The Career of Katherine Bush

What a delight

e did you s

oth drew qu

e made me feel quite wretched, and I have been to Liv and Dev's to-day, and t

ot a cat

and were walking

forget all about me. Joys can't go

herine, when I love you so-and you love

t-would she have courage to keep to her det

he lowering sunshine. He was everything that

ons with Liv and Dev-and I had a bad week at Doncaster. I am in for a regular facer and am obliged t

ss in her deep voice. "I hate to think that you are unhap

ing-and don't say you nev

o comfort him, to let him kiss her and forget all his cares. The cynical side of her charact

ou start f

sisters are going to winter out there, b

omething in that part of the world, she knew th

hooting, won't you?" she sug

They had walked on, taking a side pat

o look at you. I can't, I won't believe, that y

t-just as much for

hed hair glistened bronze in the setting sun, and his forehead was puckered with distress. His attractive eyes so

t known what to do with myself-and before this bother fell upon me, I had determined to come up to ask you to marry me-we

nderstand life, and find out what is worth while, and what men are like. I am only at the beginning of existence and I intend to learn most of its meaning before I die. I thought that whatever cold, tiresome path I might have to f

he stretched out his arms. "I am sick with longing for you-I mean it, darling. I have been away with other girls often before, Jack Kilcourcy and I stayed down the river with Laure de Laine and Mary Green this June. Laure was my friend, and she simply wasn't a patc

had gone those ladies of the Frivolity Theatre. She analysed his simple directness, and appreciated the triumph conveyed to her in the final expression of his feelings, but it made her task rather easier. Sh

someone who wasn't weak, even though I am only a common girl, and much beneath you in class. If I was of your class I should now be tempted to marry you, and then I expect with my sort of nature I'd just shove you on into doing something great. But I couldn't as it is, all my time would be taken up with tryin

make something of your

o be your wife-I cannot be that for both our sakes, and it would cut me to the heart to hear you say words, now that you know this, which would mean that you want me, failing th

straightened himself and raised his handsome head, while the pride of race look

to dance with at balls and see as my sisters' friends. You-by Jove! you have taught me to respect women. I sho

ypt-and, and-Algy, do try not to spend so much money, and when they have paid up for you, don't go and get back into any money

nds. "Katherine, you are like-only I think you mean

ght. She thought he was referring to another lady of the half-world-of Paris, p

you-I've always thought you were like her, but-Oh! why do we talk such bosh about books in

oung woman's grey-green eyes and w

hat, and you know that I love you, too, and

nd away. She passionately longed

mist hung upon his eyelashes. As a young, splendid lover, he could n

y, and God ble

sed her-as it was they only wrung each other's hands and K

then sat down again. He felt quite wretched.

be able to make the family see it. My mother would rather I married Elaine Perciv

make a hash of both their lives just because he wanted her so badly for the moment. What an incredible fool-and she, this fine girl, had pulled them both on to firm land. He was not of the type who could contemplate asking a woman to wait for him while he worked to obtain a home for her; such an idea, of course, never entered his head. He had no romantic illusions of this sort, and once having realise

must be dealt with, but he would keep ever the memory of this splendid girl in his heart,

the Park he felt a new self

ved at Laburnum Villa and her attic, she carefully wrote down on the little book which she kept

ry, but I can read the whole lot this man wr

chair by the fire and review

voyage to Cythera, but youth was at the prow, and ambition, not pleasure, at the helm; and there live philosophers who say these tw

n after supper she was told of the defi

e all about it. There's a dear-and what was she like, and is it a g

in on Wednesday, 'bag and bagga

n for a lady to use, Kitten-

ed what was

exactly in the way I deserve to be treated. If you aren't respected it's your own fault-people don't make a mistake as to whom

totally

t Gladys! Bob treats her anyhow sometim

ver a question of goodness as I often tell you about things, it is a question of force.

ful things you d

er sister spoke of what she thought

the weaklings who do all the harm

rdine like?" Matilda was tir

her house, because the servants had the same awe for her as the office-boy has for Liv. Her writing-table was awfully

being ordered abo

place and people in it are being lessons for me, I shan't mind what she

lse there?" Matilda

He had a clever face. I shall like hi

th any of them gentlemen, Kitten

id in the cases of the innocent actresses an

with a humorous flash in her eyes.-"You have not seen me tumb

ee you settled with Charlie some day. He is such a dear fellow, and very rising. He'll be head clerk at the estate agent's he is in

"He is as great a snob as Fred, and even more ignorant. I would not let him button my boots, much less call himself my husband! I'd as soon

Katherine had been silent and seemingly preoccupied, but not actually scornful, and to have the scheme denounced wit

w of Fred's gentlemen friends that she thinks worthy to be asked into her mother's house-and I would have li

. "I have quite another game to play in life. But why don't you keep him for Ethel-sh

loyal to dream of turning her eye in the direction of o

e church parade in Hyde Park as a matter of course! But would he ever look at her? Proud, haughty fellow! and she not so pretty as Katherine-and not half so nobby as Gladys. But stranger things than that happened in her seri

but she totally disagreed with his ending of the matter that the solution of the problem lay in a voluntary annihilation of the human species through abstinence from procreation. She, for her part, thought that it was taking things out of the Hand of God, or the Divine Essence, or whatever the great Principle should be called-and her eminently practical mind failed to see the use of such far-reaching specula

ought that Lord Algy had read at all, he never spoke of books-but it was perhaps not surprising; they had been always too occupied in mo

environment of the house. And she must hold herself in stern command and never waste an opportunity to improve herself in manner and mind. Of course, she might be liable to make a few mistakes at first, and the work might be hard, b

the Tuesday night, and she had got a "dressy" blouse from Oxford Street, in case

keep it up for the benefit of the whole bunch of them; and when Mr. Frederick Bush would move into a house of his own with the refined M

perior to them all in spite of her reserve, and the last even

like to browse on deceiving themselves over every question and aspect of life. So they will all just stay where they are. Fred, an auctioneer, henpecked by Mabel; Bert, a clerk. Poor Glad, the downtrodden drudge of Bob Hartley, and Ethel probably something of the same. You, dear old Tild, will be a

as quite

d as such there, than a servant in a grand house as you're going

t would tell, but K

aced over him, and to exact the same obedience from those beneath. When I have learned my lessons and have obtained a

" gasped

forced me to take their money; I went there of my own free will, and was to do specified things for a specified remuneration. I did them to the best of my ability, and so I am going on to something better. Lady Garribardine is paying me ninety pounds a

will," Matilda

strange, compelling for

she left Brown and Melbury's, where she was getting more than at Ermantine's, be

added respect, and not much to look forward to in the future." And then, with a burst of feeling, "Oh! Tild, if I on

o stay for another half-hour, and returning to her armchair, she began to read that book of Théophile Gautier's