Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

ers, the rooms were soon deserted
''You're to dine with us this evening, {"
Kathleen said to him.
"No. can't"
"You can't! Why? has any.
thing happened?"
eyes," and he quickly told her of the
suicide of his uncle's partner.
at will cause great trouble, you under.
stand-pecuniary trouble. am afraid that
there is disgrace behind the suicide. II
looks as if Chichester had robbed the firm
of large amounts. ="
He hated to tell her that his wealth had
vanished into air, though he felt securely
certain that she would brim with compass
sion and devotion the moment that she
learned the full truth. Had they not had
many sweet confidential talks together be-
fore their engagement and since? And
during such talks had he not seen straight
into her frank, disinterested young soul?
Long ago, however, he had realized that her
mother was the essence of cold-blooded,
mundane ambition, and that she had sane
toned her daughters betrothal from motives
that were in the main sordid ones.
Don't mention money-losses to your
mother, my dearest" he said. 'tI would
rather speak to her on that point myself"
Then, with meaning pressure of her hand,
he added: '1f don't see you again this
evening 1 shall be wretched. But 1 must
talk with Kitty, and after that my poor
uncle, who is half-crazed by the suddenness
of this blow, will need me at his house.
Still, will try to get to you, but if 1 fail,
forgive me and pity mer'
Very soon afterward Kathleen left with
her mother. 1t CHANGED that Alonzo noted
the parting look which Mrs. Kennaird
swept about those luxurious rooms 1t
seemed to say, that look of hers, "My child
will soon be Installed here, mistress of all
this grace and grandeur" And Alonzo,
with secret catching of the breath, be-
thought himself of the dizzy downfall
which this woman's ambition must soon sus-
tain. He pitied her, it was his natnre to do
that; and yet already he could feel his spirit
stirred against her by forces of antagonism
and revolt. What trouble might she not
make, in imperiously disappointed way, for
the daughter whose bright nuptial future
would have grown null? But thank heaven,
Kathleen's love was proof against all sua-
sion of this merely sordid kind Against
that stanch fortress the maternal guns might
thunder futile broadsides.
Just as Mrs. Van Santvoord was gliding
from the room, her brother and she met face
to face He had been downstairs, putting
the Kennairds into their rather shabby hired
carriage. His eyes were sparkling little
of color.
"Oh, Kitty" he said, 'T forgot to tell you
something. I wish you would stay here
about ten minutes or so longer, won't you?"
"Stay?" whined Mrs. Van Santvoord and
she looked toward the gentleman at her
side. He was her latest caprice, and she
rarely appeared anywhere without him. He
had an amber mustache, and babyish blue
eyes.
"T'ye promised Mr.. Pettigrew," she be-
gan, CHAT
''You'd walk home with him?" finished
Alonzo. Jack will excuse you this once,
I'm sure And he laid hand on the shoul-
der of Mr.. Pettigrew, who instantly pro-
duced smile that was a union of fawless
teeth and two highly y-developed dimples.
But when her "Jack" had gone and she
was left alone in the vacated drawing rooms
with her brother, Mrs. Van Santvoord gave
a long, bored sigh.
81 told. them not to bring the carriage,
Lonz," she fumed, dropping into a chair.
'Hector said he might turn up, but he
hasn't and you know he never does any
earthly thing that he promises he'll do !
So now you'll have to send me home in |
your carriage, for it's freezingly cold out
side, let alone being dark as pitch. And 1 |
ought to have got home an age ago. 1 |
refused the Bartholomew's dinner because |
it's Patriarchs' ball night. On, l know
you're not going because for some reason
the Kennairds haven't been asked. But |
that's nothing to me, Lonz, you know, and |
I've promised to dance the cotillon
with that dear, lovely Mark Manhattan"
en- yes, replied Alonzo musingly. 'Is
he the expected successor of Jack Petit
crew."
'Lonz, how can your reproached his
sister. "The word Successor is perfectly
insulting. don't know what you mean
by it!'
She was very pretty as she sat there be-
fore her brother, with her trim, neat figure,
her clear-cut, supercilious little blonde face,
her Partisan gown and its harmonious ad-
iunct of a jaunty bonnet. The late dance
had given her cheeks becoming pink tint;
her foes were apt to say of her that she was
too pale, and perhaps few of them said it
because they wanted to tempt her into
which would have been a salient
peg on which to hang their slurs. The
Hector" to whom she had just referred
was her husband, whom she had married
when she was only 49, eloping with him for
hat purpose, and whom it was whispered
hat she now gave a handsome yearly al
owance in the double capacity of letting
Ter alone and not'appearing to let her alone
90 much. "Hector has every conceivable
yice, )" she had said not long ago to her
brother, Except that of incivility. He is
10 refreshingly polite to me- 1 dare say [
night have tried to get divorce from him
hree or four years ago if it hadn't been for
lis beautiful manners"
To be Continued neat S,r,duu.