Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-29


at thu theater party she was getting up
for Irvihg's first night?"
Then, with joyish thanks, and an
adieu waved from the tips of her pearl
sticled Standardization fan, she turned
from them flashing and smiling, and,
gradually making her way to the velvet
portiers that separated the parlors from
the rear of the house, she disappeared
behind them.
"Wonderfuli' Mrs. Dclany exclaimed,
in tones of genuine admiration, as the
velvet draperies fell softly together once
more, shutting out the radiant vision.
"What?"
"Amelia's self-control. The card that
Bennett brought her agitated her ex-
| cessively. She had twisted it into per-
feet corkscrew before you had made up
your mind about the theater party.
| The person is not welcome"
"That, at least, goes then to prove
that Eugene did not marry a provin-
| cial."
II yield that point. But one would
| like to know little something of the
antecedents of ones own brothers
wife"
If it had been Mrs. Delany's privilege
| to go with her sister-in-law into the
presence of the person who was patient
/ ly waiting in the study, her curiosity
might have been amply if not agreea-
bly, satisfied on the score of antecedents.
1t was John Lorimer's wife who sat
| there waiting for the tardy coming of
| her sister Amelia, Ninette's mother. AS
the radiant young thing who had just
| successfully run the gauntlet of several
/ score of critical eyes fitted into the
DINNER region of Mr.. Norcross' study,
Nora stood up confused and bewildered.
They kissed each other, and they
called each other ''Norrie'' and "Mel-
lie" but, even as their embracing arms
fell apart, the look of pain and be-
wilderment deepening on Mrs. Lori.
mer's face, she recognized that she was
looking at her sister over yawning
abyss.
81 don't understand at all, Amelia! 1
have been trying to find you for a
month. When 1 heard that you were
Mrs. Eugene Norcross, grew more ut
terly bewildered than ever. What does
it mean? You cannot-have-"
my letter was explicit enough,
heaven knows!" Mrs. Norcross inter
rupted her rudely, laughed nervously,
and settled herself on the other end of
Nora's sofa.
"Your lettcr?'
"Yes-my letter, in which told you
the whole truth. thought it would
be safest. When I sent Ninette to you
and told you I was going to Europe
with that old woman as her paid COM
panion, told you that l could not take
Ninette with me, because it was only
On the understanding that had no ties
she would have me. She said she want
ed no tear-shedding females about her.
You knew all that before"
"Well. 1 thought no wrong of it,
either"
"But did not tell you the whole
truth, Nora. If that old woman had
not been Eugene Norcross' mother, and
if he had not been going over with her,
l never would have taken the position.
1t all turned out splendidly. The old
'ady died in Nice. l had seen none of
her family, but her son, on this side.
came back Mrs. Eugene Norcross.
When wrote you from Paris that
was going on the stage, it was to pre-
vent you from hunting me up, ma chere.
knew your horror of stage people.
One cannot hope to succeed in life
succeed as I have" she glanced COM
prchcnsively about her-''if one dare
not finesse little, even with ones own
sister. AS for the child, she was al
ways much fonder of you than she was
Of me, wrote you long letter three
weeks ago. 1 told you in that letter
| that l did not mean Ninette should be a
pecuniary burden to you"
Nora put her hand to her head with a
distracted gesture:
~ grow more bewildered ut every
? rd, Amelia. 1 never got your letter
2 have heard from you but once since
the day Celeste came to me with YOU
c little girl, bringing the letter telling
me you were going to Europe as a com
4 panion. That once was when you
wrote me you were going on the stage
8 cried over that letter, Nellie, and
prayed so hard that you might be KEEP
pure and sweet"
Mrs. Eugene Norcross smiled ipdul
= gently:
ga ruse, Norrie, my dear, but a nee
essary one. I knew your adherence o
the stage, and knew, or thought
knew, that if you believed me to be OF
4 the stage you would shun me as 20,
would a leper."
And you wanted me to shun you?'
eyes"
4 A cold, hard look had come into tin
!. radiant young face.
q II, who have been mother and siste
and teacher all in one to you, Nellie
o. 1, who never wanted you even to try t.
j. support yourself at typewriting?"
I'll "Yes"
II, who loved you SO dearly, Nellie
that it was only, as 1 fancied, to ge
e justice done your child that marrie
n John Lorimer after he'd asked me tire
1t times2"
n YES"
r. 1t came monotonously from the ful
{ red lips which after each utterauce Mrs
Norcross drew fiercely in under he
D. glistening white teeth.
but why?"
a 81 told you why in that letter."
But 1 never got the letter, 1 te
you"
,e "Then I will have to go over tn