trust you ! " said Nannie impatiently ; " no
one ever had any doubts about being al)le to do
that. You are fearfully frank, Ilildreth. I do
think, if it is possible to carry sincerity into fanat-
icism and almost into sin, you do it. I tell you,
if I had been you, I should have kept entirely
still about Nell's photograph. Poor Elf has had
enough to bear because of her silly little venture
into a hateful world. I don't believe Nell will
make life any easier for her on account of it. Nell
is older than I am, Ilildreth. alivady. She is in-
clined to be prndish. or over [»articnlar, like some
other people that 1 could mention," — this last
THORNS.
249
with an attem[)f, at iiifn-iiiieiit. "Not that I am
Sony, of (.'oui-Hc, that she is growing up to be such
a discreet jonng woman ; hut still, I confess to a
feeling of sympathy with the giddy ones who play
with edged tools while they are children, and cry
about it afterwards. If Elf had come to me Avith
her escapades, I would have shielded and petted
her into connnon sense again, and neither you nor
anybody else would have been the wiser."
Hildreth arose to go ; no good could result from
prolonging such an interview.
"I have helped EHie as well as I knew how,"
she said sadly, "and have shielded her in every
way that seemed right; but I cannot go contrary
to my ideas of right to shield anybody. One must
have 'a conscience void of offence' in the sight of
(Jod if one is to have any comfort in life. Poor
I':ifie is having a bitter lesson; but my hope for
her is that, when her eyes are fully opened to the
realization of her wrong-doing, she will not shield
hei-self at the expense of truth. I don't think I
am fanatical, Naujiie ; I would not go up and down
the streets, blazoning any story ; I hope this one
may be kept from the public as nuich as possible.
Certainly I shall speak of it to none but your own
family ; they are the only ones who have a right
to know the facts. What I said was, that things
always get out in mysterious ways ; perhaps the
way may not be so mysterious this time. Laura
Holcombe is earnestly at work trying to put all the
m il
250
AS TN A MIRROR.
vvroiin^ upon Ellic, jukI lcav(3 herself blaincless.
She, oi course, knows ahout the pliotographs ; I pre-
sume she will tell it, I do not know why she has
not done so already. That i;-; El Pie's misfortune ;
1 would gladly shield her frnin it if 1 could. But
1 saw no honorable way except to tell you the
whole. She herself did not : she qnlte a;.need with
me that Nell must know, ;ind that your father and
mother muse be told, as a matter of course. I do
not think she could ever have been happy again if
it had been manag' 1 in v.ny other way."
"She has caugl^t; tl-e disease from you," said
Nannie, still trying to speak K'ayly- " I '^^^^ S^^^ I
am not your sister! Vou may be sure I shall not
speak of the photograph; and, if I had my way,
even now mother and f ither should not be troubled
with it ; but I can see that there is no use in argu-
ing with you."
" My father does not think that any other than
the exact truth would be honorable treatment of
your father," said Hildreth coldly ; then she went
away, without trusting herself to say more than a
mullled "good-by." As she walked slowly home-
ward she went over the interview in sorrowful de-
tail; she had not realized before how much she
had counted on a word of real sympathy from her
one intimate friend. She could not understand the
Strang* change in the girl ; certain it was that her
standard of right and wrong had not used to- be so
low. Ag unlike as possible in general appearance
THORNS.
251
aineless.
s ; I prc-
slie has
Fortune ;
i\. lint
}'ou tlie
eed with
iher and
e. I do
again if
u," said
111 glad I
shall not
my way,
troubled
in argu-
her than
tnient of
she went
:e than a
ly honie-
>wful de-
iiuch she
from her
stand the
that her
[ to- be so
ipearance
and plnases of speech, she had supposed that on
idl vital points they thought much alike. It was
only com[)aratively lately that Nannie had seemed
to be drifting away from all her old standpoints.
It couhl not be Rex Ilartwell's influence ; for he
had not cuanged, unless, indeed, he stood on higher
ground than he had once occupied. She recalled
the fait] if ul work he was doing at the schoolhonse
among her boys, giving up one of his cherished
evenings for the purpose, and remembered the
stand that certain of the boys had taken lately, im-
pelled thereto by the influence of Ilex, and exon-
erated him from all blame. But it was very bitter
to lose in this way the friend of her girlhood.
Could she have seen Nannie within ten minutes
after her departure, her bewilderment and anxiety
on her account would liave deepened.
That young woman, as soon as the door closed
after her friend, locked it, and even slipped the
bolt, as though that would make her more entirely
alone, then flung hereelf on the bed, and buried her
face in the pillows with bitter weeping. Not quiet
tears, but a passionate outbui-st such as an excited
child might indulge. She knew that she was quite
alone in the house, and perhaps, for that reason,
gave fuller vent to her emotions.
"Oh! what shall I do? What shall I do?"
Again and again did this wailing cry fill the silent
room. There followed an interval of comparative
quiet, then excited exclamations.
If
»i
r^i;
■1 '
p
i> f
11
\m
252
AS IN A MIRROR.
"I never caul 1 never will! she need not talk
at nic ill this way. W'\\;\[ are P^lf lClli^>U^; l)a1)yisli
pranks and Nell's old photograph compared with
this? She as good as told nie to my face that I
conld never be happy again. O me ! I know it !
I know it! I can never res[)e('t myself again, never.
R('si)ect ! I hate myself. And Rex wonld hate me,
if he knew ; and thei-e -wonld he plenty to point
the finger of shame at me. I can never do it;
and I don't holieve that it is the only right way.
llildreth is hard, hard ! Slu; is insane over that
word, 'J'l'nth. I hate the word; 1 wish 1 had never
heard it. As if there were no other virtne in the
world except hard, cold trnth ; and the more mis-
chief it could work the more virtuous an act
she considers it to s[)eak I I will not believe any
such thing ! What jnischief the truth could work
in this case ! And silence conld work no real
harm to anybody. To think that in a few weeks
is to come my wedding-day, and 1 to have such
burdens as these to bear I It is too cruel! If
anybody but me had discovered the truth, I could
have borne it ; or if it had been as we thought it
was in the first i)lace, I should not have cared. I
had grown used to it, and I didn't feel so very
badly about it; but to think of it now, after Rex
has planned so, and arranged everything, drives
me wild. I am not going to think any more about
it. Hildreth Elliott may preach all the rest of her
days, and look at me out of those eyes of hei"s, as
THORNS.
253
if tlu\y W(!ro iiukIo oI" phiU; fjluss, and sIk; would
show iiK! my real self tlirotioli tliein I 1 wish I
need never see h(!r again. I am doing right, I
know I am ; and I am not to he turned from it
by a sentimental girl who doesn't know anything
ahout life, Jind has never been tried for hei-self.
It is easy enough to confess the faults of others.
AVhy didn't she make poor little Elf come and tell
us ? She has forgotten that there is anything but
what she calls Truth in the world. What about
the fifth connnandment? I must think of my
poor father, who has struggled all his life under a
burden of debt, and my mother, who is growing
old far too fast under her weight of care. Is it
to be supposed that I can force back the burdens
that Rex is ready to lift from them both? Oh!
what shall I do? I am so Avretched, so wretched!
And I thought I should l)e so happy ! I believe
I should like to die and get away from it all. But
I don't suppose I am ready to die ; I know I am
not. I cannot even pray, any more. A . nrely as
I kneel down this hateful thing must come and
stare at me, mid insist upon being thought about.
It is a Avonder that I haven't gone insane ; perhaps
I shall. I know exactly how people feel wlio are
tormented day and night with a single thought,
that will not go away from them for a moment.
I am growing cross and hateful under the strain.
I never treated Ilildretli as I have latolv. I treat
everybody badly. I have seen mother look sorrow-
254
Afl IN A MinnoTi
fully ;it nic Sdiiicliiiics, us tlioiigii she coiiid not
uiulerstiiiul ; and I Jiiu even cross at Rex occti-
sioiially, he is so persistently good. What is to
hpoonie of me if this state of things eontinnes '/
never to have any liappiness, any peace,
ugaiii?" The outbui-st was followed by another
passion of teal's.
She did not overrate the chanoe in hei-self. In-
terested friends had been watching her with more
or less iUiXici^ uy oil his AViiy to town, iiistnictiii^ him to pkoe on
it ii special delivery stiinip, iind he sure to hiive it
go in that afternoon's mail.
Thus Humnioned, Uex llartwell exeuscd him-
self from an evening class at the medieal college,
with what skill he could, and took the six o'clock
train out, arriving at the Marvin farm just hefore
eight.
Nannie was still alone ; her father and mother
were in town for a weary day of shopping and
errand-doing; the younger portion of the family
had gone merrily forth in the farm-wagon to meet
them at the station, not so sadly disappointed as
they might have heen, under other circumstances,
to have Nannie refuse to accompany them. They
had not known, until the last moment, that Rex
was expected that evening. They discussed the
situation as they rode along.
"T wonder what Uex is coming for to-night? I
thouirht he had a class. He would hetter take care
of himself. Nan is doing high tragedy to-night of
some sort; she looks as though she might shoot
him, on occasion." This from Kate, the I'.unily
hoyden, who always excused any unladylike con-
duct on her part with the statement that she ought
to have heen a hoy, and was trying to atone to her
father and mother for the disappointment.
" I wonder what can be the matter with Nan-
nie?" added J.illian, her next in age, and most
THOIINH.
257
ijitiiiuito sister. »'Slie luiHii't iKJcn her real self
for weeks, it seems to me ; if getting ready to he
married has siieli an effect on eveiyhodv 's nerves
as it (h)es on hei-s, I Iiopo I shall never liavo to go
tliroiigh the ordeal."
Then Alice, more staid and thonghtfnl than
either of her ohler sisters: ''Mother is afraid
that Nannie isn't well ; I ean see that she is very-
anxious ahont her, and Nan certainly luisn't acted
like hei-self this long time; hut I suppose, when
she is fairly married and settled down, she will
feel dift'erently.
" Isn't it fun," said Kate, " to think of Nan as a
rich woman, ahle to go where she likes, and huy
what she likes? liut she doesn't seem to see
much fun in it. I got off a lot of stuff to her this
morning ahout how I hjoked forward to talking
hefore the girls ahout, — ' my sister, Mi-s. Ilartwell,'
who is ahroad this Avinter; or, who is spending
the summer at Bar Ilarhor, or Niagara, or some
other grand place. Hut she didn't laugh a hit ; 1
helieve it even vexed her. Her face grew just as
red I and that queer look that she has sometimes,
lately, came in her eyes, and all she said was :
'Don't be a simpleton, if. you can helj) it; there
is more to getting married than going ahroad and
having a good time.' "
'' She acts queer," said Nell, the youngest IVIar-
vin, thought fully, ''f read a story ahout a girl
who acted very nuich as she does; but she was
ff'
258
AS IN A MIRROR.
going to be married to a man whom she didn't
like ; she hated him, in fact. That can't be the
way with Nannie, can it? She just idolizes Rex.
I believe, if anj-thing should happen that she
couldn't be married to him, it would kill her."
HOW tiOOI) UK WAS!
259
3 didn't
; be the
es Rl'x.
liat she
,1 her."
CirAPTER XXI.
"HOW GOOD HE WAS!"
\/V^'^''.^''' ^^^^ ^'^^^^^'^ ^^^"''^ ^^'^^^■>' discussed her
* V uffaiivs, Nannie Marvin waited ah)ne for
the coining of her intended husband. It wouhl
have taken only a very casual observer to discover
that she was in a state of intense thougli sup-
pressed excitement. She was carefully dressed,
and had perhaps never looked prettier than on that
evening which she felt was such a fateful one to
her. She was relieved at the thought of being ast, the ])ros})e('tiv(' soM-in-law liaving flatly
ii'iiisfd io wail iiiilii he was foniially admitted
k i
"HOW GOOD HE WAS!
261
station,
jiie ; so
it, after
locked,
the par-
ird her.
ent that
lier hur-
: he had
liat was
LS hreak-
striiggle
to pUice
) grace?
;sary for
rents or
ankness
mie that
cal help
. advan-
lat come
Muember
He had
. Nannie
;r sistei-s
for the
•s on her
thing of
iig flatly
luhiiiilcd
into the family before disposing of it. He had
looked forward with satisfaction to the pleasure
he would give Nannie in presenting to her father
the cancelled papei-s, but it had not been a happy
time. Instead of smiles, and gratitude, the bewil-
dering girl liad given herself up to what were evi-
dently very bitter teai-s. Tlie next n.orning she
confessed to her mother tluit her night had been
almost sleepless, and she had gone about more
heavy eyed and far more "nervous" than before.
All things considered. Rex Hart well was begin-
ning to count the days when he could take Nannie
away from surroundings that seemed to be wear-
ing her out.
On the evening in question she did not rise to
meet him, but sat erect in the straightest and most
uncompromising cliair that the room contahied.
A strange pallor was on her face, despite two
small spots that burned on either cheek ; it was
almost a hectic flush, and her eyes slione like stars.
"What is it, Nannie dear?" he asked, bending
over her ; " I am afraid you are not well to-night.
I made all possibh, haste after i-eceiving your sum-
mons, and was relieved to liear from the girls,
whom I met at the station, that you were much
as usual, l^ut I think they are mistaken; you
are not so well.'
" Sit down ! " commanded Nannie. " No, I
don't want that," as he drew an easy-chair for-
ward, and prepared to place her in it. "I want to
< I
262
AS TX A MllinOR.
h
t'f,
'A. I
'I
Mi', ^'i
^i\i
sit just here, where I am ; ami you take that seat
opposite me. I liave something to tell you. I
don't want you elose heside me, Rex ; I can't talk
so well. I told you in my note that I had some-
thing very important indeed to tell you. I want
you to sit where I can see every change on your
face, and T want you to hel[) me if you can. Oh,
I need help ! it is very hard !
" Rex, we cannot he married at Christmas ; we
can never he married ! You will not want me to
be your wife when you have heard my story.
Don't interrupt me, i)lease," with an imperative
gesture when he would have spoken eagerly.
"Wait till you hear what I have to say. I thought
I could not tell it, hut I have determined that I
must and will. I will if it kills me. O Rex!'
She sto})ped suddenly, and placed hoth hands over
her heart, as if to steady its heating, liut when
he sprang toward her she motioned him hack.
''Never mind; it is nothing; I am not sick.
Don't come, please ; sit there, where I told you.
It is true, as I said ; we cannot he married. I can't
decide what you will think, when you hear what
I have done — or haven't done. Yes, I can ; I
know you will think it is terrible, and it is. I can
see it plainly now; j'et I made myself believe that
it -s^as not so very bad ; that, in fact, it was the
right thing to do.
"Perhaps I should have kept on thinking so but
f"r Hildreth Elliott. She is awful, Rpx, aji'fnl!
Si' I
"HOW GOOD HE WAS!
263
that seat
1 you. I
can't talk
had soinc-
. I want
on your
can. Oh,
tmas ; we
ant me to
my story,
imperative
1 eagerly.
