Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-09-07
BREAKING THE NEWS.

Nora Helmsley shrugged her shoul-
ders.
my dear Betty, you ought to know
more about Mr.. Markham's powers of
endurance than l."
But what do you think he'll do?
What do you suppose"
why waste our time in suppose
ton? He'll be here most likely this
afternoon, and you will be able to
judge for yourself"
Betty Oakhurst sprung to her feet.
''Ted is coming here this afternoon?
Why on earth didn't you tell me be-
fore?" And she fidgetted nervously
with her hat before the glass as she
spoke.
But you knew. Betty, where are
you going?"
Anywhere out of this" cried the
girl, laughing nervously as she stoop-
ed to KISS her friend.
Nora, however, caught her arm.
Nonsense, Betty! You'd better tell
him straight out now and get it over.
It will be ever so much more awk-
ward for you if the news reaches him
from outside"
Il don't see that at ALL" returned
Betty quietly, as she drew away from
her companion. 81 am sure that if
if you"
She paused tentatively.
you don't mean to say that you
expect me to tell Ted Markham that
you've Tilted him?"
II certainly don't expect you to put
1t in that way" replied Miss Oak
hurst, with. a little laugh, "but I am
quite certain that you would explain
it to the poor fellow much better than
anyone else"
Il wish I'd never had anything to
do with it. I never felt so uncomfor-
table in my life as 1 have done since
you dragged me into this precious
scheme of yours"
Poor old Moral" murmured Betty
sympa thetically, while She cast fur
tive chances at the clock.
"You came here and shed any num-
Der of tears, declared that you adored
Ted Markham; that your father
wouldn't hear of an enga gement, but
that if you only had a little time be-
fore you, you were sure everything
would come right"
$50 it has" remarked Betty soto
voce. Its only a question of point OF
view"
Nora flashed an indignant look at
her.
~ think you might be serious now,
and at least pretend that you're
ashamed of yourself. You begged me
10 h,o1rN RI 10 ch Il
here, to act as Green in fact, 90 that
your people might imagine it was all
over and that you had both changed
your minds, and now-now-"
The sound of bell broke in upon
Miss Helmsley's eloquence, and Betty
caught UP her gloves.
'1'm awfully sorry, Nora. Abuse
me as much as you like. Good-bye!"
And before Nora could stop her she
had darted through the door and was
on her way downstairs. She let her
go. After all, it never was of any use
to argue with Betty; she was one Of
those delightfully."- irresponsible Great
ures who always manage to shift the
blame of their shortcomings onto
other peoples shoulders, and whom
no one-no man, at any rate-ever
dreams of judging by ordinary STAN
dards. Nora wondered, as she stood
there idly looking into the street, how
she could ever have been foolish
enough to take Betty's love troubles
seriously.
Nora sighed as she stood at the win
dow. It was a topsy-turvy world, and
the wrong people were always being
thrown together. If only
Am I disturbing you? I was told
to come in here"
Nora started, and the color rushed
to her face.
ooh, I hadn't heard you come in!
Do sit down. Aunt isn't we'll. I am
80 sorry you should have had the
trouble of calling for nothing, but she
hoped to be able to go until the last
moment. Won't you let me give you
some tea?" She spoke with nervous
hurry, scarcely pausing for an an
swer.
Ted Markham took the chair she
offered him, and listened in silence
while she ratified on. Suddenly she
stopped, conscious of his fixed glance.
'Is anything the matter?" she
asked, in slightly alarmed voice. II
was surely not possible that he could
already have learned Betty's treach-
cry.
Eyes. We can't go on like this, Miss
Helmsley.
"No!" Nora felt the color 60 out OF
her face.
ut isn't fair to you, and besides L
things have changed"
''H->'' ~nAor that Rettv-"
Miss Oakhdrst is going to be mar
ried. Nora gasped, but did not
speak. "She is engaged to Lord Bart
hoppe. I met Lady Oakhurst just
now, and she was overlooking with
loving kindness to the world in gen.
eral." y
Betty has behaved abominably!'
put in Nora, indignantly.
Ted Markham smiled.
81 think, on the contrary, that sh.
has shown remarkably good sense.
am going to leave London; / really
came this afternoon to say goodbye
Nora bit her lips.
81 am very sorry" she began, hest
tatingly. 81 am afraid was rather
to blame, but L thought Betty really
cared, and"
She left the sentence unfinished
Ted Markham's demeanor puzzled
her; he was quite white, and there
was look in his eyes which troubled
her. What was there in her fluffy.
haired blue-eyed little friend to move