The Zeit-Geist

help her; theoretically she derided the religion that produced the refusal, but in the bottom of her heart she looked at

rself how it could be that a weak man could love her strongly. Love, in any constant and permanent sense of the word, was an almost unknown quality among her companions, and yet she had attributed it to Bart. Well! his refusal of last night proved that she had been mistaken-that was all. But possibly the leaven of her proposal would work, and he would repent and come back to her. The fact that he had evidently not betray

of their house, stretched itself far down the bit of weedy grass that sloped to the river

ng, had felt this, and had retired to lounge on the bed in the inner room with a paper novel. Christa usually spent her afternoon in preparing some cheap finery to wear in the cool of the evening, but she felt the family disgrace and Ann's severity, and

r. She felt no doubt that Christa was his attraction. Some weeks before he had boasted that he had found the bed of a creek which made its way through the drowned forest, and that by it he had paddled his canoe through the marsh that lay to the north of the lake. He had also boasted that he had a secret way of finding the creek again. Upon cons

avid may be more sweet on you than ever," said Ann to Christa. "Put on your white frock: it's a little mu

ed all her life, for that matter; she was not conscious of loving Christa any more than she was conscious of loving her father. It was merely her will that t

course suspect what this information was to be used for. Christa was to coax him to promise secrecy. Ann went over the details

er her eyes, the coarse white dress hung limp but soft, leaving her neck bare. With all her

ng to her than sullenness and tears. For all that, Ann was not sorry that Christa's

ot quite the respectable thing to do to-day. He tried to approach the house with a nonchalant, ha

n she got up and went away to the doorstep, and stood looking out. To the surp

has been crying all day. Every one will desert us n

ptly); "nobod

hat people think, or how they treat me." She lifted her head p

ng that he felt his words to be unusually personal. Ann wondered for a minute what could

ing you money if you're left hard up, or anything of that sort, you know" (he was blushin

admiration in its young folly; but she did not hesitate a moment to make use of it. All her life had been a long training in that thrift

f sensibility appeared in her face. "Oh, D

g. He was hugely pleased with the idea that s

drowned forest, and Brown had the wit not to ask her what she wanted to do with it

vil it will commit. She deceived and cajoled the boy without scruple, but she did not allow him to break the law. She remembered that he had par

grass to the river-side and