I thought
led that 1
() Rex!'
lands over
15ut when
back.
not sick.
told you.
d. I can't
hear what
I can ; I
is. I can
clieve that
it was the
ing so but
■■v. awful !
Don't interrupt me ; I am going to tell you the
whole, just as that girl did at the schocjlhousc :,liat
night; do you remember? It seems as though I
ouglit to have as nnich courage as she, doesn't it?
Hex, / have found the will/ the lost one you un-
dei-stand? I found it a long time ago, and have
kept it a secret. Oh ! I didn't hide it away; don't
think that. I found it by the merest accident,
when I was not looking for, nor even remember-
ing it. And I made myself believe, for a time,
that because I liapi)ened upon it in that way, so
long after everything was settled and everybody
satisfied, there could be no harm in just keeping
ftill. O Rex, don't look at me in just that way!
Can't you look — some other way? "
"My poor little girl ! " Rox JIartwell's voice,
though grave, Avas full of tenderness. Once more
lie arose, but she waved liiin back.
" No, hear the rest ; I must tell it all now. I
should die if I hud to keep it to myself another
hour. Tiiat old secretaiy in your uncle's room —
you know how many times we went through it to-
gether,^ and the lawyer went through it, and the
lawyer's clerk, and the detective, and I don't
know how many more, and found nothing ? Well,
I wasn't even hunting, remember; I had given up
all idea of ever finding that will. I believed that
your uncle had destroyed it, and that he meant
you to have his money.
"Do you remember when the housekeeper wrote
tl !
i
2GI
AS IN A MIKHOR.
|i ^
[I ;
, ■
F .
u
:p
asl. perhaps ; I couldn't bear it.
Jt the property had been left to some poor pe^^^on I
t unk I should have felt differently about it; but
tliat man doesn't care for it; he has enough with-
out ,t See how indifferent he acted when he be-
lieved It wixs his ; never even coming to see it It
was thinking over all this that made me decide to
let things go. I wasn't to blame for its not beino-
ound m the first place, and how could I be to
»>Iamenow? Why need I go and blazon it to the
world, and spoil all your beautiful plans of life^
1 saw the date, Rex, just that horrid date ! I
26G
AS IN A MIUUOR.
Hrii
f!!
«!,
couhlnt do it; and I haven't. All these weeks
I have struggled with my horrible secret ; part of
the time feeling that I had a perfect right to keej)
still and let otliei-s lind the will if they could, and
part of the time feeling as though I nnist go out
on the street and shout it to everybody who passed.
I can truly say that I have not had a happy mo-
ment since that liour ; but it is only this very day
that I reached a decision, llildreth came to see
me this aft(u-noon, and lun* eyes seemed to burn
me ; they were to me like the eyes of God. If I
could not endure her eyes, how could I meet his?
I determined that before I slept again, or tried
to slee}), and bcfon* I tried to pray, I would tell
jtist the truth. I knew at la»t that I was doing
wrong ; and I called upon (Jod to be my witness
that not another night should pass before I told
you the whole, and left it for you to dt^cide what
nnist be done next. I know, without your telling
me, that I have forfeited your love and trust. I
have been mean and false, and I know they are
traits that you hate. You are like llildreth; noth-
ing would tempt you to falsehood, or to silence
where truth was at stake. You cannot '>' a-ry me
now, Ilex ; you cannot want to. 1 despise myself,
and I know that you cannot but despise me. I
want you to undei-stand that I free you entirely
from your engagement with me, and, if you never
speak to me again, exonei-ate you from all l)lame.
I know only too well tluit you couki ricvi
im never uC
"HOW GOOD HE WASl"
267
se weeks
; part of
b to keep
mid, and
it go out
o passed,
appy mo-
very day
lie to see
to burn
3d. If T
iieet his?
or tried
ould tell
'as doing
Y witness
re I told
ude what
ir telling
trust. 1
they are
th ; noth-
silence
1' vrry me
e myself,
e me. I
1 entirely
ou never
11 hlame.
never be
happy with one whom you could not trust. Now
I want to ask of you a favor — will you go away
at once, without speaking any words, and leave me
done?"
Said Rex Hartwell, "My poor little Nannie!"
and with one stride he was beside her, and had
gathered her into his strong arms. " I am so
sorry," he said, stroking back the hair from her
forehead, and speaking soothingly, as he might
have done to a trembling child, "so sorry that you
bore this burden all alone, instead of letting me
3hare it with you ; no wonder you have torn my
heart by growing thin and pale. Hush, dear ! I
will hear no more self-accusing words from your
lips;" and he stopped the words slie would have
spoken. "I have let you talk long enough; it is
my turn now. I will not have you say that you
have fallen. You have been tempted of the devil
these many days, but the truth in your soul has
triumphed. It was a heavy temptation. I, who
know you so well, can underetand, even better
than any other, how infinitely greater it was to
you because it involved me. Don't you know,
Nannie, that it is never youi-self of whom you
think? I have not an idea that you would have
carried your silence through to the end. The
Lord takes better care of his children than that."
She needed them, those words of soothing and
of trust, needed them more than she herself real-
ized. Her poor brain reeled; and for a second
268
AS IN A MIRIIOR.
i:;h
time during this strain, tlie world grew dark before
her, but this time strong aims upheld her.
The interview, begun in tiiis startling manner,
lasted well into the night, iviaiy questions pressed
forward for consideration. In the dining-room the
family lingered over a lat( tea, the younger por-
tion chatting gayly, and the weary mother exerting
herself to give them every possible item of news,
interrupting herself once to ask anxiously, —
"How has Nannie been to-day?"
They recognized the note of anxiety in her
voice ; and Kate, who had opened her lips to reply
that Nannie had been "as rross as two sticks,"
checked herself, and only said, —
" Oh ! she has been much as usual. "W hat did
you do about the velvet, mother? T'ould you
match it?"
The mother sighed, and glanced toward the
closed parlor door, and wondered that Nannie did
not come out for a minute to welcome them ; then,
mother-like, put hereelf aside, and gave careful
attention to the details of the day. It grew late,
and still Nannie did not appear. At last Mi-s.
Marvin expressed her surprise. Rex was so much
at home with them now that he rarely passed on
evening with Nannie without coming for a few
minutes' chat with them all; and she and "father"
had been gone all day, an event in itself unusual ;
she felt as though she had been gone for a week.
Then it occurred to her to wonder at Rex being
« ,ti
now fJ(lOI) HE WAS!"
269
•k before
manner,
i pressed
oom the
ger por-
exerting
)f news,
in licr
to reply
sticks,"
hat did
ikl yon
ard the
inie did
1 ; then,
careful
ew late,
st Mrs.
io much
sscd on
■ a few
father"
iinsnal ;
a week,
s being
there at all. She thoii ' ho Jiad an engagement
for Thni-sday evenin^^
"H<' has," said Kal "hut he was ordered .nit
here to-night for some special reason, I don't know
what; but I know that Nan sent a special delivery
note to him, and she was in the fidgets v/hen we
went away Iwcause ho hadut arrived, although
she knew that the train lie would have to come on
wasn't due yet. Let Nan alone, mother, and don't
worry over hci' ' - uJU fume herself into good
immor after. a w It is all because she is get-
ting ready to be tried, I suppose."
They had family worship presently, and the fam-
ily group separated. Mi-s. Marvin was the last to
go up-stairs. She looked hesitatingly toward the
l>arlor door, and took one step in that direction,
then retreated. Ordinarily, or at least before this
strange new mood had come upon Nannie, nothing
would have been simpler or more natural than for
her to have gone in for a little visit and a good-
night to Nannie and Hex; but as it was, the
mother hesitated, then decided that Nannie might
not like being interrupted ; there Avere so many
things nowadays that she did not like.
The house grew still ; but the mother lay long
awake, vaguely troubled. Rex was not in the
habit of k.>eping late hours ; he was too earnest a
student an- that. Something unusual must have
occurred.
In truth, such unusual tilings as would have
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270
AS IN A MIPtROR.
!
i
:> itb
amazed the mother were taking phice behind that
closed door. Well was it for Nannie Marvin that
she had given her confidence to a strong character.
Rex was very tender and patient, entirely unex-
cited, and sure from the first moment as to what
was to be done next.
" It will be all right, Nannie ; " and his voice
was not only soothing, but cheery. " Don't worry
about it any more. To-morrow you shall go your-
self, if you wish, or I will go for you, just as you
please, and get the paper, and place it in the hands
of my uncle's lawyer, with the simple statement
that it has at last been found, and ask him to
take at once the proper steps to place the rightful
owner in possession. As to what money has been
already spent, I anticipate no trouble on that
ground. The prospective lieir has not shown him-
self a n,an eager for money, and a mistake of this
kind he will be willing to wait for a man to rec-
tify. There hasn't been a great deal spent, Nan-
nie, not as men of wealth count. I have been
economical ; the habit of my life asserted itself,
and helped me in that. Then, for you and me,
there is simply the waiting that we planned be-
fore ; not so long a waiting indeed. I have done
good work the past year, and feel much more as-
sured of what I can do than I did a year ago. I
don't think it will be for very long, Nannie ; and
I know you will be brave, as you were before, and
put fresh heart into me every time 1 see you."
"HOW GOOD HE WAS!"
271
He would not let her speak many words. He
assured her cheerfully that she had said quite
enough for her good. Especially he would not
permit another word of self-condemnation, declar-
ing that he had already borne from her in that
line more than he had believed possible, and lie
was not to be tried any further. The only time
that he grew positively stern was when she tried
to repeat her assurance that she could not hold
him to his engagement with her.
" Hush, Nannie ! " he said ; and his face was
very grave. " You must not speak such words.
In the sight of God you are to me as my wife,
never more tenderly beloved than at this hour,
when by his grace you have overcome a great
temptation, and stood bravely for truth ai>d purity
Only God himself shall separate us, dear; and 1
believe he will let us do our work for him to-
gether."
How good he was ! Like an angel of God !
This was her thought of him'.
272
AS IN A MIRROR.
i
I:
11'-,
■':!
■ '
II
If
IN
! ' ■ :
I '* ;
I 1 i
CHAPTER XXIT.
WHAT OUGHT I?
AT the end of an hour, during which time Rex
-t~L Hartwell had made an earnest effort to
bring peace to Nannie's troubled heart, and flat-
tered himself that he was succeeding, she rose ui^
from the easy^chair on which he had placed her,
and stood before him resolute.
"No, Rex, listen; I must speak. You are like,
you are almost exactly like, what I can imagine
Jesus Christ would be if he were here as he used
to be ; but I have suffered enough to know, nov/
that I can think connectedly, that there is some-
thing more for me to do. I must be honest tiotv
at any cost. I have^jecn honest to you, and you
were the very woi-st; but there are others, father
and mother, and oh — everybody! Must I not,
in order to be true, let everyb'^ '- know just the
truth ? It seems so to me. I li I could do it
right away. If there were a gr.at meeting to-
night, in the church or somewhere, where all the
people were gathered Avho have ever known me,
I would like to go down and tell them that I
found that will many weeks ago, and hid it again.
WHAT OUGHT I?
273
I
I would like to describe just how it was done,
so that there would not be one least little thing
omitted."
Her excitement had even increased, and her
misery was pitiful to see. In vain the young man
talked low, soothing words, trying to reason with
her, to persuade her to trust him, and let him man-
age the entire matter in the way that would be
right and best. She shook her head. " No, I can-
not trust you. You are not God, you know, al-
though you can forgive like him ; but you are just
human, and you might make a mistake. You want
to shield me, you see ; you are so pitiful for me, so
eager to comfort me. I bl-is you for it, Rex ; you
have saved my reason, I think, but I cannot trust
your judgment — not in this."
Suddenly a new thought came to her.
" Rex, if I could see Ilildreth Elliott to-night
I mean now. I must ; ^e her. Her love for me
is not great enough to blind her judgment, and
she will tell me just what I ought to do. She
knows, Pex, and she does not spare even her own
sister from humiliation ; besides, I have treated
her shamefully ; only to-day I spoke cruel words
to her. I feel as though I must tell her the rea-
son for them right away. Couldn't you go across
the meadow and bring her? It would not take
but a moment, and she would come at once if she
knew I needed her. Will you ? "
He hesitated for but a moment. He almink from
:' 1-
Jj' 1 f I i
\i ;
274
AS IN A MIRROR.
the ordeal ; but if Ilildretli could quiet her friend,
she was certainly needed at this moment, and he
hoped that she could be trusted. At least there
seemed no other way but to try. He let himself
quietly out of the front door while the tide of talk
was highest in the dining-room, and sped across
lots to the Elliott farm. Much wondering, Ilil-
dretli obeyed the summons promptly ; and she and
Rex walked almost in silence across the fields.
"Nannie is in very great excitement," he said,
as they neared the house ; " she has something to
tell you which will doubtless surprise and pain
you. I wish she had not thought it necessary, or
at least that she had let me talk for her, but — I
know I can trust your good judgment ; such a ter-
rible strain as she has put upon herself is dan-
gerous in the extreme ; at almost any cost her
excitement must be allayed. She seems to think,
among other crimes of which she accuses hei-self,
that she has ill treated you; but I am sure she
exaggerates that."
" Why, the poor child ! " said Hildreth. " What
an idea I I can easily dispossess her mind of any
such feeling. I know she has been in some sort of
trouble for a good while ; my only wish is to help
her."
Nannie was standing at the window Avatching
for them. She came toward them eagerly, her ex-
citement in no wise abated.
"I knew you would come," she said, holding
WHAT OUGHT I?
275
}r friend,
, and he
ist there
: himself
le of talk
id across
ing, llil-
slie and
elds.
he said,
ithing to
Lud pain
issary, or
but — I
ich a ter-
E is dan-
cost her
to think,
; liei-self,
sure she
" What
I of any
le sort of
5 to help
watching
', her ex-
holding
out her hand to Ilildreth; you never fail me, no
matter lunv hateful I am. O Ilildreth, you have
been a good friend to poor little Elfie, but a woree
than Elfie is here ! The eliihrs escapade is as
nothing compared with my deliberate sin. I want
you to know the whole story."
She told it briefly, with almost Dainful frank-
ness, making not even so nnich v,. ..n attempt to
sliield herself as she had done to Rex, and Ilildreth
was startled; there was no question about that;
the temptation was in a form so foreign to any
that she could have felt. She held hei-self, Jf
course, from any such expression, and spoke cmly
the tenderest of sympathetic woi-ds ; but Namiie
scarcely heeded them. She hurried on, —
"There was a reason for my wanting to see you
to-night, right away; I cannot trust to Hex — not
in this. He is too anxious to shield me; he cannot
bear to give me any more pain. But at the ex-
pense of pain and humiliation, no matter how
extreme, I feel that I must do right; and some Avay
I felt that you, with your calm, quiet eyes, would
see just what right is. Ilildreth, must I not tell
everybody about it as I have told you? Father
and motlier, and all the world ? Is not that the
only way to be true?"
