The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-09-20

She paused tentatively.
"You don't mean to say that you ex-
pect me to tell Ned Markham that
you've Tilted him?''
II certainly don't expect you to put
it in that way" replied Miss Oakhurst,
with little laugh, ''but l am quite
certain that you would explain it to
the poor fellow much better than any
one else."
Explain |" exclaimed Nora, impa-
tiently. 81 don't know that there s
anything to explain except that you We
put yourself and me in most ridicu-
lous position.
"Nora 70
II wish I'd never had anything to do
with it. / never felt so uncomfortable
in my life as l have done since you
dragged me into this precious scheme of
yours
Poor old Nora" murmured Betty
alphabetically while she cast furtive
chances at the clock.
"You came here and shed any num-
Der of tears; declared that you adored
Ted Markham; that your father would
not hear Of an engagement, but that if
you only had little time before you
you were sure everything would come
right.
$50 it has," remarked Betty soto
voice. "It's only question of point of
view"
Nora flashed an indignant look at her.
ink SrYhk Hx.
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"-
Phe sound of 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. Geodby."
And before Nora could stop her she
had darted through the door and was
on her way down stairs. She let her CO.
After all, it never was of any use to ar
que with Betty. She was one of those
delightfully."- irresponsible creatures who
always manage to shift the blame of
their shortcomings on to other peoples
shoulders and whom no one-no man,
at any rate-ever dreams of Judging by
ordinary standards. Nora wondered, as
she stood there idly looking into the
street, how she could ever have been
foolish enough to take Betty's love trou-
bles seriously.
Meantime that same folly of hers was
going to bear some very unpalatable
fruit. In less than ten minutes young
Markham would be there. He had ar
ranged to call for Miss Helmsley and
her aunt, Lady Hewitt, to escort them
to an afternoon concert. The elder lady
had declared at luncheon that the
weather was far too depressing for it
not to be madness to risk the probability
of further fall in ones moral baron
eter by couple of hours of orchestral
music and that Nora must give him
some tea and her excuses.
Nora was conscious that this was a
neat pretext for giving the young man
the chance of tete-a-tete with herself
Lady Hewitt was too INDECENT natural
ly not to be heartily weary of her du-
ties as ohaperon to her niece.
An attractive heiress was a RESPONSE
bility 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 per-
sonal fortune, Lady Hewitt would open
her arms to him gladly if he would but
relieve her of her onerous duties of
watchdog and would declare that Nora
had money enough for them both.
Nora sighed as she stood at the win
dow. 1t was topsy turvy world, and
the wrong people were always being
thrown together. If only
Am / disturbing you? l was told to
come in here"
Nora started, and the color rushed to
her face.
"Oh, l hadn't heard You come in.
Do sit down. Aunt ism t we'll. / am SO
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 answer.
Ted Markham took the chair she Of
fered him and listened in silence while
she ratified on. Suddenly she stopped,
conscious of his fixed glance.
SIS anything the NATTER" she asked
in slightly alarmed voice. 1t was sure
ly not possible that he could already
have learned Betty's treachery.
Eyes. We can't go on like this, Miss
Helmsley"
"NoS' Nora felt the color go out of
her face
ut isn't fair to you, and besides l.
things have changed
you mean that Betty
"Miss Oakhurst is going to be mar
ried y Nora gasped, but did not speak
"She is engaged to Lord Barthorpe.
met Lady Oakhurst just now, and she
was overlooking with loving kindness
to the world in general"
betty has behaved abominably,
put in Nora Indignantly,
Ted Markham smiled.
81 think, on the contrary, that she
has shown remarkably good sense. am
going to leave London. really came
this afternoon to say goodby."
Nora bit her lips.
II am very sorry" she began hest
tatingly. II am afraid was rather to
blame, but / thought Betty really
cared, and"-
She left the sentence unfinished. Ted
demeanor puzzled her. He
was quite white, and there was a look
in his eyes which troubled her. What
was there in her fluffy haired, blue eyed
little friend to move man so? That
her companion had taken some great
and that a singularly diff |
cult one, it was easy enough to perceive. !
Are You going to be away long?''
she asked awkwardly II mean, are
you going far?'
81 think of going to have look at !
the antipodes. My father has some in
terest, and l hope to get sent off to Mel
bourne"
But haven't you made up your mind |
rather hurriedly?" she objected timidly. !
'Hurriedly? Why. put things in
train weeks agor'
Weeks agop' she exclaimed. But |
Betty's engagement is quite fresh. DID
you suspect
II suspected nothing. knew
"You knewp she exclaimed indig- I
nantly. "Then why didn't you speak?
Why didn't you tell me?'
"Tell you'll" She stared at him, his
tone was so vehement. "Oh, about Bet i