The Shield of Silence

thy soul s

ves of unrest may surge and roar but there peace reigns. In that sanctuary the tides are born and, in

nd largely to her own ability in the past to close her senses to any conception of life that differed from her desires. She had always been like that. She loved beauty and music; she loved goodness and happiness; she

the Fletcher family for three generations and stood at the end of a dignified row, opposite a par

refully selected maid whose glance was expected to rest constantly upon them. The anxious fa

ondered-at least Doris wondered; Meredith was either amused or shocked; if the latter it was an easy matter to turn aside. Thi

scape and, for two thrilling and enlightening hours, revelled in t

changed the whole current of her life and thought; sh

aughters in the care of Sister Angela, who was then at the he

had ideas as to their uses and the

d once had outside the park, she no longer yearned to repeat it, for the present was wholesomely full. As for Meredith, she felt th

s graduated from St. Mary's

rstanding way. He bought a neglected estate in the South and provided a sufficient

d; "and it has always been a dream of my life to help th

was winning his way against great odds in the count

s all we can do at present. They do not want us,"

er Angela's days, for he died a year later leaving, to his daughters, a large fortune

tiful things in the world," Meredith s

ed, "and you must learn

r Angela, but with the rare insight that had not deserted he

ers who, like me, have fallen by the way, to come here and help me with my scheme, and in the confusio

ela named a woman she could trust to help,

dvice and the little

e the beauty she craves and she sh

th's learn

t approving eyes upon him. He had chosen, at the outset of his career, to go to the Philippines and accepted an appointment there. He had devoted h

r, and for the rest he had waited until such a time as his success would make choice possible. When he met Meredith Fletcher he felt the time had come. The girl's exquisite aloofness, her fineness and sweetness, bewitched

materialized; to Doris, he was a menace to all that she held sacred. She distrusted him for the very traits that appealed to her siste

s, but distant cousins in England were people of refinement and culture and on excellent terms with Thorn

yself. She has never grown up. She sees life as she used to see it through the gates of the park in which she played as a l

ornton did n

said, "let me lead Merry out. It wi

dith was married in the little American chapel on the hillside and she looked

was there that the first sense of loss touched Meredith. The stirring effect of all that she had recently

d the power the older sister had over the younger. It was already makin

s one does who is maimed. Her devotion to Meredith, she

fear at rest, made her feel more lonely, nor did they seem to set her free

planning, and polish my manners. And," here Doris grew grave, "I'll think of David Martin! I wish I could love Da

third month of her marriage that was the best she could do for either of them. All th

t the impression she made upon the rather hectic but exclusive circle in which he moved; but he dreaded, vaguely to be sure, her hear

kness to light, you wonderful child! Why, Merry, you simply have made

di

that floated about in the dark corners of her memory, were pressing close. Dreadful things that had been

ther woman has--" She could not voice the ugly words

t-spiritually. He hastened

e ties and all that, the old code does not hold-how could it? I'm no exception. Why,

ago it seemed. Words that had lured her from Doris, from

, but few there be who find her. When one does-then there is no time to be

nd, forsaking all el

se words when he spoke them. He was under the spell, sti

ievable, position; if he could, through her love and

ll!" he was saying with all the fervour of his bein

ine!" was what sh

man here? Will I

growing fur

, incensed at the implied lack of delicacy on hi

on't be a fool, whatever else I am. Do you

tared at h

ttered; "what do

than I must-and because things don't matter much, either way. I have my

ight d

napped the words out. "You are

stay," Meredith tur

in him was touched by the spirit under the cold, crude exte

e best hour in

e's stern indifference he recoiled after a short time-she bored him; she no longer seemed worth while; not worth the struggle nor the holding to absurd and rigid dem

mpanied Thornton to England-he was often obliged to go there

unbearable among her husband's people, who complicated matters by assuming that

bandoned his puritanical life and return

clung to what seemed to her the last shred of duty she owed to her marriage ties-she served in her husband's home as hostess,

into consciousness and forced her to act, f

ore he sailed he came into his wife's sitting room, wher

d to Thornton's careless glance she appeared a

, seating himself astride a chair, foldin

ticular that you want me to

e, but Thornton saw only indifference and an unconsc

the pretty creature before him. The devil rose in him-and generally Thornton ro

his white clothes; he was splendidly correct in every detail-"

hatter one's poise at times by her daring. She loo

e to-morrow? Made my rightful demand af

not pleasantly, and his eyes held Meredith's

do not acknowledge any rights of yours except those that I giv

Good Lord! That's quaintly delicious. You don't know men, my dear. It would be a deed of charity

ly been mine." Meredith's words were shaken by an emotion beyond

oris's expression, "but, damn it all, unless you were m

on the couch and gathered her knees in her arms a

nce. You'll come with me to-morrow and have done with this infernal rot or I'll take the

e went deadly white and stretched her hands wide

so doing I will not have to explain

me, having driven me to what you choose to call wrong, you pack your nice, clean littl

k. She was consciou

error further roused the brute in him; all that was decent and fine in him-and b

redith sprang to her

Thornton

idiot! You'll come wit

n on the morrow, and if the other to

r time to think and plot. It took so much time for one

hate her child as she might have-she learned in the end to consider it as the one opportunity left to her of saving whatever was good in her and Thornton. She clung to that good, she was just, at last, to Thornton as w

giving it the chance that had been denied the parents. The new life mu

three notes. One w

you things that I could not tell even to God? I am coming now, Siste

with you and Doris near m

my husband must not have

ations and reasons. These were stated baldly, briefly

esk and simply informed him that she wa