The Making of a Soul

ope House. It was a perfect June night, and as he unlatched the gate Barry heard a nightingale singing its love-s

ntly out like a tender welcome to Barry as he strode up the path between their ranks,

of something advancing in a hurtling flash, and then, as the great Borzoi discovered the v

old girl! Whe

e approach of his friend, and in another mom

o mistaking the pleasure in the tone. "I thought you'd be

with the Ansteys-you know Miss Lynn is M

e green door into the bungalow, and a minute later the two were seated cosi

ixed drinks for himself and his visitor, and had taken his seat, she lay down beside h

w goes the world

a pull at his glass, "I'

I hear the Bridge

"The next number will be out in a f

ob. If he can't make it go, no one can. By the way,

ther thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, Jim, that's

his host genially. "But I don'

nothing more, and the other ma

right eyes and curving mouth betokened enthusiasm, fire, a kindly philosophy; while the lines upon his forehead and the grey streaks in his abundant hair seemed to speak of deeper things. Life had indeed graven with its chisel lines and marks ineffaceable. It was the fa

r. Only one thing about it was certain, and that was w

, so straightforward, so kindly about the whole man that none could doubt his sincerity, his trustworthiness. And side by side with the lines drawn by sorrow there were other lines betokening la

ays with a quick, impetuous step, until such times as memory, or some other qua

called his scattered thoughts with an effort an

and reading in the bright eyes nothing of the cheap cynicism with which some men might have greete

art from he

kid and a jolly pretty one

e. "Is Mrs. Rose a little dark girl, with

. You've me

that description wandering on the towing-path early in the morning

nly as he realized that his interference was quite unauthorize

... er ...

le lady in her way"-thus unconsciously endorsing Kate's verdict-"she has never been used to the sort of life she will have

ose fell in l

of Owen's proposal. "Anyway, he married her, and brought her here

attention

e afternoon; and to do honour to her, I imagine, she had provided a sumptuous te

ee.

after a little hesitation, Mrs. Rose asked us to have some tea, we were

d t

a ripper-and we'd have had a very jolly little party, but unfortunately in the m

tin of so

oman is. In two minutes she had Toni-Mrs. Rose-red

ng the-s

mps are-well-a bit

stretched out his hand for his pipe and spoke

es made by his own Maker in the light of vulgarians; and a sheetful of specimens descended on Peter's head to warn him aga

te rather impatiently. "I'm in earnest-oh, I know it

, Barry, I know what you mean. So long as we have false standards of gentility I suppose the sight of a shrimp in conjunction wit

snub to the awful Martin woman-well, she went, anyway, driven away by our com

from the field, and you were left

y well that Mrs. Anstey meant to teach her a lesson, will lose no opportunity o

"That is it, is it? And Mr. R

all his boyish confidences had been given. "Rose is a real good sort, and wouldn't for

There was a light

world goes, one has to remember it; and somehow, although Rose is genuinely

rather ridiculous in her attempts to welcome

urther. "You know, although I admire Mrs. Rose immensely, and she's a rip

not,

, but she's only half-educated, and not in the least intellectual. Sharp in her way-the way of

always un

o are always showing off, but really brilliant; and it's rather a

Barry," said the

rt, as straight as a die, and a merry, light-hearted little thing into the barg

's pause. "Lots of clever men marry feather-he

companion, a real comrade, able to go forward side by side with him, understa

fferent when alone with her husband. All women, as well as men, hav

hope of that. I've made a study of the girl-I don't mind telling you I did my best to prevent Rose marrying her-and I'm perfect

fond of him-

wife. There is a sort of quite unconscious patronage on Rose's side which matches a pretty gratitude on her

u don't deny

her is-well, I don't quite know

t possible you are going to try to supply this

hed rather

o be Owen's companion. I hate to think of their marriage turning out a failure-Owen disappointed in her, feeling aggrieved, perhaps, at her inability to go fo

omething behind all this? Didn't I hear a rumour that some woman had j

is lip-"since you

eprisal? Intended to show the jilting lady that-to p

a way

nto the position of an accessory before the fact, are anxious

incipally t

f the reason behind the match. Well, it seems hard tha

d as that. Rose real

of her wan

more-Olive, for instance-could give her a helping hand now and then, show her

youth is always-or should be-courageous. Do you really think that I, or you, or even Miss Lynn

her to find herself, as the Ibsenites call it-realize her soul, and all the rest of it. The so

square white teeth clenched themselves on the stem o

er what Browni

rd thing to p

nough to sav

-and me-that one's own soul ta

ill-I thought you woul

ction touched the

as I can! It ought to be an interesting task, anyway, helping a

He wanted to cl

. I know Rose, slightly, and a call will no doubt be considered neighbour

d rose hastily. "Well, I must be off, or the house will be shut up. Good-night

when a thought struck him and h

or as he spoke-"I hadn't forgotten, but I d

bitter. "She is pretty well, I believe.

f I'm tactless, Jim, but wh

ired and sad. "Some time in the autumn, October, I believe. The time isn't really up quite so

seen her

me last time, and I shal

riend's hand. "Well, good-bye, Jim. Ever so many thanks for promising to help the ki

iage has been so wonderfully successful, hasn't it? But there, don't let's talk about it now. How are

heartiness; but as Barry turned for a last look and saw the stooping figure return through t

road between the fragrant hedges. "She's ruined his life, and will go on doing it as long as the

to the glories of the dawn. And in his face, as he gazed before him, seeing, perhaps the troubled past