Rex Hartwell turned anxious eyes upon Hil-
dreth. Was she to be depended upon ? or had her
ideas about truth become fanaticism such as would
demand further martyrdom of poor Nannie ?
276
AS IN A MIRROR.
\ 1 1
II
Her reply came quickly, without an instant's
hesitation.
" O Nannie, no indeed ! I think you did just
right to tell Rex the Avholc ; I do not think you
could have respected yourself otherwise ; and in
regard to your father and mother, it seems to me
that you have a right to exercise your own judg-
ment. If you want to tell then, I mean if you
would feel better to do so, I can understand that
feeling; hut as to the lawyer and all the others,
what is it to them ? Justice is to be done in every
particular; and as I look at it, that is enough.
Am I not right, Ilex ? "
He gave her a grateful glance as he said that he
had offered the same advice, but that Nannie had
been afraid that his feeling for her biassed his
judgment.
By nightfall of the following day, not only the
neighboring countryside and the little village near
at hand, but even the large town a few miles
farther away, was in a buzz of excitement o v'er the
latest developments in 'Squire Hartwell's affairs.
The missing will had come to light ! Nannie ]Mar-
vin herself had found it, and given it to Rex, who
had taken instant steps toward having the property
pass into the hands of the rightful heir! Many
and varied were the circumstances said to be con-
nected with this discovery. The story as it trav-
elled grew so rapidly that both Rex and Nannie
might have been excused from recognizing their
WHAT OUGHT I?
277
instant's
did just
liiilv you
; and in
18 to me
wn judg-
11 if you
and that
others,
in every
enough.
lI that he
nnie had
issed his
only the
lage near
e\v miles
over the
's affairs,
niie Mar-
Rex, who
property
! Many
o he con-
s it trav-
el Nannie
ing their
share in it. Never had anything occurred in the
neighborhood that was so thoroughly exciting.
Poor Elfrida Elliott reaped some benetit from this
sudden outburst of interest, —her own affairs were
for the time being forgotten; and all tongues
were busy trying to glean, as well as to give, in-
formation as to how Nannie " bore it," and what
the Marvins said and did, and what Rex would
do now ; whether, after all, he would try to be
married.
The Marvin girls came in also for their share of
attention. Somebody said that it was to be hoped
that Kate Marvin would now be cured of her
habit of boasting what her sister was going to do
and to wear, and how her rooms were to be fur-
nished. There were some who said that "pride
must have a fall," and that the Marvins had al-
ways been rather too lofty for their good. But
for the most part, the country was sympathetic and
regretful. It certainly was hard lines for poor
Nannie, — so much harder, all agreed, than if the
matter had stayed settled in the fii-st place. Also
they agreed that it was undoubtedly an added
drop of bitterness for Nannie to have found the
will hei-self ; and none of them knew, f 'her then or
afterwards, through what depths of tenble temp-
tation Nannie waded before that will was really
found.
Neither did those beyond their immediate family
circle ever learn just how the lAIarvins " bore it."
ii
278
AS IN A MIRROR.
IT
mil
i
\ J.
fi-
ll
i ,1 :
Mt
Jilt
m
m\
i
Very soon after the astounding announcement of
the discovery hud been made to the family, Mrs.
Marvin was closeted with Nannie for an hour or
more. When she came out, her other curious daugh-
tei-s could see that she had been crying. Yet they
could not resist the temptation to question her;
there were so many particulars that they wanted
to know. Where had the will been found ? How
had it been found ? Kate, the inquisitive- said in
response to one item, " Why, mother. Nan hasn't
been at the stone house in ever so long! How
does it happen that she did not find it until now ?
Oh, I believe I know just how it was ! It must
have been hidden away among those old papers
that Rex brought for Nannie to look over at her
leisure, and she has just got to it ! Was that the
way, mother? "
And then Mrs. Marvin resolved that she would
answer no more questions, but would issue her
mandate.
"Girls," she said impressively, "you are all old
enough to feel deep sympathy for your sister in
this trial, which is to her of course a very sore
one ; our own share in it is heavy enough, yet
after all, what is it compared with Nannie's ? You
can readily understand that questioning and cross-
questioning and surmising, keeping the matter
constantly before her, will simply be so much tor-
ture. She has found the will, and it is to be
placed to-day in the hiinds of the proper authori-
WHAT OUGHT I?
279
iment of
ily, Mrs.
hour oi-
ls (langh-
Yat they
ion her;
' wanted
I? How
'. said ill
in hasn't
! How
til now?
It must
i papers
er at her
that the
le would
ssue her
re all old
sister in
/^ery sore
'Ugh, yet
's? You
,nd cross-
e matter
nuch tor-
is to be
I' authori-
ties ; that is all that it is really necessary for any
of us to know, and I want it distinctly understood
that there must be no talk about it. Do not men-
tion the subject to Nannie, except, of coui-so, in
the way of a word of sympathy — and even that
I hope you will make as biief as possihlc. The
poor child is not well, remember, and this strain
upon her is of course very heavy ; it becomes us to
help her in every way that we can. I look to my
girls to be considerate and patient. You will come
in contact with hundreds of people hungry for de-
tails about mattei-s that are none of their business ;
but all you need say to them is that Nannie came
across the will in an unthought-of place, and that
it had drop[)ed there at some time and secreted it-
self ; so there is no mystery about it. If you can
truly say that you have forborne to annoy your
sister with questions, you may be able to suggest
a line of common propriety to others."
They saw the force of their mother's words,
albeit they grumbled a little at her evident disin-
clination to discuss the matter with them.
" You might tell us all about it," said Kate,
"then we wouldn't be so likely to bother Nannie.
I'm sure there are a dozen things I should like to
know. It is too horrid mean, anyway! Hex ought
to have tl property. It is his by every law of
common sense and decency. I declare, if I had
been Nan, I believe I should have pitched the old
will into the grate and said nothing."
) !
i
il
'II
r
1 1
it!.
J
Il I:
P
tii
280
AS IN A MIRROR.
"Katheruie," said Mrs. Marvin, and her faoe
was actually pale, " I am astonished and shocked !
How can you allow youi-self to repeat such terri^
ble words! Do not for the world say anything
of that kind to Nannie."
" Why, mother ! " said Kate, astonishment in
every line of her face, " I don't undei-stani.' you
in the least ! What possible harm could it do to
repeat such utter nonsense as that, even to Nan-
nie? It is not likely that she is so far beside her-
self as not to be able to recognize the folly of it. "
Mi-s. Marvin turned away hastily, glad that
some household matter called at that moment for
attention. How could she have explained to her
daughters the thrill of horror which the mere sug-
gestion of such a course had given her ?
Rex llartwell did not go to his office that day;
he had other duties pressing upon him. The plans
for his entire future had been overturned in a
moment of time, and he must at once set about
planning a new future. His first duty was at his
old home. He came for Nannie by appointment,
and they went together to the stone house where
they had both spent many pleasant houre. Nan-
nie herself led the way to his uncle's room, and
pointed silently to the secretary, while she seated
herself on his uncle's study chair close at hand.
She had resolved to be where she could study
every change on his expressive face during this
trying scene. Neither spoke while he wheeled
WffAT OUfJIIT I?
281
out the ol(l-fiislii<»iie(l piece of furniture, placing
it ut an anj,'lt3 for Nannie to see. Tiiere was the
corner of the fateful paper peeping out just as
Nannie had said. Had it not been pee|)ing out,
it was reasonahh! to suppose tl'iat it would never
have been found; and had Nannie's dress not
caught in the rough edge, it would not have
peeped out — on such trivial accidents as these do
great events sometimes hang. Rex pulkd at the
paper as Nannie had done, and drew it out, study-
ing the charactei-s as she had done.
" It is my uncle's haudwriting without doubt,"
he said gravely ; " and that is the correct date. It
certainly hid itself away securely. \V<'11, Nannie,"
with a rare smile for her, "I am glad we found
it before we complicated mattei-s more thai' ihey
are." He opened the writing-desk as he spoke,
and took therefrom a lai-ge envelope such as law-
yer's use, slipped the important paper within it,
and proceeded to seal it carefully.
"Aren't you going to look at it? " asked Nan-
nie faintly.
"No; why should I? We practically know its
contents, and I would rather the lawyer should be
tlie first to examine it." He drew out his pen, and
supplied the proper address.
"There," he said cheerfully, "that matter is
out of our hands. I will go to town this after-
noon, and place it myself in our friend's keeping,
with the request that lie make all speed towards
iii
f'ii
m
ii'i'
Hi I
Mi
\\>-'
l(
i!i
1):
ih'
ii !
,
1-
i
1
1
i
!
1
i^i .
282
AS IN A MIRROR.
the proper adjustment. And now, Nannie, let us
have a talk."
As he spoke, he thrust the paper into his pocket,
and going over to the south windows threw open
the blinds and let in a glow of sunshine. For the
first time Nannie noticed that a cheery fire was
burning in the grate. She had been too preoc-
cupied to think of it before. Slie looked at it
wonderingly.
"Yes," he said, answering her look, "I liave
been here before, 'S morning. You did not
think 1 was going to let you come to a closed and
chilly room, I hope ! Are you quite comfortable ?
Let us take these two chairs that you and I have
used so often before, and draw up to the grate and
have a visit."
In utter silence she obeyed his directions, drop-
ping hei-self into the capacious leather chair that
lie wheeled forward, lie took its counterpart, and
settled it close beside her; then, as if by mutual
consent, they looked about the great room fur-
nished with lavish hand as regarded comfort and
convenience. It had been a favorite room with
both of them. It was here that Nannie had written
those numberless letters for 'Squire Ilartwell, and
it was here that she and Rex had held those long
talks while his uncle was taking his afternoon
nap. It was here that they had expected to spend
much of their time as husband and wife.
"You shall write business letters for me," liex
WHAT OUGHT I?
283
, let us
pocket,
!W open
For the
Ire was
> preoc-
id at it
I have
did not
sed and
irtable ?
. I have
fate and
IS, drop-
lair that
)art, and
mutual
lom fur-
fort and
)m with
I written
veil, and
ose long
fternoon
to spend
36," liex
had told her whimsically, " or no, I have it, you
shall write out my lecture notes for me. I will
see if you can throw as nmch light into them as
you used to do for some of my inicle's obscure
sentences." What plans they had had in connec-
tion with this room ! Now they were here to bid
it good-by.
" I should like to have these chairs," said Ilex
reflectively; "we have had such good times in
them. I wonder if the owner would sell them to
us some time ? I shouldn't if I were he. They
are splendid old-fashioned chaii-s ; one cannot buy
such in tliese days.
Nainiie had thought that she had no more tears
to shed, but her eyes grew dim as she listened.
How could he "^ 'Ik about it so quietly, so cheer-
fully? Her heart was breaking for him. He
turned toward her presently with a cheerful
smile ; suddenly he wheeled his chair a little in
front of her, and leaning forward, took possession
of both her hands.
" Nannie dear," he said, with a kind of cheer-
ful gravity, "I am glad of a quiet talk Avith
you in this old room where we learned to love
each other. There is something I want to tell
you. It involves the reason why this thing does
not break me down as once it might have done.
Of coui-se I am sorry not to have immediate
comfort for you, and for your father and mother
— our father and mother, dear; they are all I
' fi
■ 3
! t
J
I
f I
I'f>
11!
H;
F I
I
.!;
284
AS IN A MtUllOIl.
have ; but even that is only a matter of waiting
a little longer. We are young and strong, you and
I ; and it will he strange if Ave cannot carry out
eventually the best of our plans. Meantime, I
have come into the knowledge of an inlieritance
that is beyond comi)utation. Do you know, I
wonder, that the Lord Jesus Christ has in these
last few weeks become more to me than I had
realized he could ever be to a human creature? 1
have begun to have a dim realization of what it
means to 'put on Christ.' I have wanted to talk
it over quietly with you, dear, and above all
things to have you share my experience. It is
not that I have just begun the Christian life, you
know ; I realize that I have been a member of
the family for years, and an heir to the wealth
stored up for me ; it is simply that I have just
begun to claim my rights. By and by, when we
have time, I shall like to tell you just how I came
into this knowledge and experience, and just why
I think I have been content with a starved life for
so long; but what I want now is that you and I
should kneel down here together in the room that
we supposed was to be oui-s, and consecrate our-
selves anew to his service. I had thought that
we could use wealth for him ; but since he plans it
otherwise, let us gladly accept the direction as his
best for us. And, Nannie, one thing more ; I don't
want you, dear, ever to speak again as though
tiiere was a possibility of our life, yuui-s and mine,
What ought i?
285
being two. God has joined us ; and through the
blessiiig of liini who lias overcome the power of
cb; -, , even tliat sliall not separate us. You liave
be-., for we(;ks tlie subject of a fierce temptation,
and God has carried you safely through it; your
life and mine should be the stronger forever be-
cause of this exhibition of his grace. Shall we
kneel together and thank him for this, and begin
life all over again from this hour?"
Nannie Marvin never forgot that prayer ; in some
respects it was unlike any that she had ever heard
before. She arose from it with a feeling that God
had set his seal to her forgiveness, and that he had
been very tender and gracious both to Rex and to
her.
.1
I
uiuie.
28G
AS IN A MIRROR.
m
CHAPTER XXIII.
"THE NAKED TRUTH.
AMONG those who were counted as out-
L siclers, the most astonished, and certainly
the most disturbed, pei'son over the news of the
recovered will was John Stuart. Notwithstanding
the fact that both Rex and Nannie seemed eager to
have the news spread as far and as fast as possible,
it happened that John, who had been sent ten miles
into the country on business connected with the
farm, did not hear of it until that evening, when
he brought Hildreth from the station. She had
been in town doing errands for her father; and
John, as soon as he reached home, had been sent
to meet her at the train.
She began by eager questions. Had he seen
Mr. Hartwell that afternoon? She had expected
him to be on the train, but he must have taken an
earlier one. Did he know whether Mr. Hartwell
waited for the lawyer? John had not seen Mr.
Hartwell, nor heard of a lawyer ; and his face ex-
pressed so much surprise that she was constrained
to ask if he had not heard the news.
" I remember that you have been away to-day,"
"THE NAKED TRUTH.'
287
as out-
3ertainly
8 of the
standing
eager to
possible,
;en miles
tvith the
ig, when
She had
ler; and
een sent
he seen
Bxpected
taken an
Hartwell
?een Mr.
face ex-
istrained
to-day,"
she said, with a smile ; " but our little neighbor-
hood is in such a ferment that I did not suppose
you could be at home for fifteen minutes with-
out hearing something about the recent excite-
ment. But I forget that you do not belong to
this neighborhood; perhaps you did not hear any-
thing about the second will that 'Squire Hartwell
made ? "
He had heard people talk about a second will
that had been lost, and from all accounts he had
thought it a very good thing tliat it was,
"It certainly seemed so to us," Hildretli said,
with a little sigh ; '' but now tliat it is found again,
I suppose we must change our opinions, and at
least hope that good will result."
