The Career of Katherine Bush

r eyes and her intelligence on the alert, and by the second Sunday when she was to have the afternoon to meet Matilda, she had begun to

ramble in a small tin tub on Saturday nights. There was a bathroom in Laburnum Villa, but during the week Matilda used it for keeping all sorts of things in, and there were such a number of them to have the bath in turns on Saturday and Sunday, that Kather

there was anything different. At these moments she knew that she could easily slip into sen

silk pillows, a saucy cap and ribbons covering the greater part of a more coquettish and rather lighter golden wig than the one she wore in t

attended to in the morning; the accumulations of the later part of the day before were heaped up in one basket tray, and the early

s, their want or possession of good English and powers of expressing themselves-she fancied she could almost picture the faces, so vivid were these pen portraits of the writers that the notes showed. Lady Garribardine seldom answered even the most p

ovice, and each day she felt glad she was having the opportunity of learning

the contrary, she kept strictly to her r?le of employer and hardly spoke except on business. Katherine realised that she looked upon her much as Lord Algy had looked upon Ha

emselves must make themselves fitted for it first-besides there would be no good in it to me, if after I had obtained

or bring some charity list; but whenever she had the chance she observed them carefully. Some of them were far from what had been her ideal of what high birth and breeding would certainly show, but they

ver the bluntness of the words might be-"No, certainly not-my face is not done-but stay, Stirling, it may be something to do with to-nig

she looked round again, two blooming rose-coloured cheeks balanced the gir

, "Gerard has been perfectly impossible, actually has refused to let me go to the Artist Mod

s, I suppose," Lady Garribardine retorted

ou, though, it is most becoming, and it is too ridiculous when everyo

in a private house among your own class-you'll lay yourself open only to criticisms of your charms t

atrice

to side with me-of course I shall go, all the same; I should not think of paying any atte

I consider that all of you who throw your bonnets over the windmills are cutting your own throats-You are destroying values, cheape

ice got of

I get some momentary pleasure out of my poetry, and some out of my dear precious friends-but the rest of the day is one long yawn. Y

ite understand that, and intend to do so myself-Miss Bush,

dy Beatrice suddenly became aware of her pr

e you have a frightfully difficult time-er-Miss Bush!

right to as good as can be

vel, and contained no impertinenc

ne chuckled amo

tters with little dilettante methods all day to the laughter of the gods. Miss Bush realises her obligations as a se

t the least crushed.

demureness and present-day virtuous wifeliness. Why, I never interfere with Gerard-we hardly meet in the

words? To try to get me to influence Gerard not to play for once the ineffectual part of

troked the fat hand lying

that! I want to wear my enchanting boy's

ou. I have serious affairs to settle with M

iently and got off the bed onc

called to her, "and L?o Delemar, and they are

dreadful natural things, she makes my innocent aesthetic flesh creep-Gerard always had fruity tastes-B

her and neither was the least angry really-

ill not have left home yet-you know his

r. Strobridge was soon at the other end of it, and she was about to hand the receiv

-day," she said, "you must do t

to give you a message-will you

lo!

. I have things to talk over with him about to-night-He

peated the e

whole thing," Mr. Strobridge returned, "a

ine, when she was told, and, seizing the r

our dignity-I'll tell you the rest when you come to lunch."-Up

iss Bush-I must get up and cope with the

s room, until her lunch was brought and even then she hardly stopped to eat it, but on her own way to th

r charity-into the dining-room-You can have your coffee with us-Mr. Strobridge and I are alone, Mrs. Delemar is not coming, after all-By

nk you-but I have not been off

med an indignant expression,

one does not know of them-you ought to

iss Bush had not been served with coffee, in a voice which froze his tongue, and the only excuse he c

ves trouble! I will speak to Bronson about this-but see that it never happe

my just wrath and the servant's delinquencies, always shielding them-one would have thought she was of their class. The result was no on

n played round Katherine's full red mouth. "I w

come into the dining-room in half an hour," and, smiling

part of their luncheon, and she had rung her enamelled bell for the automatic entrance of the servants from behind the screen-they were only allowed in the

again by themselves and coffee had come. "I thought sh

it, and corrects herself. Her reading aloud was grotesque at first, but I have never had to tell her

bsent, he was uninterested and was still smarting und

force-and he hated the idea of Ganymede and th

ing it merely from obstinacy; she is not like Hebe Vermont, a ridiculous poseuse, crazy fo

rata every six months. In the r?le of husband you are-frankly-a little ridiculous! You have no authority. As Miss Bush put it just now about

y things which make intimacy with a woman agreeable are difficulty and intermittency. Bee fortunately expects nothing from me, and I expect nothing from her, beyond acting i

raged dignity and come with me in my box after all. L?o will be there and you can sit and whisper in the

e a pair of fiancés, the whole charm is gone. I wish to ménager my emotions so that they may last ove

hat moment Katherine Bush came in,

hem," and Her Ladyship indicated the tray which had

to all women, he never noticed Katherine at all. She was quite ordinary looking still-with the screwed up m

nd alone. She remained silent and listened when aunt and nephew again took up the ball of conversation together. How she would love to be able to converse like that! They were so sparkling-never in earnest seemingly, all was light as air, while Mr. Strobridge made allusions and quotatio

ween two people who she had already decided were worthy of note, a

the sense of the magnitude of her task in climbing to the

lt a little depressed-th

making. But for this he must first realise that I exist and for that when my chance comes I must arrest his attention through the ears a

ibly cause the proposed teacher pain