Kilmeny of the Orchard

nd Timothy, though he nestled ingratiatingly against her foot as he lay on the rug and purred his loudest, was unre

ut of a hundred the last state of a meddler and them she meddled with was worse than the first. But I guess it's my duty. I was Margaret's friend,

g. Presently he came downstairs, thinking of the orch

nt entry he heard Mrs. Willi

ll you please com

looked at him deprecatingly. There was a flu

no. It is only because I think I ought to speak. I have thought it over for a long time, and it seems to me that I ought to speak. I hope

face. It was more Mrs. Williamson's tone th

lliamson," he said

ave been suspecting all along that that was where you went every evening, but I haven't said a word to any one about it.

her they do or not. But Mrs. Williamson, surely you do not

t. I want you to stop and think about it. I guess you haven't thought. Kilmeny can't know anything about the world or about men, and she may get to thinking too much of you. That might break

ent upstairs to his room. Mrs. William

g anything more. Mr. Marshall is a fine young man, only a little thoughtless. Now that he's go

ow, and Mary Alice Martin's beau, the price Jake Crosby was giving for eggs, the quantity of hay yielded by the hill meadow, the trouble he was having

esently. "I hear him striding up and down in his room 's

" suggested Mrs. Williamson, who did not choose that her gossip

s a rare good teacher-better'n Mr. West was even, and that's saying something. The trustees are hoping he'll stay

ic Marshall was in the grip of the most intense

ched hands. When he was wearied out he flung himself on a

edge that he loved Kilmeny Gordon with the love that comes but once, and is for all time. He wondered how he could have been

tives-either he must never go to the orchard again,

dily to the dictates of his passion. All night he struggled against the new emotions that threatened to sweep away the "common sense" which D

tiful, dumb Kilmeny was, as he had once involuntarily thought, "the one maid" for him. Nothing should part them. The mere

y wife," he said, looking out of the window to the d

r of the harbour was beginning to grow silvery in the

a part of my life for ever. I wonder if she was grieved that I did not go to the orchard last night-if she waited for me. If she does, s

he trustees asked Eric to take the Lindsay school f

Williamson, as she washed h

ack to the old Connors orchard

at him re

suppose it wouldn't be of any use if I

y Kilmeny Gordon

e. She looked scrutinizingly at the firm mouth and steady

egg peddler told me she was; and no doubt she is a good, nice girl.

make any dif

will your

n he sees Kilmeny he will understand. She

d," was the quiet answer, "I'd be a little bit afraid if I w

she won't care for m

the handsome, broad-shoul

e doing a daft-like thing. I hope you won't have any trouble with Thomas and Janet. They are so different from other folks there i

ld have gone to them before. It was merely thoughtlessness on my

on shook her

d to me. That is your best plan, Master. And take care of Neil. People say he has a notion of Kilmeny himself. He'll do you a bad turn if he can, I've no doubt. Them foreigners can't be trusted-and he's just as m

id Eric carelessly. "He couldn't

his girl-if he's the right sort of young ma

ric out of si

m afraid. Kilmeny must be very pretty to have bewitched him so. Well, I suppose there is no use