"Wliat!" said John Stuart; and he reined in
his hoi-ses with such suddenness that they resented
it nervously. " Miss Elliott, you cannot mean that
that ridiculous will has been found !"
Hildreth was unreasonable enough to be a trifle
annoyed at lus exceeding interest. Why should it
be a matter of deep importance to him? This was
. carrying curiosity to the verge of impudence. She
replied with cold caution. The will had been
found, she believed ; Miss Marvin herself liad dis-
covered it, and had notified Mr. Hartwell.
"When did this happen. Miss Elliott? Are
you sure that the paper has already passed into
the lawyer's liands?"
There was no mistaking John Stuart's interest,
t
288
AS IN A MIKROIl.
t
;m1
I
n\
i i
■
Ft! it
El'
; .
I
V
even eagerness and anxiety. Hildretli was moi-e
and nioie annoyed.
" Probably it bas," sbe answered, witb exceed-
ing coi^nesK. Mr. Hartwell was not the sort of
man to tlebny, when he had important matters to
look after; he had gone into town on the same
train with herself for the purpose, and she had no
doubt but that it was attended to by this time.
Why did John care to know ?
But for once John Stuart was not even aware of
Miss Elliott's coldness and evident annoyance ; he
was still eager and anxious.
" But you spoke of his waiting for the lawyer ;
may be not possibly have failed in seeing him?
Excuse me, but it is important for me to know the
facts."
"I cannot imagine why I Judge Barnard was
not at home early in the afternoon; I met him
at the west end of the city, but I presume he
returned in time for Mr. Hartwell to see him.
Whether he did or not, does not concern even me,
and it is impossible for me to conceive why it
should in the remotest degree interest you."
"It is because I will not permit any such al)-
surdity ; and I might possibly be able to avoid this
offensive publicity."
He had forgotten himself entirely, and for the
moment had spoken the very thought of John
Stuart King in that person's voice and manner.
He was recalled to his second self by feeling,
vnH more
L exceed-
3 sort of
atters to
:lie same
e had no
Ills time.
aware of
mce; he
lawyer ;
ng him?
enow the
lard was
met him
Slime he
see him.
2ven me,
J why it
ou."
such al)-
void this
I for the
of John
manner.
feeling,
'THE NAKED TRUTH.
>»
289
rather than seeing, Hildreth Elliott's stare of un-
bounded astonishment, mingled with a little touch
of terror. Could the man who was driving her
father's liorses have suddenly hecome insane^
How else could such remarkable words be ac-
counted for?
Instantly he knew that he had blundered irrep-
arably; but he was excited and annoyed. What
of it? he asked himself recklessly, she will have
to know the truth very soon ; that ridiculous will
has spoded everything. Yet what was the truth ?
Or, rather, what portion of it must she know at
once, and what must yet be concealed? He
thought rapidly, and spoke again without any very
perceptible delay.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Elliott; I was much
excited, and forgot to whom I wa^ speaking. I
have reasons for being interested in this will ; when
you hear them, I think you will admit that the
reasons are sufficient. If I may see you alone
this evenmg for a few minutes, I can explain."
"I do not wish any explanation," she sf.iJ, with
grave dignity; "I of course have nothing to do
with your views of this subject, unless you mean
that there is something which you ought to tell
me."
That last was an after-thought pressed into
words by her conscience. Ought she to turn away
from a man who perhaps needed to follow out his
sudden impulse to tell something that he had con-
,
fr
290
AS IN A MIRROR.
r
r H.
IS
H
cealed ? He felt her exceeding coldness and evi-
dent shrinking from an interview with him, hut
his reckless mood continued ; she should see him,
and talk with him, once.
"There is something that I think I ought to
tell you," he said, speaking with quite as much
dignity as she had used.
" Very well ; I shall he in the sitting-room to-
night after seven o'clock ; and I do not know of
anything that will prevent your seeing me alone
for a few minutes, if that amount of caution is
necessary."
The Avoodhouse cluunbcr had the company of a
very much disturbed man tliat evening. As soon
as liis horses were cared for, he went directly
thither and locked himself in. He touched a
match to the carefully laid fire in the small Frank-
lin stove which Farmer Elliott had himself sug-
gested that he set up for liis comfort, then sat hack
and stared gloomily at it, feeling as though com-
fort was something that had gone out of his life.
When he laid tlie fire, in the morning, he had
looked forward to a long evening spent in this
quiet retreat, — an evening that should do much to
further the interests of Reuben and Hannah, those
creatures of his brain, whose daily living he had
the privilege of fashioning and directing. Now
he felt that he wanted none of them, that he hated
them both, and would, perhaps, with the next
stroke of his pen put them both out of existence.
^\'
I
"THE NAKED TRUTH."
291
and evi-
liim, but
see him,
ouglit to
as mucli
;-room to-
know of
nic alone
laution is
pany of a
As soon
& directly
ouched a
ill Frank-
iiself sug-
1 sat back
•ugh coui-
f his life.
f, he had
it in this
o much to
nail, those
ig he had
iig. Now
5 he hated
the next
existence.
What was the use in playing with fiction when
real life stalked before him in such dreary shape?
What had he done by a few reckless words ! Made
it impossible for this part which he had been play-
hig to be acted any longer, and therefore made it
impossible for him to see again the one for whom
he had long been playhig it. For this one time
he let the truth appear to him unrebuked. It was
for Ilildreth Elliott's sake that he had carried on
this deception week after week, and month after
month. It was not because he was studying hu-
man nature in a new guise, nor because he wanted
to try the effect of plain living and very regular
houre, nor because he was sleeping so well and had
such a fine appetite, that he did not want to break
the conditions hurriedly; it was not even because
he took to heart the unkindncss of depriving
Farmer Elliott of his valuable services at a time
when he most needed them. All these things
would do to say on occasions when his conscience
would admit them; to-night it demanded straight-
forwardness. He was lingering here that he might
sit opposite to Hildreth Elliott at table, and watch
her expressive face, and hear her voice ; that he
might carry wood and water for her, and replenish
her fire, and close the shutters, and draw the shades
by her direction ; that he might drive her to the
station, to the schoolhouse, to church; that he
might, in short, avail himself of the hundred
opportunities there were daily of being in her
lil
1
'. 1 ■ ■
I
I
!
■I:
292
AS IN A MIKROR.
presence. This was naked truth. And all these
things were possible only because he was her fa-
ther's hired man. Given that other truth which he
had himself offered to explain to her, and instinc-
tively he felt that, for a time at least, he could
not hope for her friendship. Could he ever hope
for it ? As he answered this question to his con-
science, the blood mounted and spread itself over
his face until his very forehead was red ; and it
was not caused by the glow of the lirelight. Was
it possible that John Stuart King had put himself
into a position of which he was ashamed? What
did he want of llildreth Elliott's friendship ? Sup-
pose she were willing to laugh with him over the
part he had played, admire his cleverness, approve
his motives, and agree that they should be good
friends and conn-ades hereafter ; would he be satis-
fied?
It humiliated him to realize how far removed
from satisfaction his feeling would be. What,
then, did he expect? O, "expect!" He kicked
an unoffending stick of wood at iiis feet, as he
told it angrily that one who had made an utter
fool of himself had no right to expect anything.
Suppose he had a chance to tell her every detail
of the truth; should he do it? What would she
think of Elizabeth? And then he drew himself
up sharply; he was insulting her by intruding
Elizabeth into the interview. Nay, was he not
even insulting Elizabeth? The important point
n
■ i
"THK NAKKI) Tiami."
203
1
all these
lis her fa-
which he
(I instinc-
he could
ever hope
his con-
tself over
l1 ; and it
ht. Was
it himself
.? What
ip ? Sup-
1 over the
J, approve
1 be good
B be satis-
removed
!. What,
le kicked
jet, as he
an utter
anything,
ery detail
^vould she
w himself
intruding
IS he not
tant point
was, what (lid ho think of her? [f (here were
directions in wliich John Stuart King was not
strong, he certainly was not a weak man.
iJis friends were in the habit of attributing to
hnn unusual strength of character; and while they
may have mistaken a certain form of obstinacy
for strength, as is often done where people are
not very intimate, -and while it must be admitted
that certam of his iuMU'(l, bt' a part of hiniscll.
.She was ton Hatred i'or liotion, — his Ivind of lic-
tion ; and he fell tho ghiw on his face (U'cpcii as
ii«' ivoalU'd I'lTtain words of hoi's, ilo had hcvu
driving; llif m from tlio station, Hi'X Mart well and
Nannie Ahu in and IliUlreth, and they laid been
diseu^ssin^ his work — Stnart Kin^^'s, as it liad aj)-
ju>ared in a current number of a popidar inn<,'a/.ine.
HiUlretli was sitting besitU' him with her faee
sb'ditlv turned toward tliose in the baek seat, and
every line of it visible tt> him. "I don't tliiiik
I like him," she had said, ^' not wholly. Oh ! lie
has undoubted talent. I think he will be recog-
nized as one whom we call a great writer ; perhaps
he deserves the name better than most of them.
They are all disappointing."
"In what sense does he disappoint you? " Rex
Ilartwell had asked, and John Stuart had blessed
him for it ; it was the very question he desired to
ask.
" Why he ignores — they all do — the ' greatest
tliincr in the world,' " she had replied with a
slight laugh, and those subtle quotation marks in
her voice which a cultured talker knows how to
use. " In his great character, his ' Keuben,' that
one can see he desires to have great, one is sensi-
bly reminded of his omissiouy. For all that the
story indicates, he might l-Hv^" -cen boru lud
•sv
clijinutpr
, l(»rrvi'i',
liiiuscli.
1(1 of lic-
U'('i)('ii as
liiul boon
twcU ami
liad Ih'L'U
it luul ap-
nap^azinc.
her face
seat, and
ii't think
Oil!, he
be recog-
; })('rbai)S
of them.
u?" Rex
d blessed
lesired to
' greatest
d ^vith a
marks in
,s how to
ben,' that
3 is sensi-
that the
hovi .!nd
"THfc NAKKI) TUUTII.'
n^ared anioii',,' a (lass of Ixjinj/- uho have no r<;li-
gion, — if tli( ro wen; any su'-l --so nttcrly docs
lie ignore it. A givat fact in the world, swaying
lives more or less all about us, swaying more lives
than any oPior shiglu idea ever has, claiming to
have to do, not only with this little inch of life,
but with an endless eternity, is it being great to
write a history of any life, and leave out all refer-
ence to it? "
How distinctly he remembered every word of
her clear cut sentences ; they had cut deeply.
"Probably he has no religion," Rex Ilartwell
had replied, ''and therefore cannot be expected to
produce any in fiction."
"'riicii ought he to profess to describe life?"
Ilildrelh had asked. " J)o you believe fliat in our
present civilization there is any life, or at least
any Avith which ordinary fiction deals, tlnit is not
distinctly affected l)y what we call religioi ?"
The talk had drifted away after that, fr<.m defi-
nite authoi-s into a general discussion of fiction
and its legitimate realm. John Stuart had listened
closely, with a degree of interest that would have
amazed the talkei-s, and had carried home some
sword thrusts to consider. He had worked, iway
into the night, over his chief characters. Re ben
and Hannah, trying to reconstruct their lives on a
l)asis that he felt might interest Hildreth, and lad
failed. He could do nothing with them, h ke
many another Avriter of fiction, he learned titat
lii
n I
if
296
AS IN A MIUUOR.
■.J
■'■ «
they were not tlie pliistic clay in his hand to be
moulded as he would. He had created them ; hut
they had wills of their own, and would insist uj)on
carrying out their own ideas of destiny. No, it
was more humiliating than that ; he had failed in
creating them ; they were not like the great Crea-
tor's work, "made in God's image." He had
brought them thus far, dwarfed and misshapen,
and they refused to be re-created. He remem-
bered vividly his experience and his disappoint-
ment, on this evening when he told himself that
such a life as Hildreth Elliott's was too sacred for
his kind of fiction. Must he descend yet lower in
the moral scale, and admit that he could not even
retain Hildreth Elliott as a friend ?
He sat long, staring into the glowing fire ; sat
until it grew disheartened and died out, and a
chill began to cree[) over the room. He utterly ig-
nored Susan A[)plel)y*s repeated calls to "come
that minute if he wanted any supper at all." To
sit down opposite Hildreth Elliott, just then, and
tiy to eat, he felt sure would choke him.
Just what was he to say to her hi that interview
for which he had asked ? Why had he been such
a fool? Yet what else could he have done? H
that intolerable will that ought never to have been
made, could have stayed hidden, he might have
planned his way out less painfully than this ; but
at all hazards he must put a stop to that folly.
He sprang up at last with a sudden realization
"THE NAKED TRUTH.'
297
rid to be
lem ; but
sist upon
No, it
failed in
eat Crea-
He bad
issliapen,
! reniem-
sappoint-
iself tbat
acred for
lower in
not even
fire ; sat
it, and a
itterly ig-
3 " come
ill." To
then, and
interview
leen sucli
one? If
lave been
oiit luive
this ; but
folly,
eaiizatiou
of the fact that it was nearly seven o'clock ; lie
must make ready for that interview, and the mak-
ing ready required time. In an obscure corner of
the woodhouse chaiid)er stood a trunk that he had
himself brought from the express-olKice but a few
days before. It had been sent for under the
vague impression that there might come a crisis
in his life, before long, that would demand an ap-
l)eal to its resources. He strode over to it and
unlocked it. Fletcher and his city tailor had done
his bidding ; and all the belongings of a gentle-
man's dress were presently being tossed about the
I'oom, whose whitewashed walls seemed to stare in
blank astonishment.
When lie was dressed completely, even to the
fine handkerchief with its faintest possible suo-o-es-
tion ot the breath of violets, ~ an accom[)animent
that was associated with a certain teiuler memorv
of his childhood, and to which he always clung, —
he looked in his twelve-inch mirror and lauo-hed. ■
a short, dry laugh that had no touch of pleasure in
it. What a humiliating thing it was that there
should be such a transformation by the aid of mere
clothes !
hi
Jti'i
at
%
I
.If '
'i
?4 V ^
298
AS IN A Mimion.
CIIAPTHR XXIV.
"1 HAVE STAUTKD OUT NOW FOU TRUTH."
HILDRETII was in the sitting-room, waiting
f, r her caller. To say that she was an-
noyed does not express the situation; yet her
face, hesides being grave, was certainly soniewliat
disturbed. K she had spoken her inmost thought,
she would perhaps have said that she was tired of
it all, almost tired of everybody connected with
her world. It had been such a trying world to
her lately ; so full of petty intrigues, that had,
like most intrigues, their serious and dangerous
side : so full of twists and quibbles and prevari-
cations of the truth, when the truth would have
served every purpose better, and would royally
have shielded its adherents. There was Corliss,
for instance, whose trouble, that had well nigh been
serious indeed, was born entirely of his pro])ensity
to toy with words, and let othei-s gain what im-
pressions they wonld therefrom; the more false
the impressions, the more intense his enjoyment.
