The Van Buren press., 1898-09-24
Do .it down. Aunt isn't we'll. am so

sorry YOU should have had the tfouoie
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, scarce
IL 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.
rs anything the matter?' sheasked,
in slightly alarmed voice. 1t was
surely not possible that he could al
ready have learned of Bettys treach-
cry.
"Yes. We can't go on like this. Miss
Helmsley."
"No!" Nora felt the color go out of
her face.
1T isn't fair to you, and besides I
things have changed"
You mean that Betty
"Miss Oakhurst is going to be mar
ried.n Nora gasped, but did not
speak. "She is engaged TO Lord Bar
thorpe. 1 met Lady 0akhurst just
now. and she was overfowing with
loving kindness to the world in gem
eral..
Betty has behaved abominably.'
put in Nora. Indignantly.
! Ted Markham smiled.
~ think, on the contrary. that she
has shown remarkably good sense. [
am going to leave London; | really
came this afternoon to say good-by.'
Nora bit her lips.
"I am very sorry" she began, hesi-
tatingly 81 am afraid I was rather
to blame but I thought Betty really
cared, and"
She left the sentence unfinished.
Ter Markham's demeanor puzzled her;
he was quite white, and there was
look in his eyes which troubled her.
What was there in her fuffy-haired.
blue-eyed little friend to move a man
so? That her companion had taken
some great resolution, and that sim
gularly difficult one, it was easy
enough to perceive.
Are you going to be away long?"
she asked, awkwardly. 81 mean, are
you going far?"
Il think of going to have a look at
the antipodes. My father has some in
terest, and l hope to get sent off to
Melbourne"
"But haven't you made up your
mind rather hnrriedly?" she objected,
timidly.
"Hurriedly? Why, I put things in
train weeks ago!"
weeks ago. she exclaimed. But
Betty's engagement is quite fresh.
Did you suspect"
81 suspected rothing. knew"
You knewl" she exclaimed, indig-
nantly. Then why didn't you speak =?
Why didn't you tell me?"
Tell you!" She stared at him, his
tone was so vehement. "Oh. about
Betty. you mean!"
"Of course. What else could I
mean?"
Nothing. of course
"Really. don't understand you"
He laughed drearily as he rose. NO,
must not explain. Good-by."
She looked up at him with startled
syes.
You are too hard on Betty. She"
ION Betty? Don't you know that I
haven't thought of her for weeks
that I found out long ago that we had
made mistake?"
Then why are you going?"
She managed to keep her eyes upon
his face, though her cheeks burned and
she felt almost choked.
Don't you know that I am almost
a pauper?" he said, bitterly, as he
turned away.
Nora took a step after him. "Are
you going" she asked, in a trembling
voice, because you want to make your
fortune, or because-beeause am too
rich."
Moral"
She covered her face with her hands.
"Oh, if you were not in love with
Betty, didn't you see-didn't you guess
weeks ago"
The voices of the chaperons were
loud in condemnation when the en-
gagement was announced, and the
mothers of younger sons and ungilt
titles declared that Lady Hewitt had
allowed her niece to throw herself
away; while Betty Oakhurst shook
her pretty head and reflected sadly
that men were tickle creatures and
that feminine friendship was but a