Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-21
bold hand :-ssYours very sincerely,

Mrs. Byrne neither came to lunch
nor answered the Mariners invita-
ton. Mrs. Mariner expressed sur
prise at this want of courtesy, and
apologized to the Singletons for hav-
ing no one to meet them.
''Are you sure, Ethel, you told her
the right day? Florence is in town
l know, and it's so unlike her to be
rude"
81 think it was all right, mamma, :"
Ethel replied vaguely, and never
gave another thought to the matter.
But on the morning of the next
day, as she was practicing her sing
ing in the great Holland shrouded
drawing room: the door was thrown
open to admit a benign and comedy
lady who advanced smilingly toward
her.
"Mrs. Byrne - cried Ethel in some
surprise, getting off the music stool.
Mrs. Byrne established herself com
fortably in a deep arm chair, then
beckoned the girl mysteriously with
well-gloved finger: ''Come over here,
Ethel"
Ethel drew a stool to the others
side, land sat down smilingly but mys-
titled.
Mrs. Byrne played little with the
clasp of the silver-mounted handbag
which she carried, from which, having
at last succeeded in opening it, she
produced stamped envelope address
ed to herself.
"Do you know that handwriting,
she said, iourishing it before Ethel's
astonished eyes.
cit is my own; / wrote to ask you
to lunch,'' poor Ethel answered SIM
ply, while the thought flashed across
her mind that Mrs. Byrne had proba-
bly, gone mad.
"Read it them" cried the lady with
an air of suppressed amusement which
lent color to the notion.
Ethel unfolded it quickly, then sat
transfXed like one who receives a
sudden and fatal injury. For before
her horror-stricken eyes glared the
words in her own handwriting
"Yours very sincerely, Jack Deve-
nant."
"What does it mean?" she cried
at last in hoarse voice, for it seem
ed that some fiendish magic had been
at work.
"Thats what 1 want to know" re-
piled Mrs Byrne more gently. 81
received this note the day before yes
terday. There was no address, and
the handwriting was certainly not
Jacks. Nor is my cousin the least
likely to invite me to lunch at his
chambers. So | wrote off to him at
once, and told him to drop in to din
ner if he had anything to say to me-"
Ethel had risen to her feet and was
standing with little frozen smile on
her face; but at this point she broke
in hurriedly =
ssDid you show him-Mr. Dave
nant-the letter?''
Mrs. Byrne nodded. She was not
a person of delicate perceptions, and
had come here bent on little harm
less amusement, but somehow the
amusement was not forthcoming.
Ethel clasped her cold hands in a
frenzy of despair. She knew that
Jack was familiar with her handwrit-
ing; had he not made many criti-
cisms, severe and tender, on the oc-
casional notes of invitation which she
had addressed to him.
''Jack said he knew nothing about
the note, and hadn't the ghost of an
idea what 1T meant.
"Oh, Jack, jack" cried Ethel's
heart in parenthesis, "what must you
think of me?
Mrs. Byrne went on: "Grace AL
lison came in later and the mystery
was cleared up. She swore to your
handwriting, and we concluded you
had done it in fit of absence of
mind. Poor old Jack, how she did
chaff him p
Ethel was trying to recover her
presence of mind.
elbow could / have made such
stupid mistaken she said with short
laugh. 81 suppose 1 was pursuing
some train of thought. | had met
your cousin at a party the night be-
fore-you know how it is.
Mrs. Byrne was sorry for the girls
distress.
''It's mistake any one might have
made. though you must own IL was
rather funny. However, | can assure
you it won't go any further. Jack
is not likely to tell, and Grace has
sworn on her honor"
Ethel laughed again ,meaninglessly.
AS far as she was concerned, the
whole world was welcome to know it
now. No deeper disgrace could be-
fall her. 81 wonder if he is shrek
ing with laughter, or merely sick with
disgust the poor girl thought, when
her obtuse, amiable visitor had at last
departed. ooh, how l hate him y
which was hard on Jack, considering
that his own conduct in the matter
had been irreproachable. But Ethel
was in no mood for Justice. 1t SEEM