The Rising Tide

dercurrent in her thoughts, although she did not put it into words again. Instead, she added Howard Maitland to her daily possibilities: Would she meet him on the street?-and her eyes, careless and ea

t; she was not vain, but she knew that he would not say that to any other girl in their set. She was very contented now; not even the ell room at 15 Payton Street seriously disturbed[Pg 104] her. The fact was, Life was so interesting she hadn't time to think of the ell room-Howard, herself, her business, her league! Yet, busy as she was, she remembered Flora's desire for music lessons, and every two or three days, before it was time to set the table for dinner, she

nt: One-t

and! Miss Fred

u can. T

ou jest show

tes first; and you've got to

want to play!" Her mournful eyes, black and opaque, gleamed suddenly; then a tear trembled, brimmed over, and drop

heights! "I cain't learn 'rithmetic," she said (sixteenth and [Pg 105]thirty-second notes drew this

yton, listening to the thump of the scales, confided to Mrs. Childs that she didn't approve of Flora's playing on the piano. "The parlor is not the place for Flora,"

r the thin shoulders; "try once more! And, Flora, Sam isn't the o

He was a low-down, no-account nigger-" The door-bell rang, and she jumped to

me-the consciousness of the veiled intellect up-stairs made her inhospitable. But it was only Laura a

anded; "we've walked six mile

ng calculation as to how long it would be before Miss Carter and her charge came clopping down the front stairs on their way to

waiting for her answer he scratched a match on the sole of his b

Laura said, looking at the open piano.

ora. She has musical aspiratio

ee began to chatter, and to scream at each other's jokes, Frederica all the while tense with

balusters to discover who had called, had t

k stairs with Morty." Having given the order, through the closed door between the two rooms, she sat down and listened with real happiness to the babel of

ed's story of some rudeness to which she had been sub

have punched the cop's

id it to you, you'd only think it was funny

't," he sai

roke in, "do tell

id, modestly; "I'm ord

?" Fred repe

overnment expedition. Shells

oast Survey, and I've been pulling legs all winter for a berth, and now I

ing me out to see those fool flats in Dawsonvill

fit if I smoked." She looked at Fred a lit

g

nd said; "it isn't

ly start Wednesday?"

. "It's g

ife," Laura assured him; "why d

been such foo

much fun-wading round in

sed: (was that Miss Carter, bringing Mortimore? Her breath caught with horror. Sh

ans, Laura punctuating all he said with cries of admiration and en

T NOTICE HER

ICE HER PREOCCUPAT

RA PUNCTUATING ALL

RATION

rged her; "I haven't any relations-'no one to l

ay, and she would not have had a word alone with him! She felt, suddenly, that she could not bear it. For a moment she forgot Mortimore. "If you don't go up-stairs and say how-do-you-do to Mother,

ead up, and said, "Oh, yes; I want to see Aunt Nelly. I'll be r

tle, devout books, and even adding a piece or two to the picture puzzle on the table. Then she sy

! People send me things, and of cours

ing, your hat is always crooked," she scolded, cuddling her cheek against her mother

d. "One of those horrid parades her

alk in it, Laura," Mrs. Childs warned her

"You make him let me,

ore than she[Pg 110] did, but she knew, in the bottom of her heart, that if Freddy had snugg

fect nonsense," Mrs. Childs said

be counted," L

it," her mother

his influence to prevent Fredd

er another, but preserving always her sweet and cheerful indifference to their grievances. She looked at the clock once or twice-surely she had g

worth much," he ended, after giving her what he called a "spiel" as to why he was going and what he was going to do. "But to me conchology is like searching for buried treasure! I've been pawing round for a real

ully vital to civi

g

with so good a fellow as old Freddy. ("You can't expect a woman to understand that sort of thing," he told himself; "women d

strangers! "Howard, I hate to have you away in April. We

?" he sai

little start of astonishment annoyed h

d, honestly. "I'm afraid I

nly disappoi

id, "but I hate to see a lot of ladies

'ladies'; w

t escape it. And I'd hate to

pain. She did not connect it with Laura; it was only because he was indifferent to what was so important to her-

g

iddle of the street," she said

aid; "you are the

asure. "Oh, I don't know,"

y ended. "I'm off!" she called, gaily, from the hal

rica's hand a hearty squeeze, then tur

away," she said to herself, blankly. Her knees felt queer, and she sat dow

were silent for a while. Then Maitland

ly fine," Laur

knew anybody just like her. Big, you know. Straigh

Have they fixed it up?" she tho

ouldn't mix up wi

ves in votes

boss. As Arthur Weston says, to put Smith in to purify politics

nd by the people

t I hope she'll write to me when I'm away. I sha

aged him. ("No, they can't have fixed it up.

o send me a postal once in a while? You might

ld Howard!) I'm not very keen on writing letters, but I'll blow in a pos

eased if you would

ing ahead, said, nervously: "See this dreadfu

rew a little nearer to him-and instantly he had

death to see a man l

ully-her shoulder was soft against his! "Not

, like Fred,"

g

rtake to reform him,

th a little shriek; the man, s

t of the hiccoughing apologies were lost in astonishment; he stood still, swaying in his tracks, a

o him as he swung the man aside, and just for an instant he f

Nonsense! poor fellow-he stumbled! Of course he caught at my a

and it was his fault; he had taken the west path through the park, because that was the longest way home, and then he had

science was[Pg 115] the religion of the man of intellect she had said, "Yes, indeed it is!" "That shows what kind of a mind she has," he thought; "but wasn't she cute about not smoking! Her 'father wouldn't let her.' Of course he wouldn't! A girl like that