Winding Paths | Page 7

face of the earth. I'm not a bit sorry for slaves, and prisoners, and
shipwrecked sailors, and East-end starvelings; every bit of sympathy
I've got is used up for the girls who've got to stay in hundrum homes,
and be nothing, and do nothing, but just finished young ladies. Work is
the finest thing in the world. It's just splendid to have something real to
do, and be paid for it. Why, they can't even go to prison, or be hungry,
or anything except possible wives for possible men who may or may
not happen to want them."
"Of course you are talking arrant nonsense," Dudley replied frigidly. "I
don't know where in the world you get all your queer ideas. Woman's
sphere is most decidedly the home; you seem to -" but a small hand was
clapped vigorously over his mouth, and eyes of feigned horror
searching his.
"Do you know, I'm half afraid you've lived in your musty old books so
long, Dudley," with mock seriousness, "that you've lost all count of
time. It is about a thousand years since sane and sensible men believed
all that drivel about women's only sphere being the home, and since
women were content to be mere chattels, stuck in with the rest of the
furniture, to look after the children. Nowadays the jolly, sensible
woman that a man likes for wife or pal, is very often a busy worker."
"Let her work busily at home, then!"
"Why, you'll want me to crochet antimacassars next, or cross-stitch a
sampler! Just imagine the thing if I tried! It would have dreadful results,
because I should be sure to use bad language - I couldn't help it; and the
article I should concoct would make people faint, or turn cross-eyed or
colour-blind. I shan't do nearly so much harm in the end as a City
secretary with an actress pal."
"One thing is quite certain: you mean, as usual, to have your own way,
and my feelings go for nothing at all."

He turned away from her, and took up his hat to go out.
"Your protestations of affection, Hal, are apt to seem both insincere and
out of place."
The tears came swiftly to her eyes, and she took a quick step towards
him, but he had gone, and closed the door after him before she could
speak. She watched his retreating figure, with the tears still lingering,
and then suddenly she smiled.
"Anyhow, I haven't got to besweet and gentle and housekeepy," was
her comforting reflection. "I'm going to be a real worker, earning real
money, and have Lorraine for my pal as well. Some day Dudley will
see it is all right, and I'm only about half as black as he supposes, and
that I love him better than anything else at heart. In the meantime, as
I'm likely to get a biggish dose of dignified disapproval over this
theatre business, I'd better ask Dick to come out to tea this afternoon to
buck me up for what lies ahead. Goodness! what a boon a jolly cousin
is when you happen to have been mated with your great-aunt for a
brother."
CHAPTER III

For a few years after that particular disagreement nothing of special
note happened. Hal got quickly through her course of shorthand and
typewriting and became Mr. Elliott's private secretary and general
factotum, which last included an occasional flight into journalism as a
reporter. Naturally, since this sometimes took her to out-of-the-way
places, and brought her in contact with human oddities, she loved it
beyond all things, and was ever ready for a jaunt, no matter whither it
took her.
Brother Dudley was discreetly left a little in the dark about it, because
nothing in the world would ever have persuaded him that a girl of Hal's
age could run promiscuously about London unmolested. Hal knew
better. She was perfectly well able to acquire a stony stare that baffled

the most dauntless of impertinent intruders; and se had, moreover, an
upright, grenadier-like carriage, and an air of business-like energy that
were safeguards in themselves.
A great deal of persuasive tact was necessary, however, to win
Dudley's consent to a year in America, whither Mr. Elliott had to go on
business; but on Mrs. Elliott calling upon him herself to explain that
she also was going, and would take care of Hal, he reluctantly
consented.
Curiously enough, it was that year in a great measure that changed the
current of Lorraine's life. She came to the cross-roads, and took the
wrong turn.
Perhaps Miss Walton, with her knowledge of girls, could have foretold
it. She might have said, in that enigmatical way of hers, "If Lorraine
comes to the cross-roads, where life offers a short cut to fame, instead
of a