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Les diagrammes suivants illuatrant la m«lthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 i I.I 1^ Ui 2.8 yi Ilia !3.6 4.0 1 2.5 2.2 2£ L8 APPLIED IIVHGE Inc 1653 East Rochester, (716) 482 (716) 288 Main Streei New York 14609 USA - 0300 - Phone - 5989 - Fox ^> ?s. ■^ -*>#•■ •^^ '4 ■ } ■^: \ TVr^'-'A.r-' N^^' <■■- ^•;5i>: :^^^^Wivy^- I^L f f t.S' /^ u ' -^- ^ 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 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1.25 li^ 1 2.8 2.5 "" 1^ lilM 2.2 J- III 3.6 2.0 ti. f^ u tuuu 1.8 1.4 1.6 M -APPLIED IM/IGE Inc — .^ . 1653 Eost Main Street rls Rochester. New York U609 USA .SB (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone = (716) 288 - 5989 - Fox ;:1 i Q I J 4i if ;> ! 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 t I I I i 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." MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1^ ■ so Z8 3.2 m Z5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 ^ /APPLIED IIVMGE Inc 1653 Lost Main Stre^;! Rochester. New York U609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 -Phone (716^ 288 - 5989 - Fox 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 '!•' t\ ii ii'i i¥. ( i; 236 AS IX A MIRHDU. ■iJI wnm wmm»>.'m' If mm ' ^^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 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART Mo. 2) 1.0 I.I 1.25 til. 2.8 !f m 1^ 14.0 1.4 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 _J APPLIED IM/^GE Inc ^^ 1653 East Main Street S'^S Rochester. New York 14609 USA '-= (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone = (716) 288- 5989 -Fax 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 '! 5. ^ , f ' 1 , I 1 ^' 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?"