Chapter V

Bush Advocate, Volume VII, Issue 648, 12 July 1892, Page 4

Chapter V

♦ (Continued).

Winnie held out her hand to him but sho held it out without a Word. ' You do forgive me V he petitioned, gently, as he bent to toko the hand she offered, ' Yes— yes,' she said hastily, with a little catoh in her breath that was almost a sob. 'I forgive yon. I ought net—but I do. Yes, go— l would rather you went.' ' Good-bye,' said he, lingeringly. 1 Good-bye,' she answered. His step went through the passage. The street-door shut. His footsteps echoed down the silent street. And Winnie put up her arms across the pillow and buried her face upun'thew and wept bitterly, as she had never wept in her;twjen.ty.:.ycars before. , -C-.., Chapter VL "___apheuiii>as coming home from church, wai kins briskly, her gown tied ii|> b _'!•»''••> - hi *•*<•' I"*> ' save it from the mud, hoi stockings laying in wrinkles about her shoes, which were guiltless of any heel, stout and sensible but not beautiful. Her jacket was a size too big for her, her bonnet was a strange construction, flat above the forehead and unornamented by flowers or feather, tied beneath her chin by black ribbon strings of a width which was truly wonderful. She was tui ning into the quiet street ; " the lodgings lay, wheii wbv "ctedly she came face to face tinesp. brother, of whom at that with her v. had been thinking. moment she . -, t j 0 h n looked at For an wsta. -, h he dJd nofc see her almost as thou b , n U i c i c ]y but her. He was walking gt he with no briskness in his nd the looked deep in thought, tv thoughts were . apparently ht / ones which weighed opoo tax. spirit* , I Euphemia accosted him and a stopped. „ ,1 ' Where have yon been, John 7 Where are you going ? You have been to see Winifred.' 'Yes; I have just come from there,' returned John. *** Aiid you ! Have >ou been to church 1 Cold isn't it 1 1 won't keep you talking j besides, I'm busy.' . 'Oh ! very well,' said Euphemia. « I am not busy to-day. I will walk a little way \vith you. Which way are you going V . She turned with him in the direction he indicated, ahd they walked on. together. But neither seemed inclined to converse much. John's thoughts were busy with* his interview with Winnie, Euphem'a turning over and over in her mind a certain plan she had lately formed. 'How is Violet, John?' she asfcek, presently. 'Violet .' said John, bringing back, his thoughts with an effort. •Violet? Oh! she's very well, I believe. I believe she's going away for Christmas.' 'Oh! And I suppose you are ' going, too ?' •I? Why in the world should I go away for Christmas .' -^You'willbe so lonely here.' • Oh ! I don't know. I shall bear up. I shall not be more lonely than usual, after all.' 1 Yet Violet will be gone.' John shook back his head impatiently and knitted his brows in an irritated way. 'Violet's going or staying makes no possible difference to me one way or the other,' ho declared. 'You mean to imply something, Euphemia ; what is it you mean to imply ? I would far rather that you spoke out plainly.' • I have no desire to -speak mysteriously,' retorted Euphemia, with something of tartness in hor tone. ♦ I will say it plainly if you like— l think you are treating Violet very badly. Do I speak clearly now f .'Quito. . So clearly that I ought, perhaps, to understand jour meaning. 'Why am I treating Violet badly . I was unaware that I was treating her in any way, with kindness or unkindness.' ' Well, 1 have no wish to argue the ..point;' Euphemia declared. * Bnt I understood that you wore engaged to Violot.' ' Engaged ' to Violet !' echoed John. « Do you mean to say that you heard this or imagined it V •Db you think that it was likely I imagined it 1 1 heard it from the most reliable source in the world — from Violet herself. But, of course if yon wish to keep it secret — ' •You heard from Violet tbat I was engaged to her V repeated John in bewilderment. ' Not quite that-r-not that it was a formal engagement, but a tacit understanding, between . you. An engagement of that sort ought to be as binding, John, as an engagement formally declared ' ' My dear Euphemia, do you need to tell me that . But no engagement, no understanding of any sort exists between us. There is no moment in my life when I have evei cared for Violet.' 'She thinks that you care for her ; what is more, she thinks that you have meant her to see it and understand. Yoh must in some way have encouraged her to think W. 1 Encouraged her *?' echoed John. • Good Heavens ! Euphemia, I have given her no word, no look, no thought which she could so misconstrue.' 'But long ago?' Euphemia suggested, tentatively. ' Never at any time,' said John. •Do you think you can be quite sure ? You used to praise her— you sang, her praises to me until I was ■ick of her very name ; you thought her a perfect woman.' ' Not a perfect woman,' replied John, to whom only one woman on earth was perfect. ' But I thought her gentle and unaffected. She compared favourably with some of your blue-stocking friends, and — ' ' And with me ? Yes, I know. Well, I never aimed at being a domestic angel. All I wanted to tell you, John, was this— Violet does t t xegard herself as pledged te 'you, and you ought to face the fact. She thinks that you understand that ever since you and she w*ere boy and girl she has been waiting for you.' • {To ie continued)