The west shore., August 01, 1885, Page 247, Image 19

THE WEST SHORE.
247
though no fresh creaking of the door (had reached me,
nor warning been given of an addition to the players, I
had not the smallest doubt who was the speaker, but ox
claimed at once, "That is Babl Now I cry yon raorcy.
I am right this time. That was Babl "
I looked for a burst of applause and laughter, such as
had before attended a good thrust home, but none came.
On the contrary, with my words so odd a silence fell
upon the room that it was dear that something was
wrong, and I pulled off my handkerchief in haste, repent
ing, " That was Bab, I am sure."
But if it was, I could not see her. What had come
over them all? Jack's face wore a provoking smile, and
his friends were clearly bent upon sniggering. Clare
looked horrified, and grandmamma gently tittilated, while
Miss Guest, who had risen and half turned away toward
the windows, seemed to be in a state of proud oonfusion.
What was the matter?
" I beg every one's pardon by anticipation," I said,
looking round in a bewildered way; "but have I said
anything wrong?"
"Oh, dear no," cried the fellow they called Jack, with
a familiarity that was in the worst taste as if I had
meant to apologise to himl " Most natural thing in the
world!"
" Jack, how dare you?" exclaimed Miss Guest, stamp,
ing her foot.
" Well, it seemed all right. It sounded very natural,
I am sure."
" Oh, you are unbearable! Mr. Herapath, I am sure
that you did not know that my name was Uaroara.
" Certainly not." I cried. " What a strange thing! "
" But it is, and that is why grandmamma is looking so
shocked, and Mr. Buchanan is wearing threadbare an old
friend's privilege of being rude. I freely forgive you if
you will make allowance for him. And you shall come
nff stool of reDentance and have your tea first, since
vou art the neatest stranger. It is a stupid game, after
oil!"
Kh would hear no apologies from roe. And whon I
would have asked why her sister bore the same name,
and thus excused myself, she was intent upon tea-making,
and the few moment I could with decency add to my
-.11 . nt oDDortunity. And so I should have
gone-but that the door-handle was stiff, and Miss Guest
Le to my aid a. I fumbled with it -' W. are always
at home on Saturdays, n yu --i.
.ml T found mvself in the street
tin uiuiuiiu, , , ,
So carelessly she said it, that wi h . .uddou change of
t ma&i I would not calL Why should I? W by
ahould I worry myself with the sight of those other U
low. parading their favor? W.th be bab...e o, tn.t
-i.:JU .hich I Lad so often scorned -and -
.till scorned, and had no part or concern in. They were
not people to .ait me or do me good. I would not go, I
S 3 repeated it firmly on Monday .ud TueUy; on
5 1. lv so far modified it that I thought at some
rTZ.,.'L.- . ml-to avoid discourtesy; on
and on Saturdny wnlked shamefneed dowu the street and
knocked and rang, and went up stairs to taste a pleasant
misery. Yon, and on the noxt Saturday too, and the next,
and the next; and that one on which we all went to the
theatre, and Hint other one on which Mr. Guest kept me
to dinner. Ay, and on other days thnt were not Rntur
daya, among which two stand high out of the wnter. of
forgotfulness days like twin pillar of Hercules, through
which I thought to reach, na did the seamen of old, I
knew not what trenaurea of unknown lands strotehing
away under the setting sun. First, that one on which I
found Barlmra Guest alone and blurted out that I had
the audacity to wish to make her my wife; and then
heard, before I had well -or badly -told my tale, the
wheel, of grandmamma', chair outaido.
"Hush!" the girl said, her face turned from me.
"Hush, Mr. Herapath. Yon don't know me, indeed.
Yon have seen so littlo of me. l'leaae say nothing more
about it You are completely under a delusion."
" It is no delusion that I love yon, Barbara! "
"It is, it is," she related, freeing her hand "There,
if you will not take an answer come oomo at three to
morrow. But mind, I promise you nothing -1 promise
nothing," she added feverishly, and fled from the room,
leaving me to talk to grandmamma aa best and oscae a.
quickly a. I might
" I will tell Mis. Guest you are here, sir, the man
said, aa he otened the door for me the next day. I
looked at all the littlo things in the room which I had
oome to know well her work-lmskot, the mimic upon the
piano, the tablo-easol, her photograph, and wondered if I
were to see them no mora, or if they wore to become a
part of my every-day life. Then I heard her come in,
and turned quickly, feeling that I should learn my fate
from her greeting.
"Bab!" The word was wrung from me perforce.
And then we stood and looked at one another; she with a
strange pride and doflanoe in her eyes, though her cheek
was dark with blushes, and I with wonder and perplexity
in mine. Wonder and perplexity that quickly grew into
a conviction, a certainty that the girl standing before me
in the short-skirted brown dreaa, with tangled hair and
Ioom nock-ribbon, was the Bab I had known In Norway;
and yet that the eye. -I could not mistake them now, no
matter what unaccustomed look they might wear-wore
Barbara Guest'.!
" Miss Gueet - Barbara," I stammered, grappling with
the truth, "why have you played this trick ujion me?"
" It is Mis. Guest and Barltara now," .he cried, with
a mocking courtesy. " Do you remember, Mr. Herapath,
when it waa Bab? When you treated me aa a kind of
toy, and plaything, with which you might be a. inti
mate a you liked; ami hurt my Mings-yea, it 1. weak
to oonfosa it, I know -day by day, and hour by hour?"
"But surely that is forgiven now?" I said, daxml by
an attack so uddn and so bitter. "It I. atonement
enough that I am at your feet now, Barbara!"
" You are not," she retorted hotly. " iKm't say you
U otTsr.d lov. to ma, who am the same with the child
Friday pr.f.rr.4 "