The age-herald., 1898-05-08

"Go away; it's no use. Mab," said Prisey Cartwright to her sister. "The thing has been settled ages ago. so far as I am con- cerned. Hush up, now!-hush up!'
 Ages agop' Nab echoed, refusing to s.hush up',-"I believe 1t must be ages ago. We'll if you persist in this unreason- able course.'
 T don't persist any more than you Look at how you did with Tom Vanduren.' 'That was a long time ago. I didn't do it for an example, either And you said at the time you wouldn't do as much for me. Then you went and did the very same thing, after all"
 Don't care" Prisey said, dogidly, "I will not marry off and leave you for any man under the canopy of heaven"
 'Then, my dear, since we cannot get our suitors to keep so to speak, we might as well make arrangements for quiet and digniied old maidhood. Let's buy a parrot or something, Prisey."
 The front door bell rang while the two young women were discussing their mutu- al affairs in their own room on the sec ond floor Just as Mab's brilliant sugges- tion for the purchase of a parrot had thrown both the suffers into fit of laugh ter, the servant girl of the boarding house appeared at their door with a square en- velope addressed to Nab.
 'The boy says he's to wait for an an- swer."
 Here, Prisey," said Nab, as soon as she had glanced at the signature, this must be for you. It's addressed to me-Yes-No Wait minute.."
 Then she read to herself:
 My dear Miss Mab Do you intend go- ing out this evening? If not. will you see me at S:SO? I have something to say to you of the greatest importance-to myself, at least.
 TIT JJIC CI TcATENT 'fHere, Prisey, read this. And Nab hand ed the letter to her sister. What do you think he means?" Then she added, speak ing gently, to avoid being heard by the servant girl, who was waiting at the door, Do you think he's got mixed up?' As Prisey read the note her blue eyes widened in amazement, but she only said, You're keeping Jane waiting, Nab.
 Nab turned suddenly to the door, Tell the boy, Yes " she said. That's all the answer there is."
 The door having closed behind the serv- ant there was a silence of some moments to take the incident in contrasting ways. The brunette Nab stared, as child might stare at an elder sster-Prisey was her elder by year-who has met with a calamity and perplexes by her coolness ness under it. Prisey went on with her oc- cupation, which happened to be pulling feathers from an old hat to rearrange them on new one.
 These two orphan girls had been alone together in the world for so long that each expected to understand everyinmost feel ing of the other by intuition.
 Don't you care?' Nab said at last.
 'I?" said Prisey, looking up from her feathers for one moment. What for? Why shouldn't hep
 Was I right, Prisey?'
 Perfectly right child"
 At the appointed hour MT. Clement rang the bell and asked for Miss Mabel Cart wright.
 Did you say Miss Mabel?" Jane asked. "Yes, Miss Mabel.'
 Jane really felt uncertain as to whether MT. Clements memory had not played him a trick.
 "So you have something of the greatest importance to say to me?' Nab asked him when she had taken very straight chair opposite her visitor.
 'Er-Yes, Miss Nab. I hope you won t hurry me, though. Did say, the great est importance,' in that note I sent you? Oh, well -"
 "'To you,' think you said. But don't want to hurry you. It's very sloppy out of doors, isn't it?"
 "Oh, now don't make fun of mel"
 "How?' Nab asked innocently. Be cause asked if it was sloppy?"
 q might as well come to the point" said Clement. Look here, Miss Nab, of course you know what happened last night at the Jernay's-to me, mean"