But her face cleared for a moment at thought
of Corliss. The watching Father in heaven had
been greater than his word ; even Corliss's follies
JTII."
Avaitiii
fruit which had brought her to the depths of hu-
miliation and almost des2)air.
Thinking it ovei-, and realizing that she had
faults probably as grave, Ilildreth could yet be
sure that temptation in this guise would never
liave come to her.
And now, when she was all but sinking under
the Aveight of pain and anxiety caused by the va-
rious outgrowths of this same form of sin, must
"r IIAVK STAIITKD OUT KOW FOR TltUTH." 301
conic Jolm to add liis experience, wliatever it was!
She slinink from it all. Why need she hear any
more'.'' She was tired; she felt that she liad no
more advice to ^rjve, and that even the vaguest
kind of sympathy was almost too much to expect
of her.
She had not the remotest conception of what
John's confidence mi_(,dit be. She told herself half
impatiently that she was too weary of it all to
form a theory; yet there had floated through her
mind a fancy that lie nnist in some way be con-
nected with that disagreeable and altogether un-
just will. Perhaps as a witness, who for some
:«ason known to himself had coimived at hidin""
the document.
She smiled sarcastically over the memory of his
surprising statement that he "would not permit
any such absurdity!" Probably in his ignorance
he imagined that he could prevent it. Yet John
was not ignorant. She recalled abundant proof
that he was remarkably well-informed ; he was sim-
ply a mystery, and she hated mysteries. She was
almost sorry that she had permitted him to come
to her with his story. Not quite; for even in this
unusual irritability which seemed to have her in
hand, there was still the solenni sense of responsi-
bility toward every person with whom she came in
contact, especially for those who asked help at her
hand. She had struggled with her unwillingness
to shoulder any more "secrets," and had concealed
I I
I-
r**
u
r
I
f '
r.JS^9X ! S i^
Ir
302
AS IN A MIRROII.
her annoyance, if not \veai'iness, when she said to
her mother with a wan smile, —
" John wants to see me alone for a few minutes,
mother? I told him he might come at any time
after seven."
"More burdens?" asked Mrs. Elliott, S3Mnpa-
thetically. " Poor little woman ! she has had to
shoulder t)»e troubles of othei-s ever since she
could walk. Never mind, dear ; such work has its
compensations. I hope John is not in any dilli-
culty ; 1 have a hearty liking for him. If he is
ready to confide his history to you, it may be the
dawning of a better day for him. Elfie, bring your
book, and come to father's room ; he will like to
liave you read aloud for awhile."
Poor Elfie had looked up with a quick appre-
hensive glance the moment she heard of John's re-
quest, and tlien had dropped her eyes on her book
again ; but they saw nothing on the printed page.
All sorts of incidents Tdlcd Elfie with apprehen-
sion in these days. What could John want of II il-
dreth but to impart to her cautiously some fresli
gossip about liei-self, which it was necessary for
them to know? He would naturally come to Hil-
dreth, for her father was not yet well enough to
be troubled more than was necessary, and tlu'y all
shielded her mother as much as possible. Tliere
was no need for fearing that John was himself in
trouble ; John was good ; she felt that she knew,
better than any of them, liow good he was.
).«
" T HAVE STAUTKD OUT NOW FOIl TllUTM." 303
,
So Iliklreth sat waiting ; and in order to banish
as much as possible all disagreoal)le thinking, she
tooic lip the last number of a popular magazine,
and turned to Stuart Kinr^'s serial story. She
miglit not ai)prove of him, entirely, but he fur-
nished very interesting reading.
Ami then the sitting-room door opened, and
John Stuart entered unceremoniously. He had
stood in the hallway for several seconds, being
haunted by the silliest trivialities. In the garb of
John Stuart King it seemed natural to think of
conventionaliti(^s. In his side pocket at this mo-
ment reposed his card-case, well filled ; undei*
ordinary circumstances the proper thing would be
to ring the door-bell, and send in his cai-d by
Susan Appleby; but under the circumstances in
v/liich he had placed himself, how absurd it would
be even to knock ! To continue this line of
thought would make it impossible for him to talk
with Miss Elliott. He hurriedly pushed open the
sitting-room door, and as hurriedly closed it be-
hind him. Iliklreth looked uj) from her book,
stared a bewildered second, then rose to her feet,
a startled look on her face.
"I beg your pardon if I am intruding ; you gave
me permission to come, you ]'ememl)er."
Formal expression came naturally to his lips; it
belonged, apparently, with his clothes !
"I do not understand," faltered Iliklreth; she
was still staring.
304
AS IN A MIUUOIl.
r
The ludicrous side of it became uppermost to
John Stuart King, and put him for the moment at
his ease.
"•I begged the privilege of an interview, you
remember? There was something that it seemed
necessary to explain to you."
"But you are not" — she was about to add
"John; " but something in his strangely familiar,
yet unfamiliar, face held back the word. It was
ludicrous still.
" I am John Stuart at your service," he said,
speaking almost gayly ; " Pray be seated, Miiis
Elliott; and T will try to explain iis briefly as
possible."
She dropped back into her chair; and John
Stuart drew a chair for himself, uninvited, and
felt that the situation had already ceased to be
ludicrous. lie had, early in their acquaintance,
imagined scenes in which he should " explain ; "
but they had never been like this one. If only he
did not care much what she thought of him ! lie
felt the perspiration starting on his forehead.
How he got through with the first of it he
could never afterwards have told. lie knew that
he stammered something about being a student of
human nature, and about desiring to better under-
stand certain social conditions, especially the tramp
([uestion, before writing about them. It was a
lame defence, and he realized it. His listener
grew colder and more dignified.
" I HAVK STAIITKD OUT NOW FOIl TItUTU." 305
She intorrupted him at Lust :
" You chiim to bo a writer, then ? "
" That is my business."
" What do you write ? "
He liesitated, and his face flushed. Iler tone
was so exactly tliat of a jjerson who, not believing
what he said, had resolved to entrap liim.
"I have written on various lines," he said, at
last, "travel, and some purely literary papers; at
present I am writing fiction."
" Oh ! so you thought you would create some,
Jind act it out ? It may have been a very clever
way ; but how am I to be sure which is fiction —
or, rather, Avhere fiction ends ? "
" You are hard uihju me, Miss Elliott! " he said
quickly. " I have done nothing to deserve your
contempt." Then, for the first time, he noticed the
magazine still in her hand. Her tone and manner
stung him, forced him on.
" I see you have the American 3IoHthIi/ ; there
is what my friends call a very fair shadow of
myself, for the frontispiece. Can you not corrob-
orate that portion of my stor}'? "
She gave a little start of surprise, wiia it also of
dismay ? gazed fixedly at him for a moment, then
turned the leaves rapidly -ind gazed at the pic-
tured face, then back to hio
"You are Stuart King! " she said at last; and
it is impossible for mere words to give an idea of
what her tone expressed,
306
AS IN A M1U1U»U.
n
r
\i
11'
Ik:,'!!
iH: =
M
a-
M 1
" I am John Stuiirt King. Was it a crime so
great as to be beyond the reaeh of pardon to drop
the hist name for a time, and eome into the conn-
try, and earn an honest living for my.sclf, (h)iiig
honest work, and doing it, 1 believe, in a satisfac-
tory manner?"
She was looking steadily at him ; there was no
smile on her face, no indication that she was other
than gravely displeased.
. " Pardon me," she ;>aid at last ; " you nnist be
your own conscience. Whether the end in view
was worth the weeks and months of deception
that you have had to practise, you ought to be
better able to tell than I. I cannt>c pretend to
fathom your motive."
''My motive, ^liss Elliott, as I told yon, was
distinctly in line with my work as a writer for the
press. I wished to study certain social conditions,
untrannnelled by the conventionalities which seemed
of necessity to belong t? my life. In particular
I desired to understand the life of the ordinary
tramp, and to be able to describe it from his stand-
point; in doing this I had a motive which even
yon might approve. I wanted, if I could, to iielp
solve the problem of how to reach and save him."
"And you found such satisfactory conditions
for studvino- this i)hase of hnmanity here in my
father's quiet farmhouse, where a tramp rarely
penetrates, that yon have lingered on, through a
large portion of your exile ? "
fi
I
((
I HAVE STARTKD OUT NOW FOf TUUTH.'" ^07
in
Stuart King (listinctly felt the blood surgii,^'
in grout waves over his face ; once more he had
bliinderod I
"I used the past tense, if you noticed," lie said
presently, in a low(!r tone. "It was the end for
which I started out ; I will not deny that other
motives have got hold of nie, and shaped my
later decisions."
It was still a lame defence, he knew that ; but
it had in it, either in the words or the maimer of
rendering them, that which Miss Elliott did not
care to probe farther.
" Well," she said suddenly, in an altered and
business-like tone, '^ I have nothing to do with all
this, of coui-se. You have not to justify yourself
to me. May I ask you what it has to do with the
matter of business which seems to have been the
occasion of this revelation ? Have you any in-
formation to give with regard to 'Squire Ilartwell's
will that has just been found? "
"Pardon me, Miss Elliott, but is that quite
true ? From the standpoint from which you view
life, have you not something to do with it and
with me ? Am I not a human l)eing with an im-
mortal soul in which you are bound to be inter-
ested ? Will it be of interest to you, I wonder,
to know that, while I believe I was a Christian
when I came into your home, I have received
new views of what that word should imply since
I have been here ? "
808
AS IN A MIIIUOH.
■5;^
L''!
lii-
. I I
1;
HI'
lir .
I'll I
k
She looked away from liim at last, down at the
book slio still held, and toyed with the leaves for
tt inonient, then she said, —
"Pardon nie, Mr. Kinj,', I do not wish to be
hard ; but I am comix^led to say to you that Chris-
tianity 1ms its very foundations laid in truth."
"I undei-stand you," he said. "You are hard
on me, but I think you do not mean to be ; and I
believe I should hereafter agree with you. 1 have
started out now for truth. You asked me a (lues-
tion. Do you not see the relation I sustain to
that unjust and foolish will? Have you heard
the name of the supposed heir?"
She looked qiuekly at him, catching her breath
in an exclamation. "It is Stuart King! and you
are —
" And I am John Stua?-t King, distant relative
of 'Squire Ilartwell. That complication, IVIiss
Elliott, was not of my planning; it is an acci-
dent. But you do not sui)pose, I hope, that 1
will allow such an unjust will as that to stand.
It was made in a moment of passion, and the
maker did not live long enough to recover his
sane mind. It is manifestly unjust; and I shall
have none of it. Am I wrong in supposing that
I can in that way be the means of giving you a
bit of pleasure? You wall like to have your
friends remain in undisturbed possession of their
own?" Before he had completed the sentence,
he regretted tlmt it was commenced. Clearly,
\i
ti
I HAVE STAUTKD OUT NOW TOU TUUTII." 809
. at the
ivos for
1 to bo
t Chris-
1.
I'e hiirtl
; iind I
I htivo
a (jiit'S-
itiiiii to
Li hoard
• hreath
iiul you
rehitivo
n, INIiss
[in aoci-
that I
[) stand,
mid the
IVCY liis
I I Khali
ing that
g you a
ve your
of their
entence,
Clearly,
John Stuart, her fathor's liired man, liad been on
terms of inti/..aoy with this young woman such as
were not to bo aceordod to jojm Stuart King, tlio
somowhat famous author.
He made haste to ohango the sul)joct. '^ Miss
KlHott, will you keep my secret for a few days,
until [ can look about mo, and supply my place
to your father? 'Inhere are certain matters whicli
lie has intrusted to mo that really require my
attention, and " —
She interrupted him.
"That will bo impossible, Mr. King. I am
sure that my father, and my brother, who will be
at home to-morrow, would undergo any inconven-
ience rather than to trouble you further. My father
will, without doubt, entertain you as Mv. King, if
it is not convenient for you to go away at once ;
but as for lending my aid to any form of decep-
tion, however sliglit it may seem to you, that is
quite out of the (piestion. If there were no otlujr
reason, the very recent painful experience in my
own family would make it impossible."
"I understand that, too; i Avill go away at
once, — to-night if you wish it. But, Miss Elli-
ott, surely I may return? I may call upon you
as a friend ? "
It was Ilildreth's turn to flush. The color
flamed into her face, that had been pale before;
but she answered steadilv
" You make mo appear very inhospitable, Mr.
310
AS IN A MIRROll.
if
^
11 ,li
[ ii
^
I I
s
^
King. I must remind you that we are not friends,
but strangei's."
"Yet you were kind to John Stuart, and friendly
witli him ; trusted yourself to his care, and ac-
cepted his help. But the moment that he claims
equality with you, you become strangers ! Noth-
ing is changed but the clothes, JNIiss Elliott; do
they count for so nuich ? "
There was a quick flash of indignation in her
eyes. " You comi)el me to plain speaking," she
said, "by utterly misundei'standing my position.
It is not a question of equality or inequality. For
John Stuart, an honest man, earning his living in
an honest way, I had respect, and was ready to
Xhmk and speak of him as a friend. Wlien John
Stuart Avent out of existence, my acquaintance
with him necessarily ceased."
John Stuart arose ; it seemed to him time that
this interview should end.
" I will not intrude longer this evening," he
said, in his most dignified, yet courteous tone ;
" but it is perhai)s fair to warn you that, some-
time, John Stuart Ki)t»
315
such beautiful work; now her way was clear.
She would talk with Hildreth about it that very
day. Hildreth had once said that, if a suitable per-
son could be found, she would like to be relieved
before the spring term. If she was of the same
mind now, not many weeks hence Nannie might
be at work ; it would help a little. There were
other ways, too, in which money might be earned.
Although she was grave-faced and a bit sorrow-
ful that morning, she was tingling with energy.
Yet she had a tear or two for the wedding-dress,
as she folded it away. She dried them quickly,
when she heard Rex's voice in the hall below, and
went down to him in a very few minutes. ^^
" I had to pass the house on an errand," he ex-
plained, as he held her hand; "and I did not suc-
ceed in passing, you perceive. This is a bright
winter morning, Nannie ; how would a brisk walk
over to Mr. Potter's place suit you ? "
She gave him a quick, regretful look. " O Rex !
you are going to offer your hoi-se for sale ? "
" I am going to tell him he may have her. He
has envied me her possession for so long that it
seems a pity not to gratify him."
" lUit that hoi-se is your very own."
" Oh, certainly ! she has nothing to do with my
uncle's estate. But you know, Nannie, you and I
are not going to keep a horse just yet; that is
one of the luxuries awaiting our future. Come,
the walk out there will do you good."
316
AS TN A MIRROR.
"No," she said resolutely; "I am not going to
begin in that way. I am to work too, Rex ; I
have plans, and 1 nuist set about carrying them
out this very morning."
" What are } our plans ? Perhaps I shall not
agree to them ; you are not at liberty to carry
them out, remember, until I give you leave. IMi-s.
Marvin, command your eldest daughter that she
accompany me for a walk; the morning is just
right for it."
