The morning times., 1897-03-05

why not De TcdSOldDit! NJ AXE HCT your
niece" she suggested, bitterly
Niece?' He seemed to turn the question
over in an open mind
THAT would be possible, anyhow,
Somebody might believe that-people who
didn't know as much about it as l do.''
But I've no married sister, II brother
either. That makes it difficult. y
"Oh, you could invent one. That would
be nothing to YOU
Noel Forester assumed a candid and
appealing smile.
I'm do anything to please you, Mrs.
NettIeton,' said he. ''She shall be IL
niece, If you wish it. / agree that a
granddaughter lacks probability. But,
excuse me, would it suit you as well If
l made her my sister? For family reasons
it would be more convenient to me to have
her a sister,
''Oh, if you Ike said Marcia. But
there's a little difficulty about the names,
isn't there? She looked at him in
malicious triumph. He had forgotten
the names!
About the names? 1 don't quite un-
derstand,'' he murmured. apologetically.
Brothers and sisters generally have the
same surnames. You don't mean half
sister,"
''Oh, no: my own sister, please. Nobody
ever heard of my having haif-sister."
Really, you're a little dense You see,
her name Is Vincent and yours is ForTes-
ter
A sudden light seemed to break in on
Noel Forester. He advanced step nearer
to Marcia: then after a little pause he asked:
sYou're quite sure about the EerEonal
grudgc? Yourcmemberwhat you said about
it?"
II really have nothing but pity for you.
But as for her --'
That's all right: never mind her. Well,
you see do look a little more gentle, Mrs.
Nettlcton, or | can't 90 on. / can't, in
deed!"
I'm ready to listen,'' Marcia declared.
You see in fact, when inherited Mere
Park l took the name OF Forester But
Celeste kept her own name" He looked as
though he wondered whether she would be-
licve him. n
- Then you mean to sag /" cried Mar
Il mean TO confess that She my
sister. Mrs. NettIeton. | never said she
wasn't you know. AS for Mrs. For
reSter, whom you were so kind as to
ask for, the maid thought you must
mean my mother, Mrs. Vincent. She's
unhappily an invalid, and hasn't been
able to take Celeste about, SO she's not
very well known. I'm sure l hore you
Will make her acquaintance, though"
Marcia had fallen into "a chair, and
was regarding hm with helpless stare.
Was it true? Chen calamity was averted.
But ut what a cost? How had they dared
to make such fool OF her. Noel came
to the hcarth-rug, and stood looking do wn
at her.
Fred and Celeste are down stairs" he
observed. Fred brought us here. Shall
| ask them TO come up? Fred knows all
about it now, you know
Marcia made no answer. Presently,
however, she looked up and asked:
WAS it because l said Fred was my
husband?n
That put it into my head He drew
up a chair and sat down by her. Marcia
did not attempt to avoid this proximiCy.
land then you were SO gloriously sus-
picious," he went on, with a smile of
reminiScence. The blue room suggested
such terrible things to you, didn't it?
Now. do you think you'd have believed
me if I'd said Miss Vincent was my sis
ter? And then-well, Celeste has always
been ford of private theatricaIs.' He
glanced at her for u moment. And
| then he said; but here he paused.
We'll, what them asked Marcia.
He turned audiooked her full in the face.
| She was flushed and she frowned, but it
seemed to him that the line OF her lips was
not so set and rigid as it had been hitherto
la in ~ MI
tentative fashion; Marcia's lips were sud
denly pressed together in a marked ac-
cession OF severity.
And then he began again. well
| in fact, u little anger doesn't spoil your
appearance, Mrs. Nettleton." .
A pause followed this observations of Noel
Forrester's. He cast his eyes down to
the ground and did not raise them again
for several minutes When he did, Marcia S
! were downcast.
II never said she wasn't my sister," he
murmured. And you did say"
ION, do be quiet.' said Marcia.
Suddenly the Coor opened. Marcia
| sprang 10 her feet, ready again to be
very angry. But no time was allowed
her for expression of any such feeling
A graceful, slight figure darted across
| the room and, before Marcia could take
my defensive steps, she was in Celeste's
! arms, and was being kissed by that young
| lady
"Oh, YOU dearr' said Celeste. lit was
| perfectly horrd of us, wasn't it? But
/ don't think l was ever so much amused
| in all my life!'' And she kissed Marcia
| again with the UTMOST affection. You
| do FORGIVE MS don't yOu?h
Noel Forester interposed gravely.
aYou must not think, Celeste" said
he, THAT Mrs. Nettletou was acting from
personal feelings. It's long ago, and,
greatly as she suffered, she viii not al
low her own feelings to influence her il
the matter It's her. hlother-in-law-''
And her bIoyher-i -inzlaw,"- said Fred
from the door, lis not resentfulr'
Marcia looked around at them. The!
were all smiling i'm the most shameless
manner. At last the Smile broke out or
her own face. a.
"At least I'll never say Tn anybody's
wife againt" she cried.5
Noel Forester looked at her for an in
stant, and then up at the ceiling.
"You mean unless it should happento be
true, Mrs. Nettleton?" said he.
And in q certain space of time it hap
pened to be true.
The End.
1.-The Disintegrated Greengrocer," by
Henry A. Herring, will beginnext Monday.
Very Good to Texas.