The Wild Olive

ut after due consideration of his rights. It was true that, in biblical phrase, necessity was laid upon him. He could no more shut his ears against that entrancing song

bably the highest instance-of the assertion of himself against a world organized to destroy him. He could not enter that world

very with a queer sensation of surprise. It was a thing so new in his experience that he would have treated the notion as ridiculous had it not been forced upon him. Women had shown him favors; one lonely old man, now lying in the Recoleta Cemetery, had yearned over him; but a household had never opened its heart to him before. And yet there could be no other reading of the present situation. He began to think that Mr. Jarrott was delaying his departure for Rosario purposely,

o "make a match of it," and why. It would be a means-and a means they could approve-of keeping their little girl a

died there was nothing else for me to do. Everything happened so unfortunately, do you see? Mamma died, and my stepfather went blind, and really I had no home.

riam?" was

'out' enou

if she knew it hadn't been done yet-Well something must be managed, but I don't know what. It isn't as if Miriam could do anything about it, though she's a great deal older than

elatives and friends whom he did not know already. He was purposely making ignorance his bliss as long as possi

asked, when he was sure of what he me

he same thing. I couldn't come out in a place l

rough it all, you'll com

f the lids-those lids with the curious dusk on them,

she said, after a

n what?" he per

interrupted, screaming out a bit

ed, springing up. "I do wish

rengthen the chain of arguments by which his action must be supported-against himself. Within his own heart there was something that pleaded against the breaking off of this tender sprig of the true olive to graft it on the wild, in addition to which the attitude of the Jarrott family disconcerted him. It was one thing to push his rights against a world ready to deny them, but it was quite another to take advantage of a tr

de were love, happiness, position, a home, children probably, and whatever else the normal, healthy nature craves; on the other, loneliness, abnegation, crucifixion, slow torture, and slower death. Was it just to himself to choose the latter, si

lder ones stole from some lighted room like a soft, human obligato to the melody of the night-minutes when he felt that to his "I love you!" hers would come as surely as the echo to the sound; and yet he shrank from saying it. Their talk would drift near to it, dally with it, flash about it, play attack and defence across it, and drift away again, leaving the essential thing unspoken. The skill with which she fenced

pluckily. He had not balked at the statement that his r?le in the world was that of an impostor-though an impostor of the world's own creation. It had been part of the task forced upon him "to deceive men under their very noses," as he had expressed it to himse

litting in the background he dodged them, instead of calling them out into daylight. He was counting on happy ch

he next opportunity arose for asking the quest

ompanied by a sudden lifting of the lashes for

gh praise-

ves it-fro

one to win your enthusiasm whe

people go the wrong way to

and smiling at him with that air of mingled innocence and p

was tempt

ced. You'd have to begin all over again-if you e

but it was not ke

how to do it, and when I

er. You'd adore her. Sh

that? Is she so beauti

her for yourself. No, I don't think I should call her beauti

ive? In

nybody else. She's in a class by hersel

ing, with so much to her c

. I only know that dear mamma didn't feel that she could take her out, in New York, except among our very most intimate friends, where

e smiled, with the necessary air of spea

he next winter, and not long after that he died. I don't think air is much good for people's lungs, do you? I know it wasn't any help to dear mamma. We had all those tedious years at Greenport, and in the end-but that's how we came to know Lady Bonchur

blame her if she ga

Sir Somebody-or-other who asked her two or three times over. He married an actress in the end-and dear mamma thought Miriam must be crazy not to have taken him while he was to

idn't see it

a used to be very tried about her-and she so ill-and my stepfather going blind-and everything. If Miriam had only

cult not to offer her a home there and then; but the shadows were ma

siderate of Miriam," he said. "Bu

hat. In the first place, she didn't know any one we didn't know anything about-not before she went to Washingto

she made up her mind

ee? and I've a pretty sharp eye for that sort of thing at all times. There was just one thing. Dear mamma used to say that for a while she used to do a good deal of moping in a little stu

ng. Now and then he placed his extinguished cigarette to his lips, with t

inquired, when the pause had lasted lon

thinking about-about this Miss-after all,

name is. The s

e never to

e for ever fussing about your name. There was a girl at our school whose name was Fidgett-Jessie Fidgett-a nice, quiet girl, as placid as a church-but I do assure you, it got to be so tiresome-well, yo

ll-her name was

she added, in an explanatory tone. "She's a sort of Canadian-or half a Canadian-or something-I never could quite make out what. Anyhow, she's a dear. She's gone now with my stepfather to Wiesbaden, abou

anything she wanted him to see, if he had not been determined to

d of him?-you

mamma, when she had to go to the Adirondacks for her health. That was very soon after she returned to New York from here-when papa died. But she was so lonely in the Adirondacks-and he was a judge-a Mr. Wayne-

ce of some sort in the world, brought her near to him again; while the knowledge that he bore her name-possibly her father's name-seemed to make him the creation of her magic to an even greater degree than he had felt hitherto. He could perceive, too, that by living out the suggestions she had made to him in the cabin-the Argentine-Step

litude, for the pampas and the rivers, and, above all, for work. In the free air his spirit would throw off its op

out me now," he said to Mr. Jarrott, in the private office, n

long, wooden face, but the gray-bl

o?" he asked, aft

embarrassment that did

al longer. Things must want looking after, I sup

han I thought he could. He seems t

. If there's no particular re

ips of his fingers toget

now. We've been speaking of-of-a-

n't want to urge my p

understand that. A-a-pr

; entirel

sitive and non-committal, but which, as a matter of fact, expr

go," the old m

w Mrs. Jarrott would be resting and Miss Jarrott driving with Miss