" Is she averse to it? " asked Mi-s. Marvin, smil-
ing, as she paused in her transit through the hall.
" I would go, Nannie, it will do you good."
"• That is not to be my motto any longei',
mother; I am going to work."
" Ah, but the work can wait for one morning,"
pleaded Rex ; " you want to tell me all about it,
you know, and honestl}', Nannie, I shall have very
few mornings after this ; I shall not hinder you
again in ever so long. I have some plans to tell
you about that are calculated to hasten the time."
The latter part of tins sentence was spoken low,
for lier ear. Then he suddenly changed his tone.
" Nannie, you are about to have a call, or your
father is. Just hide me in the kitchen, or some-
where, won't you? I don't care to be hindered })y
that man this morning ; he will have a dozen ques-
tions to ask if he sees me. What can he want
with your father ? "
"Who is it?" asked Nannie, as she followed
"IN EVEllY RESPECT, SAVE ONE.
317
lutlier than led the way to the diiiing-rooin, Mrs.
Marvin having disappeared.
" It is my unele's lawyer. I placed that paper
in his 1 ands last night; had to wait until the late
train ^^ -tore I could see him. He was absent all
the afternoon, so I merely handed it to him with
the statement that it would explain itself; of
coui-se I enclosed a note stating who had found
it, and then came away. It made me too late to
come out here last night, as I had planned ; so I
was the more glad of this opportunity this morn-
ing. He nmst have taken the eight o'clock train
out; his business nmst be urgent."
" I cannot imagine what it can be," said Nannie
wonderingly, and vaguely uneasy at the same time.
" Father has no business dealings with him that I
know of. I wish we had gone out. Rex, before
he came ; I feel as though I did not want to see
um.
" Oh ! w^e need not see him," said Rex cheerfully ;
" I am not ready for a business talk with him yet.
There are some papers to go over first; I told
him so in my note. Nannie, if you will put on
your wraps, we can slip out of this dining-room
door and be off."
Then Mi's. Marvin opened the door, and closed
it after her.
" It is Judge Barnard, Rex ; he is in search of
you ; and he says he wants to see Nannie, too, on
important business."
818
AS TN A MTRROR.
i
Nannie shivered lil<.e ii ieiil", uiul grew ou, and that your
uncle in his sane mind so intended ; that the
other will was a f ea^" of the moment, and has
no moral ground to stand on; therefore he de-
elnrcs that it shall not stand."
"Hut I cannot have this sort of thing!" said
Rex, in great excitement. '' My uncle made the
will, and lived for weeks afterwards, and did not
alter it ; we have nothing to do with what ought
to have been, we must deal with what is. I
decline to have my uncle's property on any such
ground."
"Then we iip[)arently have two obstinate men
to deal with," said Judge Haruard, smiling as
though he greatly enjoyed the whole ; " the other
ie equally obstinate."
" He will change his mind. Who is he, Judge
Barnard? ami why has he been posing as a
stranger? Is he a laboring man?"
" Hardly ! not, at least, in the sense you mean.
I have the climax to my story yet in reserve ; he
is John Stuart King, the scholar, traveller, author,
and what not."
Their astonishment seemed to satisfy the judge ;
it was so great as to abuost drive personal matters
from their minds for the moment.
822
AS IN A iMIKKOi:.
'■^r
Ife-
" Well," said Rex at hust, *' lie has my uncle's
property to look after, that is all ; you may tell
him that I utterly refuse to receive as a gift from
him what my uncle did not choose to leave me."
Judj,^' Hai.iard turned suddenly to Nannie.
"Do you approve of such a wholesale renuncia-
tion as that, Miss Marvin? " lie asked. Nannie's
answer was quick and to the j)()int.
"Certainly I do. Mr. Ihirtwell is not an oh-
ject of charity. Jt may he nohle in the' man to
feel as he does ; I thiidv ic is ; but a will is a will,
and, however unjust, people nuist abide by it."
Judge Barnard leaned back in his chair and
laughed. The young i)eople regarded him with
astonishment and disapproval.
"Excuse me," he said, "this is cpiite a new
experience to me ; there is not much in my pro-
fession to afford enjoyment. I told you that the
climax to my story was to come ; now you shall
have it. 'J^hat paper you found, Miss Marvin, was
undoubtedly the last will and testament of this
young man's uncle, 'Squire Haitwell. It is duly
signed and dated, and all the forms of law are
correct; in every respect, save one, it is a fac
simile of the one that I drew up for 'Squire Ilart-
well. J^ut instead of .John Stuart King l)eing the
heir, every solitary penny of the entire property is
left to Miss Annette L. Marvin, on condition that
she marry his obstinate nephew, Joshua Reginald
ilaitwell. Miss .Alarvin, are you going to consent
*'1N EVKUY UESTECT, SAVE ONE.'
3liG
to meet tljoso conditions, or are you, like tlio gcii-
tlenion, ohstiiiiite ? "
Hut for the third time in Nannie Marvin's life
the "room began to whirl around;"' and Judge
liarnard, instead of waiting to bei answered, went
haste, to find a glass of water.
AS IN A MIRIIOR.
CHAPTER XXVI.
DISMISSED.
IT was all very well to appear dignified before
Miss Elliott, but never did a gentleman go
out from her presence more tliorouglily uncom-
fortable in mind than did John Stuart King on
that memorable evening. lie was sure that he
had been a simpleton tliroughout the interview.
He had allowed himself to be misundei-stood, to
have his motives maligned, in short, to appear
ashamed of his position, instead of explaining
calmly that he had adopted an ordinary business
method of action for the sole purpose of studying
social problems. It was a scheme of which he
had a right to be proud, rather than ashamed.
This he told himself whik^ he was in a fume. In
calmer moments he admitted that no man could
be really proud of a position that compelled him
to shade the truth a dozen times in a single day.
Moreover, people did not like to be duped, even
though the deception had done them no harm.
There was something, undoubtedly, to be said for
Miss Elliott's side.
He tramped off some of his surj)lus energy, by
J
DISMISSED.
325
I
making all speed to the station ; one step of his
future was clear to him. He would, without an
hour's delay, do what he could to overset that will,
which by this time he hated ; he took a savage de-
light in the prospect of making it good for noth-
ing. The train was late, after all his haste, and
he had to march up and down the little platform
U) keep himself warm, subject to the sleepy-eyed
stare of the station agent ; it was unusual for res-
idents of Bennettville and vicinity to take a train
to town at that late hour.
He came back over the road with slower step,
but not more cheerful views of life. His inter-
view with Judge Barnard had added a little to
his general sense of being ill used. That gentle-
man asked many (juestions, and imparted no in-
formation ; he could not even learn from him
whether the necessary forms of law could be man-
aged without delay.
Before reaching the farm, however, he had de-
cided upon the next step. He \vould not leave
town that night, notwithstanding his offer to Hil-
dreth Elliott to do so if she desired. She had not
said, in words, that she desired it ; and he believed
there was a duty that he owed to her father, al-
though she had been in too lofty a mood to recog-
nize it. He had not exaggerated the confidence
which Mr. Elliott had of late placed in him. On
the veiy next day lie was to have driven to a
distant town to complete a certain business trau-
326
AS IN A MUaiOR.
■J i it
I 1
saction which required judgment and quick-wit-
tedness. Mr. Elliott had not hesitated to i)lace
the matter in his hands ; it should have his Lest
attention ; delay would cause embarrassment, and
might result in pecuniary loss. He would start
at daylight. If Miss Elliott chose, during his ab-
sence, to arrange so that he could do nothing
further for her father, that was her concern ; for
himself, he stood ready to give honorable warning
of his change of occupation. He sliould be absent
all day, and therefore need not disturb Miss El-
liott by a sight of him. Having settled this, lie
gave a very few hours to restless sleep, during
which he continued his interview witii Plildreth,
with even more unsatisfactojy results than had
attended liis waking, and then roused Susan Aj.-
l)lel)y at an hour which she considered unreason-
able.
"Pity's sake!" she grumbled, ''Why didn't
you start last night ! I suppose it is your suppei-
you are hungry for, since you wouldn't condescend
to come and eat it." He had packed away Stuart
King's garments in the trunk, and every article
of clothing he wore belonged to the man known
as .John Stuart ; so Susan felt at home Avith him,
and, as usual, was not afraid to speak her mind.
He was very gentle with hei-. Susan had been a
friend to him ; he could recall times without num-
ber when she had advised him for his good. He
r--.li7,pd Miat she had honestly done her ijest to be
DISMISSED.
327
[jiiick-wit-
l to place
B his best
[iient, jind
)uld start
ig his a]>
) nothing
cern; for
3 warning
be absent
Miss El-
l tliis, lie
[», during
Hildretli.
than had
iusan Ap-
iinreason-
ly didn't
ir supper
ndescend
ay Stuart
y article
u known
vith him,
er mind,
d been a
■)ut num-
lod. He
est to ])e
helpful to him. He replied meekly that it was
not so much breakfast that he wanted, as to leave
some messages for Mr. Elliott. It was to be ex-
plained to him that John had made a very early-
start, because he had learned, the day before, that
on Saturdays the chief man he was going to see
generally went to town by the noon train; and by
starting thus early he believed that he could reach
him, and transact the business before train-time.
There followed other messages, or suggestions
rather, concerning certain matters that ought to
receive attention during his absence; until at last
Susan Appleby, who was })roud of the evident way
in which he took the Elliott interests to heart, and
who faithfully treasured every word he said, in
order for an accurate report, grumbled again. Did
he think she was a walking dictionary, or some-
thing, to remember all those words? Mr. Elliott
had run the farm before he came there, and she
thought likely enough he could do it again. Susan
did not know what a thorn she thrust into the sore
heart of John by that last. He felt its truth ; he
was probably exaggerating his importance even to
Mr. Elliott: it really made little difference to
anyone, save, possibly, his mother and Elizabeth,
where he went or what he did.
As he drove into the farmyard late that after-
noon, his errand having been accomplished in a
gratif>qng manner, he saw, hanging on one of the '
bai-s that divided the meadow lot from the yard.
328
AS IN A MIRROR.
ail individual whose presence actually gave him a
pang of something like envy. This Avas no other
tlian "Jim," the man who had worked for Mr.
Elliott just before his own advent, and who had
fallen sick, apparently for the purpose of giving
him an opening. He had heard much of this indi-
vidual. Susan, who thought much better of Jim
ill and away, than she had of him at work on
the farm, had given detailed accounts of his
virtues.
Jim had fully recovered, and he was doubtless
in search of his old place. John Stuart had met
the youth several times in the village, and knew
that he had a fondness for tlie Elliott farm ; a few
words witli liim as lie sat astride the fence cor-
roborated this idea. Jim was ho[)ing that tiiere
would be an opening, at least in the spring, and
bad come around to see about it. He had been
'' talking things over " with Mr. Elliott ; he didn't
want to get in any other fellow's way. but, after
all, this was kind uf his place ; a man couldn't
help getting sick. John assented to it all; ap-
parently the man had come in an opportune time ;
why was he not g^ad? Just what step should he
take next? It seemed probable that Miss Elliott
had made her disclosures; perhaps he could see
Mr. Elliott at once, and depart without burdenin*-'
her with a further glimpse of him. And then
Susan Appleby shouted at him from the kitchen
doorway.
DISMISSED.
329
ve him a
no other
for Mr.
who had
)f giving
this indi-
i" of Jim
work on
i of his
loubtless
had met
id knew
1 ; a few
lice cor-
at tiiere
ing, and
lad been
le didn't
lit, after
couldn't
all ; ap-
le time ;
lould he
s Elliott
■)uld see
irdening
lid then
kitchen
"If I was you, I'd find out what T was to do
next, liefore I unharnessed them horses. I should
n't wonder a mite if you would have to drive to
the station after llildieth. Tliey tramped there
this afteriuxm, her and Nannie Marvin ; but it
isn't any ways likely that they mean to tramp out
again. I don't know nothing about it, but I think
it's likely that Mis' Elliott does ; if I was you I'd
ask her, before I did a lot of work for nothing. I
s'pose you've heard the news, haven't you?"
"What news?" asked John Stuart tentatively,
as he came toward the house with a view, perhaps,
to acting upon Susan's advice. Nothing seemed
more improbable than that Miss Elliott would per-
mit him to bring lier from the station, but it was
possible that he ought to impiire.
*' Why, al>out that everlasting will ; it is going
to pop up in some sliape or other the rest of our
lives, I reckon. I don't know what it will do
next to make a hubbub, I'm sure."
" What has it done this time ? " John Stuart
was washing his hands now at the sink, and reflect-
ing whetlier it was probable that Susan had already
lieard of the heir's rejection of the property. Evi-
dently she did not know who the heir was. Su-
san's views might indicate how much had already
been told, therefore his question.
" Why, that fellow, whoever he is, that folks
thought 'Squire Ilartwell left his money to; you've
heard of him, haven't you? "
1 ■' m
330
AS m A MIRROR.
"I have heard his name mentioned several
times I" said John Stuart dryly.
"Well, I reckon he feels fine to-day! only
maybe he didn't hear the otlier story ^ I don't
know how far off he is ; I hope he didn't. I can't
help feeling kind of sony for, the poor fellow ;
havnig money left hiin, and then not having it,
and then having it again, and not having it some
more, is worse than never having had a notion of
getting any, according to my idea. It ain't his,
you see, after all," —stopping in tlie act of fillino.
lier kettle to see the effect of her words, — " that
will that Nannie IMarvin found, and that none of
'cm had sense enougli to look at, but just rushed
off to Judge Barnard with it — he come up there
this morning post-haste, and told them that it was
'S(iuire Ilartwell's last will and testament sure
enough, but tliere isn't a red cent of the money
left to that fellow, AA-Jiatever his name was, nor to
anybody else, but just Nannie Marvin herself;
only she's got to promise to marry Rex Hartwell',
or else she can't have it. Easy enough for her to
promise tlmtl She's been crazy after him ever
smce I i w her.
" For pity's sake ! John Stuart, what are you
dripping soapy water all over my floor for?" It
don't need cleaning. Didn't t finish scrubbing it
not an hour airo ? "
" Have I hurt the floor, Susan ? I'm very sorry."
lie transferred the offending hands to the wash-
DISMISSED.
331
several
y I only
I don't
I ('an't
fellow ;
A'iiig it,
it some
otion of
in't his,
f filling
- " that
none of
rnshed
p thei'e
; it was
it sure
niono}'^
nor to
erself ;
irtwell,
' her to
n ever
re you
r?" It
bing it
!ony."
wash-
basin, finished his toilet in extreme haste, and got
out again to the yard and the hoi-ses. It had sud-
denly beeome dithcult to breathe inside. All his
efforts, then, had been in vain. Had he simply
kept quiet, and allowed things to take their course,
all would hav<; been well, and he might be at this
moment quietly driving to the station for Miss
l«:ili()tt, as a matter of course. It was a very
bitter reflection. He had not been ready for dis-
closures, he had made them l)adly, and now to
find them woi-se than unnecessary! The repent-
ant Susan came out on the steps, and called again.
