Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-09-17

how painfully superhuous | was to be, y
she went on as if he had not spoken.
''And even worse than that, to interrupt
your tete a-tete-to drive your guest
awayl" with smile of bitter irony. 81
came sufficiently express my regret"
''Nonsenser cried Donald again, red
dening angrily. There was no reason
on earth why you should not have come
in, as you know perfectly we'll And as
for driving her away; she had finished
her business before you came in and
would have been gone long ago had she
not stopped to speak to you.
Her business?-thati invitation to play
tennis. Of course you meant to say.
with hard. mirthless laugh
Donald gave himself a little restless
shake, as if he would throw off the cloud
that had gathered ON his face ''0h,
never mind the woman!" he irritably ex-
claimed. You came to see me about
something, did you not, Nitas Lets
change the subject to that" looking at
her anxiously.
why, yes, l did come to see You about
something. bitter smile curling her
lips. II came because" steadily regard
ing him. 81 would like little money"
why. certainly; but, seeming some
what embarrassed. chow much do you
wanty'
"Oh, twenty-five or thirty dollars will
do with what have. think. | want
it," explaining with an air of painful
punctiliousness, ito buy material for a
new tea gown and perhaps to get lace tc
make jabot up the front
Don't, Nita," with a sort of hurt gen.
tleness. Il don't want to know how
you propose TO use It, And You must
have a larger allowance after this that
the want may not occur again" looking
up at her pleasantly. He was always
generous in money matters, and was, in
fact, well pleased that she had come to
ask this little favor now. II will make
this fifty; you see ! must give you a
check = my purse is as bare as Old
Mother Hubbard's cupboard"
Eyes? | rather inferred as much when
| saw evidences of Mrs Rogers bust
ness slowly, cuttingly.
''Oh. did you see?" seeming rather re-
lieved than otherwise, meeting her eyes
with an expression of the utmost frank
ness. "Sne begged me not to mention
it, not even to you; the poor woman has
so much pride, you know"
mo, did not know" dryly; has
shey'
But of course if you saw, it will dc
no harm to tell you the rest. 1t appears
that the doctor was induced to buy an
interest in the Bluebird mine year ago.
He could not have done worse, particu-
larly as he had not money enough and
was forced TO borrow; and of course he
has never realized anything out of it but
assessments, as any sane man might
have told him at the start, with the nat
ural result that his finances were down
to bedrock long ago. They have been
compelled to let bills run along and ac
cumulate until now some fellow has
threatened to bring suit against them al
once unless he is paid. The doctor being
sick, his wife did not want to worry him
about the matter, and, at her wits end
naturally came to me to advise her what
to do"
quite naturally" with sarcastic EN-
phasis, spot of red on either cheek, like
dab of rouge unskillfully applied,
1T was for only a small amounts
trifle less than hundred dollars-and
of course | advised her to let me loan
her the money as the easiest way out OF
the difficulty"
.Oh, of course"
The doctors practice seems TO have
been mostly among class where col
lections are next to impossible" continu-
ing with an evident effort, plainly dis
concerted under her sneering glance.
''And now, with his sickness, and bills
pouring in from every side, of course the
poor little woman is all broken up. 1t is
rather hard lines, don't You Think
And yet she can play tennisl" with a
bitter laugh, mirthless, taunting, cruel.
"At least, Don, think your explanation
of her-business is very ingenious"
He turned upon her face she had
never seen before, ivid. almost murder
Gus, In It's sudden fury.
If believed you were in earnest in
your vile insinuations, Anita, in low,
tense tone, his fingers convulsively grip
ping the arms of his chair, ''if could
think that You really believed what you
have repeatedly implied in regard to
that woman. should be tempted to-
box your ears.
"Well, if you are stopping on that ac-
count slowly, that sardonic smile quiv
ering on her lips, IF that is all that
ninders. must say, the Incredibly in
the case is more apparent on your side
than on mine, coming little nearer
and standing before him dehantly,
tauntingly. at seems pity that you
should hesitate for any such illusory
reason as that--that you should leave
anything undone to complete my disillu-
sion.
"DiSllusionl Great heavens. Anita.
do you think the disillusion is all on
your siaes~ with a groan. burying his
head il his arms crossed upon the desk.
She stood fer i. oment regarding him
with sort IT sulsarcilous curiosity, as
if at some maw.ish display of histrionic
y. ord