The herald., 1896-06-28
CHAPTER ",

But Betty did not go straight to the
sick chamber. She turns aside as she
reaches the hall and, turning up one Of the
stircases, makes for Mrs. Jeffares' rooms.
Here she finds, not only Mrs. Jeffares,
but Claudia, as she quite expected.
Having closed the door behind her, she
fares, last at Claudia. Her eyes remain on
Claudia.
ITO desert him like that, just when he
was most unhappy. How" her voice seems
to swell. 'How did you dare to do it?"
Il hope you are not going to be violent" "
says Mrs. Jeffares. Temper is only an
other word for vulgarity."
ooh, it is you who are vulgar" cries
Betty. who has now lost the last shreds of
her temper, and is certainly behaving very
badly-'you and Claudia"
~ really don't see what I have DONE"
says Claudia. who looks slightly amused.
Done? Have you been true to him?"
Il have been true to myself with quiet
defiance. (Which perhaps" with a glance
at her, "means the same thing
"To forsake him now" cries Betty, suf-
locating with righteous wrath, now when
all mems hands are against him
81 forsook him." says Miss Jeffares with
a Pickering smile, "to prevent his forsaking
me. Perhaps" slowly, "as you have nev-
er noticed his attentions-''
She pauses seeking for little taste Of
her revenge, and she gets it.
Betty's face grows white.
"Tov'
"Ah! that's secret! you are his cousin.
You can ask him.
"Nonsense!" cries Betty, recovering her
self with great courage, "and have not
come here to talk of that at all, but Of
your base desertion Of him, in this, his
hour of need. Oh! how could you? l won
der,' passionately, her slender hands
clasped rlgidly at her sides. "You aren't
ashamed,-ashamed to your very heart!"
Gas 1 told you before" says Mrs. JET
fares, with cold smile, "you are a won-
derful partisan. But melodrama is out of
fashion just now
"Treachery at all events" cries Betty,
who is really, when one thinks of it, almost
a match, in her honesty, for these two
crafty people, 'is never out Of fashion as
it seems-Claudia," turning directly to
her, 'how do you reconcile yourself to
this? to hurt him to his very soul at this
time of all others-now, when he Is
crushed to the very earth with these cruel
but impossible suspicion"
"Are they so impossible?" Mrs. Jeffares
has risen, and has come toward the girl
She has put on her most commanding as
pect, but Betty thinks little of that.
you know it," says she, her clear eyes
burning into the shifty ones before her
with so sure, so earnest light, that Mrs.
Jeffares, with a little shrug of pretended
disgust, turns aside.
"No doubt you have your own interests
in view" says She "when you thus advo-
cate a hopeless cause" If she means to
embarrass Betty by this coarse hint she
is greatly mistaken. "At all events dear
est" turning to Claudia, who is amusing
herself with little file meant to keep down
her nails to filbert point. II suppose we
ought to leave tomorrow"
81 suppose So" says Claudia, hardly lift
ing her eyes from her delightful occupa-
ton. 1t will be wise to leave as soon as
possible, so as to prove to Dorham later
on how deeply she felt about his accident
''To leave." Betty's face grows tragic
TO leave! so soon, at-once! Have you
thought what sudden desertion like that
him? Oh, Mrs. Jeffares, don't do that"
We would not for the world,' Miss JEFF
fares breaks into the question, and an
swers her at once, edo anything to preju-
dice his case. We" turning to her mother
might get telegram? Eh?'
you might get hundred kilograms" I"
cries Betty, "but to forsake him all in a
moment. Oh. Claudia, would you break
h ic
tears, strange thing for that strong little
soul to do. But her belief in Meredyth's
love for this "heartless, heartless girl" as
she calls her, is so deep that, in spite of his
cynical remarks in her last interview with
him. she still thinks he is miserable because
of her desertion Of him. 'Is he to lose
position-love-all in a single hour?'
cries she between her sobs. "Why are you
in such mad haste to abandon him? That
gun will be found, Claudia" Then more