-'Come on in, and get some dinner; I kept it
hot for you. You needn't wait till supper ; you
must be about starved by this time."
He answered gently again, that he did not feel
luingry. and would wait. Susan went in, slamming
the door a little,, and grumbling. " Pity's sake !
if he's goin' to turn so touchy as that, what's the
use in trying to do anything? Jest because I
scolded a little about his drippy hands ! "
He left his hoi-ses blanketed at last, and went in-
to Mr. Elliott's room. That gentleman was now im-
proving daily ; he was sitting up in his easy chair,
and was alone. The moment John Stuart saw his
face he knew that he had been told the news. It
was not a disagreeable interviev/. Mr. Elliott did
not seem indignant, like his daughter. He said
th:it he undoistood something of what the motive
might have been, and congratulated John on his
332
AS IN A MIRROR.
i
ir
1^
i;
U i
i( :
Ril'»-
i J
success in carrying out tlie scheme. He even
iaughed a little over In.s own utter innocence, and
recalled, with laughter, certain items of advice
that he had given. Jojni could sooner have cried •
iie felt hin.self parting with a friend. The truth
was, he had come in closer touch with a real home
than ever in his life before. Moreover, despite his
knidness, there was in Mr. Elliott that little un-
dertone of feeling about having been duped. Like
all practical jokes, it had its disagreeable side ; no
man likes to have his faith in other men played
with. John Stuart tried to hint at his willingness
to remain unt.x sucli time as Mr. Elliott could
spare him better; but there was no opening for
that. Evidently it was taken for granted that his
reason for making the disclosure at all was his de-
sire to get away. His sacrifice in connection with
It had been apparently forgotten. Why not, since
It was not needed ? Mr. Elliott made light of his
share of the inconvenience. Jim had come to him
that very afternoon, desiring his old place ; it
seemed providential. Jim had really done very
well indeed, for so young a fellow, and he himself
should be around in a few days. Oh, no ! they
would not think of asking John to stay; under
the circumstances it would be embarrassing for all
of them. He was sorry that he had felt bound to
attend to tliat day's business, but glad, of course
for Its successful conclusion. Jim could hardlJ
have managed that. If he would like to take the
DrSMISSKD.
833
He even
3nce, and
f advice
v^e cried ;
'lie triitli
ial iiome
ispite his
ittle iin-
l. Like
side ; no
played
lingness
t could
ling for
that his
his de-
on with
>t, since
t of his
to him
ice ; it
e very
tiiniself
! they
under
for all
und to
jourse,
hardly
ke the
train that evening, Jim could drive him to the
station when he went for Ilildreth. In short, John
Stuart went out from that interview feeling him-
self dismissed. Notwithstanding Farmer Elliott's
closing words, half serious, and yet comic, ^' You
have certainly served me faithfully ; and if, at any
time, you find yours(^lf in need of a recommenda-
tion as a fai'iii hand, don't hesitate to apply to
me ! " there was a sense in which he felt himself
dismissed in disgrace. He was almost compelled
to leave the farm that night, and it was not what
he wanted to do. He hesitated, with a lingering
desire to say good-by to Susan, then thought bet-
ter of it, and made his way up to the woodhouse
chamber just as Jim was responding with alacrity
to Mr. Elliott's call.
He did not go directly to the city that he called
home. Instead, he bought his ticket for the 'col-
lege town where Corliss Elliott was staying. He
was in no mood for home just now ; he shrank
from Fletcher's prolong questions, and felt that he
had no story to tell al)out his summer's outing.
A vague feeling that Corliss Elliott might be in
embarrassment of some sort, and a desire to be
helpful to him, was, as nearly as he could under-
stand his motives, what prompted him to stop at
the college town. He had never learned what
form of trouble it was that sent Corliss home that
night so heavily laden, nor how he had gotten out
of it as triumphantly as his telegram would seem
■I^f
f '
;|H
h
3J34
AS IN A MinUOR.
to iiKlicate. I'hat it liad to do with money, in
some way, lie tliouglit was ovi(l(Mit; and a boy who
was deeply involved in money dillienlties did not
usually lind his way out so (juiekly. Perhaps the
tele^n-iim was only a skilful effort to lift the burden
from his sister's shouldei-s. The more he thouj-ht
about it, the more he cor.vinced himself that the
boy was in (hing.r — in greater danger, probably,
tlien his secluded sister could even imagine. If
he, John Stuart King, could secure an influence
over him, could win him, perhaps, from dangerous
companions, could gradually secure his confidence,
and help him i)ra(!tically and permanently, if debt
were one form of his trouble, would not that be
something worth stopping for? It would dignify
his more than dou})tful experiment, and restore to
him his self-respect. jNIoreover, would it not, in
a way which perhaps nothing else could, soften
Miss EUiotfs feelings toward him? — help her to
undei-stand that, although he had chosen to mas-
(piei-ade for a time as another character, he was
really an honest, earnest man with a purpose in
life?
This la!?t motive he tried to put away from him,
as unworthy. Miss Elliott had practically insulted
him ; had shown him that he was less than noth-
ing to her, despite the kindly interest that she had
taken in John Stuart, an interest that had evi-
dently been growing of late. He owed it to his
self-respect to think no more about her ; but the
DISMISSED.
335
money, in
ii l)oy who
'H did n(>t
Mliaps tlio
he hiii-den
e thought
P that the
prohahly,
igine. If
influence
hmgerous
)nfidence,
Y, if deht
t tliat be
d dignify
restore to
it not, in
d, soften
Ip her to
I to nias-
, he was
.ir|)ose in
rom him,
' insulted
lan noth-
b she had
had evi-
it to liis
but the
boy Corliss, who had been uniforndy kind to him,
even when he regarded him with more or less sus-
picion, ho should like to win him, and wateh over
him, and help him.
Arrived in town, he wandt^red about, valise in
hand, in the lowcn- and mtire obscure portions of
the city, until he found a lodging-house sulficiently
humble for his needs, and hired a room for the
night. From this he emerged in the morning, fully
attired as John Stuart King, to the unbounded as-
tonishment, and, he could not help feeling, sus[)i-
cion, of the sleepy-looking maid who stared after
him as he walked down the street. He had taken
the precaution to pay his bill the night before, and
had said that he wanted no breakfast. It annoyed
him, however, to think of that servant maid's stare ;
he wanted to be done with intrigue of every soi-t
from this time forth.
He took a car for up town, and, having ques-
tioned his way, selected one of the best hotels in
the city, where he registered at once as "Stuart
King," with possibly an extra flourish of his pen
about the last name ; then unpacked his valise, and
established himself, resolved to give exclusive at-
tention to Reuben and Hannah, and wait for Mon-
dav, and the hope of an interview with Corliss
Elliott.
II
r
H
1 I if
ill
H H
i!|*i ♦!
8»* •
I 1
i
I
it
I I
f
.11
.1
tit
336
AM IN A MIHliOK.
^■Hn-n %
[^
1
■^
Hfl
1
^^EW
1 i '^ '
I
H^
iii^/: ^
!
CHAPTER XXVir.
CITIZEN, OH 80.IOUKNKR?
'' T TPON my word I " said Corliss Elliott, '' I do
'-' not wonder tliut my sister was startled to
the degree that she confesses, when you appeared
to her. I really do not think that I should have
recognized you at the lirst moment, had I not been
prepared. Is it possible that you have not made
any changes, except in ,iress ? '" and he looked
critically at hair and mustacl\e.
" It is simply clothes," said ^'Ituart King. » Isn't
it hnmiliatinfi-'/ "'
"It is very interesting. You should have
stixyed, and g-'ven our neighborhood another sensa-
tion ; it is fairly Ijoiling with excitement as it is.
What with the recovered will, and an entirely new
Iieir, or rather heiress, and then your sudden, and
to them mysterious, disappearance, — I do not know,
on the whole, that it could safely have borne any
more." "^
They were sitting together in Stuart King's
room. Corliss, who had been at home for the Si-.!)-
bath, as usual, and had returned by a later train
than usual, had not visited his room until night.
CITIZEN, Oil ^ '.IOUUNKU7
im
iott, " I do
Startled to
I appeared
oiild Imve
f not been
not niiide
lie looked
?. "Isn't
uld have
her sensii-
t as it is.
:irely new
Iden, and
not know,
)orne any
:'t King's
• the Sal)-
tter train
til night,
and then had found Stuart King's card. His curi-
asity to sva that gentleman was so great that it was
with dilliiuilty he had restrained himself, tiie next
day, until college duties were over, hcfijre rushing
to return the call. lie wius cordial in the ».xtreme,
and heartily interested in the idea that had led
Stuart King to sacrilice his position in the world
to a sunnner and fall of country life and obscurity.
" I do not know that I undei-stand social prol>-
lems well en»)Ugh to ap[)reciate your woi'k in that
direction," he said frankly, when Mr. King, with
anxious cm--, tried to elaborate them for him; '' but
I can foe at .i glance that the whole thing would
be grei.t f-ui, a-. 1 I confess I do not see the harm
in it thi^t — so-.ie people might.*'
He hau iuado a noticeable pause before conclud-
ing, and Stuart King studied his face for news.
" You think, then, that some people would dis-
approve ? Is that the feeling in your neighbor-
hood?"
"Not to any extent," said Corliss, laughing.
"Susan Appleby was the only really cross pei-son
I saw. She considers herself cheated, but she ad-
mits that you did it ^^•ell ; the fact is, she believes
that the man who could cheH Susan Appleby,
'right before her face and eyes,' as she expresses
it, is a genius. My father, too, sees the jolly side
of it. He laughed over some of the advice he had
given you, and he says that you have the material
in you for a fii-st-class farmer."
oni sineo
efore him
ioubtedh •
niattei-s,
f Corliss,
he might
lies, —
" And now that you undei-stand me better than
you did, I wonder if I may renew the offer tliat
I once almost offended you by making ? In that
line or any other I should be glad to be called
U[)on. In other words, I should like you, if you
are willing, to look upon me as a friend. It is
true I am a few yeare older than you, but by no
means so many that I have forgotten my college
experiences, and the satisfaction that a frank
friendship with a man older than myself would
liave been to me. Is it too early in our acquaint-
ance to ask you to take me for a real friend?"
'• I tliank you ever so mucii," said Corliss hear-
tdy. " 1 do not feel that you are a new acquaint-
ance at all. I told Hildvoth that it scared me to
think of the great Stuart King, and remember that
I had actually given him directions about hoi-ses
and cows and the like ! " — he stopi)ed to laugh
merrily over the memory, — - and I said that'' I
hoped our roads would never cross again, because
I shouldn't knoAv what to say ; l)ut you see I i-ushed
away in search of you as soon as possible, and I
confess that I am not at all afraid of you. I always
liked John Stuart even better than I thought it
wise to sliow him." The half merry and yet really
earnest look on the handsome young face was
pleasant to see.
"Poor little Elfie," he continued, "had amomen^
tary return of her love of mystery and romance,
and announced that she thought it would be just
n
M
VJ\'
340
AS IN A MIRIIOK.
delightful to meet you as Stuart King, the great
writer ! I say, Mr. King, we owe you a debt of
gratitude for your sliare in the rescue of that
poor little girl that we can never repay. Ilildreth
admitted that you were very wise and very kind
about that matter, and my mother cannot be grate-
ful enough.''
This certainly was comforting. Mr. King's
heart warmed yet more toward Ilildreth Elliott's
brother. He contrived, before the interview
closed, to renew his offer of lielj); approaching
the subject from another side, and, he flattered
himself, with such adroitness that it would not
sound like mere repetition. Corliss had arisen to
go, but he turned back with the bright look shin-
ing on his face.
" That is very good of you ! I recognized it as
truly good when you offered help to me Ijefore ;
the only thing I was afraid of was, that John
Stuart ought not to have so much money!" His
frank laugh was very fascinating. "I am glad
to be able to tell you that I have no need of help
in that direction. I was in a sea of trouble ; but
there came an Infinite Helper to my aid, and
carried me through." There was no mistaking
his reverent tone. Stuart King waited respect--
fully for whatever more he might hnve to say in "
that line.
Suddenly he changed his tone, and spoke
eagerlv. —
, the great
a debt of
Lie of that
IliMreth
very kind
t be grate-
[r. King's
h Elliott's
interview
)proaehing
3 flattered
voiild not
'. arisen to
look sliin-
lized it as
e before ;
hat John
y-r His
am glad
d of help
ible; but
aid, and
iiistaking
i respect-"
to say in
d spoke
CITIZEN, on SOJOURNER?
341
" I do need help, however, in other directions.
It seems strange to be asking it of you, at this
time ; it was the last thought I had when I came ;
but you have been so kind. My sister Hildreth
told me that you were a Christian man; and
I know, by the energy with which you take hold
of anything that is to be done, what sort of a
Christian you must be. I wonder if you would
not be just the one to set me at work? 1 have
just started on that road, Mr. King; in fact, my
decision dates from the morning following my
night of trouble. I was driven into the fold, one
may say. A vast amount of coaxing was done
beforehand, but I would pay no attention to it;
however, I am inside at last. Now what I want
is to get to work. I am just alive from head to
foot with undirected energy. There is work
enough needing to be done, I can see that; among
the boys in college, for instance, and outside, in
the city, plenty of it ; but I don't know how to
set about any of it. Could you give me a hint?
sort of start me, you know? What is your line
of Christian work in your own city? And what
did you do in college ? Did you have some sys-
tem, something that I can get hold of? You
wouldn't imagine it, perhaps, but I am a sys-
tematic sort of fellow; I have definite houi-s for
definite things, and mental pigeon holes filled with
them, you understand."
Poor Sfiiart King! yes, he understood, but he
342
AS IN A riRROR.
stood silent, constrained, embarrassed before tlie
bright young face and earnest eyes looking up to
him for guidance. What was his line of Chris-
tian work ? What indeed ! Would anything as-
tonish the people of his own city more than to sec
him at any sort of Christian work? How many
times had he spoken to others upon this subject ?
Fletcher, his friend and fellow church-member,
and lie had often criticised sermons together as
they walked home from churcli ; but, aside from
that, he could not recollect having held any reli-
gious convei*sation even with him. The mid-week
prayer-meeting of his church he had not been in
the habit of attending; it fell on a night when
there w-as generally a literary lecture of impor-
tance, in some other portion of the city ; and then,
too, he had been abroad a great deal, and had
never fallen into the habit of a mid-week prayer-
meeting, nor indeed of any prayer-meeting. What
had he done in college in the name of Christian
w^ork? Nothing. If he spoke plain truth, such
as he had declared to himself that he meant to
speak in future, he should have to use that word.
Would it be well to make such a confession to
this eager beginner, looking to him for guidance ?
He did not think all these thoughts in detail
while Corliss waited for his answer; instead, they
flashed through his brain, making a stinging path
to his awakening conscience. He was glad that
Corliss was on his feet, and had but a moment
CITIZEN, OH SOJOUUNEIl?
