The Awakening of Helena Richie

she was so decidedly worse that William King, to the dis

roat without bothering their doctors are pre

doctors; but he only agreed with proper seriousness to Martha's declaration that it was

no haste when giving his directions to Mrs. Richie, nor even later when

ur patien

ster's orders and keep in bed yesterd

een gate. "That's a nice prospect! What am I g

sister his irritation, and with a sudden impulse of concern for her, he said, "Well now, look here, why don't you a

Lloyd Pryor

ing up his reins; "you good people are not nei

s in great spirits. "It will be pot-luck, and my wife will be delight

est, but ended with a l

ou very

-night. I suggested it, and-" No, that would not do.... "Martha, it occurred to me it would be neighborly-" No. "Confound it," William King muttered to himself, "what did I do it for, anyhow? 'Martha, my dear, I know you like to do a kind

e out into the garden, and found him sitting on a bench built round a great silver poplar. Her face was worried. "I ough

ve no anxieties about suppe

ing? Well, that's very nic

him we w

him we w

rfect nuisances. But, really, it's no great matter-for once, And I kn

ust make so

xplained, good-naturedly: "I tried to

a'n't

y eyelids; then blew two smoke wreat

fied with myself, Lloyd; I consider that I have a perfect right to be happy in my own way. You know I don't care a co

e more convenient for you. That's always the way with your sex, He

tears," she said sulle

make a practice of accepting their invita

she said passionately;

leaving him to call after her: "Well, you've

t!" she flung back,

And she wonders I don't come

garden, looking furtively over his shoulder now and then-but Hel

sitting down, sensibly, to discuss things, she flared out over this invitation to supper. Her intensity fatigued him. "I must be getting old," he ruminated, "and

ed as he thought of his girl, and instantly the hardness in his face lifted, as a cloud shadow lifts and leaves sunshine behind it. Then some obscure sense of fitness ma

ll was the pale April sky with skeins of gray cloud in the west. He wondered what Alice was doing at this moment, and looked at his watch. She must be just coming back from church. When he was at home Mr. Pryor went to church himself, and watched her saying her little prayers. This assumption of the Pryor-Barr liabilities would be a serious check to the for

a feeling about truth, that he did not like to tell her even little lies, little ones that she could not possibly find out. It was the sentiment of fibb

e-house where were stored a number of cases containing stuffed creatures-birds and chipmunks and small furry things. Some larger animals were slung up under the beams of the loft to get them out of the wa

f dead fur and feathers, and of some acrid preservative. One box had been broken in moving it from the house, and a beaver had slipped from his carefully bitten branch, and lay on the

yd," Helena

Why are you sitting i

was weary with tears. "Oh, I just

ne of sunshine falling through a heart-shaped opening in a shutter, and moving noiselessly across the floor. A mote dipped into this stream of light, zigzagged through it, then sank into the darkness. She followed it with dull eyes, thinking, if she thought at all, that she wished she did not have to sit opposite Lloyd at dinner. But, of course, she would have to, the servants would think it strange if she did

mals every day in the week." His voice was so kind that her anger of two hours ago seemed impossible-a mistake, a misunderstanding! She tried in a bewildered way to get back to it in her own mind

out," he said, watching her through his long, curlin

is

lly delighted.-Let's go out into the sunshine; the smell of this place is very disagreeable.-I think you

Lloyd, to urge it.

will do. You'll give

an't; you kn

t possible harm cou

t have said such a thing, once!" She pressed the back of her hand aga

you really mustn't be so unreasonable. There is nothing a man hates so much as a fool. I am merely urgi

on your mind? You wouldn't feel yo

he said coldly. "I'm a very busy man.

t leave your

her from under his heavy

lena, and as I can't come and see you quite so often as I used

ce without speaking. She was saying to herself, miserably, that she didn't want the child; she didn't want to lesse

t fun out of him, N

lded. "Well, perhaps I will; that is, if Dr. Lavendar wi

." Her lip curled again, but she said nothing. Lloyd Pryor

to pull at the buds with aimless fingers. "I might like to come to Philadelphia and live near you, you know," she said. The sudd

easant eno

he case under the shelter of his hand-

ture of Alice?" she

ping the lid shut. "Helena, what

lly. Then rising, she held out her hand. "Come! We must

y time I see you." He put a finger into one of the loose curls in

you lo

arm around her waist. And they walked thus