Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-20
saEA,tI1a the MEMS.
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DO you think he'll take It very bad
". Nora ?" Nora Helmsley shrugged
her shoulders.
Ny dear Betty. you ought to know
more about Mr.. Markham's powers q
endurance than l."
"But what do you think he'll do
| What do you suppose"
why waste our time In superstition
He'll be here most likely this after.
noon. and you will be able to Judge fol
| yourself. -"
Betty Oalkhurst sprang to her feet.
Ted Ii coming here this afternoon
| Why en- earth didn't you tell me be-
fore?" And she fidgeted 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 stopped
to kiss her friend.
| Nora. however. caught her arm,
Nonsense. Betty! You'd much better
tell him straight out now and get Il
(. over. 1t will be ever 30 much more
awkward for you IL the news reaches
him from outside"
II don't see that at ALL" returned
Betty quietly. as she drew away from
her companion. II am sure that If
| II you
| She paused tentatively.
You don't mean to say that you ex-
pect me to tell Ned Markham that
| ar Oh J,s,,, ~ ~
| Il certainly don't expect you to put
| 1t in that way" replied Miss Oakhurst.
with little laugh; but l am quite
certain that you would explain 1t to
the poor fellow much better than any
one else"
Explain" exclaimed Nora. imp1-
| tientiy. II don't know that there's
anything to explain. except that you've
put yourself and me in a most rsdic-
ulous position"
Nora.
II wish I'd never had anything to do
| with it. l never felt so uncomfortable
in my life as 1 have done since yau
dragged me into this precious scheme
OF yours
Poor old Nora!' murmured Betty
sympathetically. while she cast furtive
glances at the clock.
You came here and shed any num-
her Of tears; declared that you adored
Ted Markham; that your father
wouldn't hear Of an engagement, but
that il you only had little time be-
fore you you were sure everything
would come right"
so it has, remarked Betty. soto
voice. ITS only a question of point
of view."
Nora flashed an indignant look at
her
Il think you might be serious now.
and at least pretend that you're
ashamed of yourself. You begged me
to help you to get my aunt to ask him
here. to act as screen. in fact. so that
your people might imagine it<was all
over and that you had both changed
your minds. and now-nOw--",
The sound of n bell broke in, upon
Miss Helmsley's eloquence. and Betty
caught up her gloves.
I'm awfully sorry. Nora. Abuse ME
as much as you like. Good-by!"
And before Nora could stop her she
on her way downstairs. She let her 60.
argue with Betty; she was one of those
delightfully."- Irresponsible creatures
who always manage to shift the blame
of their shortcomings on to other peo-
pies shoulders. and whom no one-no
man, at any rate-ever dreams of judg-
ing by ordinary standards. Nora Won
dered. as she stood there idly looking
into the street. now she could ever
have been foolish enough to take
Retty's love troubles seriously.
Meantime, that same folly of hers
was going to bear some very unpalat-
able fruit. In less than ten minutes
young Markham would be there. lie
had arranged to call for Miss Helms
ley and her aunt. Lady Hewitt, to
escort them to an afternoon concert.
The elder lady had declared at lunch
con that the weather was far too de.
pressing for 1t not TO be madness to
risk the probability of a further fall
in ones moral barometer by a couple
of hours of orchestral music. and that
Nora must give him some tea and her
excuses.
Nora was conscious that this was
neat preteXt for giving the young
herself. Lady Hewitt was too in
dolent, naturally, not to be heartily
weary of her duties as chaperon to her
niece.
An attractive heiress was re-
sponsibility little to her taste and the
girl felt that. ineligible as most
mothers and responsible people would
have termed Ted Markham. with his
post in the foreign office and his
meager personal fortune. Lady Hewitt.
would open her arms to him gladly IL
he would but relieve her of her enor-
nous duties of Watchdog, and would
declare that Nora had money enough
for them both.
Nora signed as she stood at the win,
dow. 1t was a topsy turvy world, and
the wrong people were always being
thrown together. If only