Evening journal., 1892-11-10

fairly gotten the invitation out OF my
mouth"
81 shoald not have supposed you could
consider it necessary to wait for even the
wind 60 answer such an invitation as
that" with an insolent smile, after q
brief stare of increlulity. "You know
that do not play tennis, Mrs Rogers"
"No," slightly discomhtedi "but if You
would only learn, you would enjoy it SO
much"
"But you are not going ont in the
dustT interposed Donald hastily, bis
protest, however. somewhat lukewarm
in tone won't you wait until the
storm is over, Mrs. Rogers."
"Oh, no; the doctor is waiting for me,
and, gayly nodding herself out Of the
door, "twosa company, while three-;sh,
you know. Good afternoon, both Of you.
Donald closed the door after her with
a relieved expression, turning TO Anita
expectantly.
1T was so delicate Of her 20 remind
me, was it not?" looking up at him with
an ugly snecr; "but it was quite uu-
necessary. Nobody could have been
more regretfully conscious than / of
making up the proyerbial crowd"
"Nonsense" inpadently "Why win
you always impute ideas to that poor
woman that never enter her head? She
referred to herself, Of course"
"Of course nothing on earth could
have induced me to come in had dreamt
how painfully superhuous was TO be,
she went on as if he had not spoken.
"And even worse than that, to interrupt
your tete.a-tete-to drive your guest
awayw with a smile Of bitter irony. 81
cannot 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?-that invitation TO play
tennis, of course you meant to say,
with a hard, mirthless laugh.
Donald gave himself q little restless
shake, as if he would throw of the cloud
that had gathered ON his face. "Oh,
never mind the woman" he irritably ex-
claimed. you came TO see me about
something, did you not, Nita? Let's
change the subject to that" looking at
her anxiously.
''Why, yes, l did come TO see you about
something, q bitter smile curling her
lips Il came because, " steadily regard
ing him, Il would like a little money"
"Why, certainly; but" seeming some
what embarrassed, chow much do you
wantg
"Oh, twenty-five or thirty dollars viii
do with what have, / think want
it" explaining with an air Of painful
punctiliousness, ''to buy material for a
new tea gown and perhaps to get lace TO
make q jabot up the front"
Don't, Nita," with a sort Of hurt gen
tleness. 81 don't want to know how
you propose TO use it. And you must
have q larger allowance after this that
the want may not occur again" looking
up at her pleasantly. He was Away.
generous in money matters, and was IN
fact, well pleased that she had come to
ask this little favor now 81 win make
this fifty you see l must give You d
check - my purse is as bare as Ole
Mother Hubbard's cupboard"
ayes? rather inferred as much when
l saw evidences Of Mrs. Rogers bust
ness" slowly, cuttingly.
"Oh, did you seeY' seeming rather re-
lieved than otherwise, meeting her eyes
with an expression of the utmost frank
ness "She begged me not TO mention
it, not even to you; the poor woman ha.
so much pride, you know"
"No, did not know" dryly; "hal
sheg"
But Of course if yon saw, it win d,
no harm to tell you the rest. It appear
that the doctor was induced to buy ar
interest in the Bluebirl mine year ago
He could not have done worse, particu
Z larly as he had not money enough ant
, was forced to borrow; and of course b,
has never realized anything ont OF it bu
assessments, as any sane man nigh
have told him at the start, with the nat
, ural result that his finances We're down
] to bedrock long ago. They have beer
compelled TO let bills run along and ac
T cumulate until now some fellow ha
threatened to bring suit against them "a
once unless he is paid The doctor hor.
s sick, his wife did not want to worry hia
{ about tine matter, and, at her wits end
naturally came TO ne TO advise her wha
to do"
: quite naturally with sarcastic EN-
phasis. spot Of red on either cheek, li5
p q dab Of rouge uuskillmlly applied
p lit was FIR only small amount
trile less chan q hundred dollars-au
= Of course advised her to let me loa
a her the money as the easiest way out O
the difficulty
r "Oh, Of course"
q "The doctors practice seems TO hav
! been mostly among class where co.
e lections are next to impossible" continu
b ing with an evident effort, plainly dis
= concerted under her sneering glance
;. "Anl now, with his sickness, and Lll
e pouring in from every side, Of course III
4 poor little woman is all broken up. lt
!, rather hard lines, don't you thinky"
n "And yet she can play tennis" with
a bitter laugh mirthless, taunting, crue