Katharine Frensham

ship with that lonely father and son had taken away the sting of her own loneliness. She sang as she rolled up her beautiful soft hair. And when the sun came streaming into the room, she felt so

sts! And now, never again, never again, old fellow! All the old fun is o

oking-glass. "You deserve to put on an unbecoming dress. You shall put on

n question from the wardro

ost becoming one-the dove-coloured one. Punishment, indeed! You don't need punishment. You need consolation. And

t was impossible even for Knutty's two icebergs not to thaw in her presence. Free of spirit always, and fresh from her recent travels, she was feeling as if she had met two strange people unexpectedly in some desolate corner of the earth, and had therefore the right to greet them and treat them as fellow-travellers.

tharine said. It was such a fresh, boyish laughter, and had such a ring in it, that any one would have believed he was meant for happiness. That was what Katharine thought when she heard it; and when she glanced at his face and saw that for the moment his strained expressi

l we do th

rine said. "I have no plans in the world,

both said, int

by two botanists in Arizona; and I vowed that I would go myself to Denmark a

Gerda Ebbesen. And they are great on 'Salix;' and have a good many quarrels over that and other debatable subjects too. You will find the

te of warfare. They had a fearful dispute when I was there about a cactus. Such a hideous thin

mere thought of Knutty and her belongings, beg

the kindest friend I have ever had in my life. She came to take charge of me when I was about seven years of age. A lonely little beggar I was, too-in a great house in Surrey, with no one to care about my comin

ngel now!" said Alan quaintly. "

therwise, would you?" s

taunchly, "she is rip

with us on our travel

g would have upset Knutty. Why, I believe if we had been drowning togeth

icebergs laugh, and glad to know that she was the cause. She would have rejoiced also to know that

e day

, and Sweden, the wonderful North which Kn

e she knew English perfectly. But she fostered my love of the North, and brought me up on the Sagas. And it was she who first took me up to the extreme north of Norway. That is wher

dence; and that when her brother married three years ago, she had been impelled to take a long

accustomed to it?" Cl

answered.

journey did not

atharine answered. "Me

and he seemed

oke through

are going out, we should not delay much longer

rue, for Katharine did all the talking; but they laughed now and then, and made an occasional remark which was not at all Arctic. They had a splendid day together: a mixture of Hi

Katharine's companionship; and when Alan said

nk y

ifford

u for to-day-tak for i

k," Katharine said, and she repeated it severa

he said triumphantly. "It is I

the world by themselves. She wished the old Dane had not left them. She dreamed of them; she saw in her dreams the boy's youn

here, you and I. Some message has p

membered her dreams and

hing to do, considering the circumstances. And yet why should it be the right thing? It does not harm him that I think of him and am strongly attracted to him. Why should I stamp do

id, "I must shake my

whilst her adorable manner, the natural outcome of a big heart and generous spirit, gave her a radiance which was felt and seen by every one. Wherever she went, people even of the dullest types had a distinct feeling of being pleased and stirred. Her arrival at the organ-factory, near Cambridge Heat

," he said first to one

sympathetic craftsman who was doing a delicate piece of carving for part of an elaborate organ-case,

ne," they said. "Organ-building has

excited when he heard that Katharine had come; and the

to-day, and I am sure I don't wonder. And how jolly to see you here as in the old days! And how splendid you look too! Why, Kath, I do believ

rtation on. I should tell you at once

rute I was to leave you in that way and let you stay at the Langham

pretended not to feel the strain; but I couldn't have done that. I would rather never see you again than live on strained terms with you now that you are married. That would be a

ful for you to b

and she told him about her strange meet

new they were there all the time, and

d gaily. "Life is only a series of

y brains to think how I might c

ed. "Lonely people have to w

etfully. It always pinched his heart

now tell me about business. For if you want the benefit of my advice about anything, now is your chance. I feel that my brains are i

can help me with, if you will re

person could be business-like in such a hat, could they? There, I feel different now, absolutely s

ask Barlow in?" Ronald sai

e," she answered, wit

difficulties, over which Katharine showed herself so quick-witted and sensible that M

ou ought to take an active part in the business,"

touched the right chord. I want to take an active par

n get tired of routine work," Ronald sa

have every confidence that I could make all creeds employ our firm and our firm only. I feel myself quite capable of tackling Archbishops or Plymouth Brethren, Unitarian minister

nager

ne, even Christian Scientists," he said, "and I

gone, she sa

routine work now. I must have something to do. And you admit I have a quick bra

the very slowest of brains. Every one loved him, and Katharine herself was one of his best friends. He was too lazy to have worked seriously at a profession; but he had

, home at last! Do be mine, m

talking of y

he said, slipping into Ronald's chair, his hand

," Katharine said, lau

ness; and she was remarking that

h does she want to come into the business for? I never heard of any

aid brightly. "You are an awful dear; but you n

got-every blessèd shilling-and remain yourself-Katharine the splendid! Business routine for you! It's ridiculous to think of. Why, the world wouldn't go on properly unless you w

of use. And Mr Barlow says so too. Now just imagine for one moment how beautifully I might manage bishops, archbishops, curates, even

of laughter from her little audience of two. Seriousness had scarcely been re-esta

your chance-the De

hop. Come along, Willy. I suppose you are going to your home to lunch. You know I am

hose mysterious pins into my head. Can't understand how they don't hurt the hea

now! Good-bye, Ronnie. Love to Gwendolen, and I'm coming to dinner to-

lit up his clerical countenance. He had come about some experiment which he wished tried on the organ of St Ambrose's; but he found himself unable to concentrate his atte

ked his chin. His eyes wandered restlessly towa

it is always safer to as