343
before exphiined tliat he must meet a college en-
gagement.
" These are very important questions," he said,
and he was afraid that his smile was a sickly one ;
"they cannot be answered hurriedly; come and
see me again, and we will talk things over. When
will you come? Can you spare an evening for
me soon ? "
Corliss ran hurriedly over the week's programme.
Tuesday was lecture evening, and on Wednesday
he had i)romised to go with a friend to make a
call at some distance.
" How would Thui-sday evening do'/ "
" Thursday," said Corliss, " is our college prayer-
meeting evening ; I have only very recently begun
to attend it, but I thought I would not allow other
engagements to interfere with it. You think that
is the way to begin, don't you ? liecause, if one
starts out with letting other matters push in, there
is always something to push."
"Undoubtedly," said the supposed guide; and
he hoped that the blood which he felt flushing his
face was unnoticeable. Then there were no other
evenings that week. On Friday Corliss went home
again ; and he could not know how much Stuart
King (mvied him this privilege, nor how devoutly
he wished that he could be invited to hold their
next conference at the Elliott farm. There was
nothing for it but to wait until the following Mon-
day ; tliough he had wanted very much to say cer-
i' ■
1
1
•'i
i ;
i
t
j
■
IT
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5. ^ ,
f ' 1
,
I
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i *"' '
S '" ^
B '■
1 >
W [^
344
AS IN A MIIIKOR.
ttiiii things to this young brother tliat lie might
possibly report to his sister.
Left alone, Stuart King let the bulky letter wait,
while he gave himself up to some of the most se-
rious, as well as humiliating, thinking tluit h- had
ever done in his life.
Once more were his plans,, and yes, his liopes,
shattered ! lie had eurnestiy hoped to ly that leather chair near the
grate, and consecrated this room especiallv to the
work. And, O Ilildreth," this with lowei-ed tone
and a little nervous clutch of her friend's arm
''i thought then, while I listened to his prayer
about what we meant to try to do, what if I had
burned that will ! I was tempted to it ! WJiat
" You never would have done it," .aid Rildreth,
ONR SEASON'h HAUVKSr.
8/)l
CH down on
"'}'. Ain't
I (lec'laro
M HO [)retty.
tim bii le,
c'liod sonio
ariiostlj at
m to liave
iiLs in thiH
II sorts of
liout tlieir
lit. Grad-
ose t,"anies
eiul otlier
em a bet-
e will try
iients. O
ing.s with
ly plans !
•gether in
near the
lly to the
3red tone
id's arm,
s prayer
if I liad
I What
lildretli,
with (juiet confidcnee. " Do not even tliink of it,
dear. (Jod tak^'s eare of liis own."
Slie stood, later, near one of the great leather
chaii-s; she liked to look down into their depths,
and reineinher that they had been ''eonseerated."
She was feeling very haj)py ; there were lovely
l)ossibilities for Hex and Nannie, and through
them her dear boys and girls would reeeive help.
Money was a beautiful servant! Young Dr. War-
den moved toward her; he was Rex iiartweirs
most intimate friend, and had taken a journey at
an inconvenient time to act as his '' best man." It
had not been found diihcult to persuade him to
take it again, and assist at this reception, lie
was evi(U»ntly well pleased to be intimately assf)-
ciated with Miss Elliott, as she was of (^oui-se the
bride's "maid of honor."
"I tliink you told me I was to help you 'feel
at home ' to-night !" he said, laughing. "Are there
many guests left whom you have not met ? "
" Oh, there must be dozens ! the entire medical
college has come out to-night, I think."
" Then I ought to be doing my duty. I believe
I have at least met most of the guests from the
college. But there are others equally distin-
guished, if not more so. Of coui-se you have met
the star of the evening? lie came late, how>
ever, after we had ceased to receive formally ; per-
haps you really have not met him? What an
ovei-sight ! "
M
tit
852
•AS IN A Mllinoit.
:ii:
-lo.-.' laugfed HiWretl,. " Wl„, i» the star ' ,
I is last book, j,,,t out, is creating a f,,,,,,... I ,„ea„
Ntiiai't King, of conrso."
At tl,at instant so.ne one tappe.l I,i„, on tlie
«l.o«l,ler, and spoke low a few wo,',ls
•.llowre"t"''"r"' "'■• "'"'•''•■'"• " ^"- K"i»tt,
a nv ,„e to make yon acjnainte.l witi, n,y friend
"i ■-.i^a;;l;r'z;;;f-" "''--
ead'o«l"''"?rr"' '"" '•^"'"« ■"'»-' ->f'"..ting
to X ™ .'™ " "'™»"'*'« ''^»i'"tion, „:
l.ong i, were ryn,g to detern.ine wl.at to s.y;
"I an, aeqnainted wnth yo„, after all," she said.
Clothes a,« not so in.portant as we supposed."
i»t yon sanl we were to he strange,!"
"i know I did. I w.as ha,.d on yon, M,.. King.
I Lave .eahzed it sinee. My l„.other takes ear^
'.« we shall not, i„ the fa.nily, fo.-get yon^uatr
1 l.ke the wo,.k that yon and he a.^rdoing."
It Ls Jic wlio is doino- it " s.,wl at,. i-
,, ft ^''» hclKl i\Ir. Jvillfr P'li-
->.V. "".ave only heenahle to help,:",;
«.th the o,ga„,zatio„. I eonid not enter into it
as2„;Udliketodo,heeauseIa.„g„i„;;l:
i%ll
le the won-
he star? I
magnitude.
>i'e. I mean
'i"i on the
liss Elliott,
I'ly friend,
e feasil)le for her brother t(i
add to his. In short, she sliowed him, plainly as
words coidd have done, that it was the special
Christian effort that he, in conunon with her lu-other,
had undertaken, which interested her, instead of
Stuart King, author of the most popular work of
fiction of the season; and innneasurably instead
of Jolin Stuart, the dissembler, to whom she hud
m-'
H
i'
to
I I
!'I?^ *
354
AS IN A MIRROR.
once oeen so kind, and once so severe, but now
whom she seemed uhnost to have forgotten.
For the next few weeks he had much oppor-
tunity to study this phase of Miss Elliott's charac-
ter. At least he made the opportunities. His
invitation to call had been sufficiently cordial, and
he improved it. Twice, during the week follow-
ing the reception at the stone house, came invita-
tions from certaiii of the wealthier families of the
surrounding neighborhood, that took him back.
Of coui-se there wore people who had never noticed
John Stuart by so much as a glance, who were
more than delighted to have the chance of receiv-
ing John Stuart King at their homes. On ])otli
of these occasions he went down by an early train,
and called at the Elliott farm.
Early in tiie ensuing week he pei-suaded him-
self that courtesy demanded the making of a few
calls in the neighlxnhood ; notably, of coui-se, upon
the bride and groom, also at the Elliott farm.
On Friday night he went down, by Corliss's hearty
invitation, and ^pent the Sabbath. Certainly
Hildreth Elliott had decided that he was not a
stranger. She was frank and cordial, was as deejjly
interested as ever in the enterprise that he and
Corliss were managing, and showed hei^elf an effi-
cient helper.
Farmer Elliott had apparently recovered from
his slight sense of annoyance at having been made
tbf> Hn],jcct of a practical joke, and was as cordial
ONE SEASON'S HARVEST.
355
i*e, but now
•gotten,
lueh oppor-
3tt's chaiuc-
iiities. His
cordial, and
eek follow-
;anie invita-
lilies of the
him back.
!ver noticed
who were
e of receiv-
On l)oth
early train,
laded liim-
g of a few
Mirse, upon
liott farm.
^ss's hearty
Certainly
was not a
s as deeply
at he and
ielf an elli-
erod from
been made
as cordial
as possible. As for the quiet mother, she had
never been other than kind and friendly; and
poor Elfie, who had not recovered from her
frightened air, and her timidity in the i)resence of
others, yet received him most gratefully. Only
Susan Appleby held aloof.
" Humph I " she said, when his position in the
literary world was ex{)lained to her, "how do
you know he writes books? He may have bor-
rowed 'em, like he did his work clothes. \V1
lO
knows what he will do next? I shouldn't l)e sur-
prised to see him turn out a circus man, or sonie-
tiiing."
This estimate so amused ('orliss tliat he could
not resist the temptation to repeat it to Stuart
King; Avlio laughed with him genially, and hid a
sense of sliame and i)ain. Did Susan voice in her
rough, uncultured way something like Hildreth
Elliott's thought of him? in other words, did she
trust him fully?
There came a time, just as the si)ring was open-
ing, when Mr. King steadily, yet with infinite pain
to himself, declined Corliss's earnest invitation to
go down home with him. The older man had held
stern vigil with hiniself but the night before, and
knew that honor demanded his staving away from
the Elliott farm. Not for Hildreth's sake — and
tiierein, with strange inconsistency, lay the deepest
pain. She continued to be fidly as indifferent to
him pei-sonally as she had been at their fii-st meet-
liiiriiiial
iff?
356
AS IN A MIIIROR.
ing ; but, for himself, lie knew that mere friendli-
ness was so far from satisfying him, that at times
he wiis ready to declare that he would rather they
should be strangei-s. Yet what did such a state
of mind prove '/ It was humiliating to a degree
that he had not thought he could endure ; but he
must face the facts, and he nmst be a man of honor
if he could, and at the same time a man of truth.
It was late in the night when this decision
brought him to the writing of a letter; and it was
early in the morning before that letter was finished,
although it was not long. Three times he tore
the carefully written sheet into fragments, and
connnenced anew. Never before in his life had
he spent so much time on a letter to Elizabeth.
Never had he thought to write her, or any woman,
such a letter. What a liumiliation for a man of
his yeai-s and his character, to have to own that
he had made an irreparable mistake, and that the
Avonian he had ask(>d to be his wife did not share
the fii-st place in his heart. More than once he
laid down the pen, and hid his burning face in liis
hands, and told himself that he could not write it,
and told himself sternly a moment afterwards that
lie must. Honesty demanded it. Elizabeth could
hold him to his pledged word if she would; lie
did not deny her right to do so ; he was ready to
abide by the mistake that he had made ; but to
go with her to the marriage altiir hiding the tacts,
would l)e but adding insult to injury. It was vain
U
ONE season's harvest.
357
re friendli-
at at times
father they
ich a state
a degree
re ; but he
in of honor
,n of truth,
is decision
and it was
as finished,
es lie tore
iients, and
is life had
Elizabeth,
ny woman,
I' a man of
own that
id that the
not share
n once he
face in his
3t write it,
wai-ds that
beth could
tvould ; he
Ls ready to
le ; but to
f the tacts,
t was vain
for him to go over his past, and groan at the folly
of a boy playing at manhood, and allowing himself
to drift into an engagement, when, had he under-
stood his own heart, he would have known that he
had only a friendly liking for the woman he asked
to be his wife. He thought of his mother, and
the interest she had taken in the entire matter,
and the influence she had used ; and then he put
those thoughts sternly aside, assuring himself that
he might have been m manly man, had he chosen,
and that he need not call his mother to account
for that which ought to have been controlled
only by himself.
At last the letter was written and sealed, and
started on its journey across the ocean. It re-
mained now to wait for a rei)ly. Worn with his
night of self-humiliation, Stuart King had just
strength enough left to decline Corliss's invita-
tion. Miss, Elliott might consider him the merest
acquaintance; but he knew his own heart well
enough now to be sure that it would be dis-
honorable in him to try to see her. Corliss went
away vexed. He was growing extravagantly fond
of Stuart King; and there seemed no possible rea-
son why that gentleman should not prefer a visit
with him at the farm, rather than a Sal)bath alone
in town. When the next Friday night came, and
his pres> ^ng invitation was again rejected, Corliss
was puzzled, and all but ann
mail, and for a long scries of end)arrassments and
humiliations, all of which, even at the hest, would
he terrihlo to talk ahout, to exi)lain. Klizahcth
had deserted him, and he was free ! 1 le need not
have written that humiliatino- letter; he mjoht
have spared her so nuieh. There seemed to be
so many things that he need not have done if only
he had been willing to wait! Nevertheless, lie
had not learned his lesson. He sat up again that
''ifT-
300
AS IN A MriinoH.
I HI..
very night to write another letter. He could not
wait; he was losing ground every day, and Dr.
Warden was gaining I Twice during his calls at
the Elliott farm lie had met D.. Warden. More-
over, Ilildreth liked frankness ; lie wmild he frank.
This letter was long; it confessed everything, hut
M'as very luunhle in its claims ; it asked only for
time, and opportunity to prove the sincerity of
the writer. It was answered more promptly than
he had dared to hope, —a frank, kindly li'tter;
too kind.
Ilildreth had heen sorry more than once, she
wrote, for those hard words she spoke to him on
that fn-st evening. She was so astonisluM', and had
heen so tried, that she did not realize what she wa
saying. She woidd he glad if he could forget the
part that he had (billed '' hard," and look upon her
as a friend. But as to more than that —
Stuart King sat longer over that letter than he
had over any other. He read it through a dozen
times, read it until the words hurned into his
heart; read hetween the lines, and knew the words
that were not there as well as those that were. It
meant, plaiidy, that she did not trust him, could
not teach her heart to do so, could not forget
John Stuart; he had deceived her, had success-
fully played a part. How could she he sure that
Stuart King was not simply engage^ upon another
"study of human nature"? Oh ! she did not write
those words, hut he read them plainly. Within
ONE season's harvest.
861
onkl not
and Dr.
} calls at
I. More-
be frank,
iiiiig, but
only for
cerity of
ptly than
y li'tter;
)nce, she
1 liini on
and had
t slie was
or^et the
upon her
r than he
I a dozen
into his
the words
were. It
ini, could
ot forget
1 success-
sure that
n another
not write
Within
the week ho went home. IIo had always meant
to g(» as soon as he saw the i)lain. He saw
it now
He was settled in his old )onis, seated before
his old secretary, with sheets of paper strewn
around, and two pictures mounted on easels, in
thtiir old places, looking down on him. One was
a photograph of Elizaboth; he L.id not laid it
away, why should he? Elizabeth was his cousin;
her photograph had stood there ever since he oc-
cupied the room, he - 'iitirely willing to have
it there. He had on dness in his heart for
Kliziilx'th. The othei .is the pictured face of
Truth. The eyes weii; ( crtaiidy very like, he told
himself, gazing at it earnestly ; but they did not do
hei-s justice.
Seati'd in his old place near the south window
was Fletcher; he had bc^en there all the evening,
he had asked a thousand (jnestions, he liad been
answered heartily, and with apj)an'nt fnlncss ;
but there was something about his old friend that
he did not undei-stand.
»' He has taken strides," ho told himself; "he
is changed ; it evidently imi)roves one to become
a tramp! I feel as though he had gone out of my
vision, or up (mt of my horizon. I wonder what
it means ? "
" Did you make any .icquaintanees that will
last?" he as\ed j)resently, continuing his cross-
examination. '* Any kindred s[)irits, I mean?"