The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-13
THE NEWS PROVIDENCE, r.. L, TUESDAY JUNE 49, 1899

broke the silence. She spoke I'm a low
voice that trembled a little, and her
words evidently cost her considerable
| effort.
II have something TO tell you. Mrs.
Willoughby." she said. and the sooner
| that IL is said the better"
/ caught Mrs. Willoughby's eye, and
rose to leave the room: but Miliicent.
booking up quickly. laid her hand upon
my arm.
Don't 60, Mr. Hawley." she SAID.
What 1 have 10 say concerns you as
well as Mrs. Willoughby, and / had
| rather you stayed TO hear IT,"
resumed my seat and there was
another pause.
When first came to you" said Mil
| licent. addressing herself To Mrs. Wah-
oughby. II was. as you know, very bad
| ly of, indeed; as a matter OF fact was
nearly starving. My father had died
some months before, and my sister and
were left absolutely penniless. That
must be my excuse for what did, and
| the deception which I have practiced
upon you all. You know that before 1
came 10 you had done temporary work
in a school as resident mistress; but
when that came TO an end all my efforts
10 get a fresh appointment were in
vain. / went 10 A number OF employ
ployment agencies. but my small saw
ings were soon swallowed up in fees
without any result, and / was in de-
spair when I heard that you were In
want OF companion. I was told at the
same time that 1 was probably TOO
young for the post. IL then occurred 10
me To say that I was marrfed-for /
had not at that time given my name
and on the spur OF the moment / did
so, adding that my husband was at
In, ft.fss MI IA af
present there seemed little chance OF
my being able to join him. After that
IL all seemed easy enough. i wrote 10
the mistress OF my late school and told
her that ! had been married since left
her, and | had no difficulty In obtaining
testimonial from her I'm my married
name. After that YOU know what hap
pened: how l came down here and OBJ
tained the place you offered by false
pretenses, as YOU know now. IT did
not seem tn me a very great sin at the
time, but IL has been more and more
difficult. as your increasing Kindness
made me feel my own meanness.
have been on the po,nt OF telling you
over and over again but the thought OF
what / should lose--for your love had
made a home for me wnere had never
Thought OF finding one-made me shrink
from letting you know the wrong /
had done. Coward that ] was. i decided
To leave it yet a little longer, and so,
OF course. IL never got told AT all. But
after yoVr motherly attention during
the last Few days, | feel that Icannot
deceive you any longer. Now have
only one thing left TO do--to ask your
forgiveness and go away.
She rose as she spoke and put out her
hands to Mrs. Willoughby with plead
ing little gesture. IL had grown quite
dark outside by this tine. but. the
flicker from the fire lighted up the girls
pale face and sparl0iei on the tears that
filled her eyes. The expression OF pain
and humiliation on her face was al
most more than | could bear TO look at,
and | turned away. Mrs. Willoughby,
I thought, must have heart of stone
If she could resist such pleading. For
a moment or two she made no sign.
II will leave her tonight" said the
girl. brokenly; you need never see me
again Butt -irnptore yotr by- afft- -youz.
past Kindness TO spare me just a little
of your pity Won't YOU at least shake
hands," And she again put forward
her own. but more shyly. as if-expect-
ing rebuff Mrs. Willoughby never
spoke word. burt she stood up sud-
denly and folded her in her arms.
Millicent let her head fail on the
elder woman's shoulder and burst in
to tears. I never want TO hear a wo-
man cry like that again. After a mo-
ment or two she raised her head and
held out her hand TO me with a Sob
bing 'godby.'
You are wrong. dear" said Mrs.
Wllloughby. CERTIFY: there is no need
for that. 1t is not goodby. You are
very foolish, and l wish you had trust
ed me before; but I am going 10 try and
show you that you ought to have done
So All this will make no difference.
my child you are going to stay here as
long as YOU WILL
Millicent's only answer was To burst
into a fresh proxysm OF weeping and
hide her head on Mrs. Willoughby's
shoulder. The latter caressed her ten
derly for moment. and then:
My dear child" she said, you owe
me something, and all | ask of you is
that you will not punish yourself and
me too much. / ask you To stay be-
cause | simply cannot part with you"
saw pretty plainly how Mrs. Will
l0ughby looked upon the matter, and L
reflected that she had not taken much
time 10 make up hts mind.
Shall l wire TO Guy tonight" l
asked. And Mrs. Wilioughby nodded
thought trifie sadly.
Wire 10 Mr.. Willoughby?" said Mil
licent. raising a tear-stained face to
mine.
MY uedr NOuiiB ldu!. Sdiu 4, MT.
Guy Wiloughby is the victim Of hope
less"
For goodness sake. George" said
Mrs Willoughby, Ego away II you can
not stop talking nonsense on a serious
subject"
on the whole. | thought that the adj
vice might have been worse, and so |
left the two women TO talk matters
over together.
II cannot say that il is what l
should have wished for Guy" said Mrs.
Willoughby tn me a little later: but |
am sure that she will make him happy,
and / suppose, after all. that is every
thing"
IL was late in the morning of the
next day when We heard the wheels
Of the dog-cart scrunch on the gravel
OF the drive, and knew Guy had re-
turned.
"Go into the library" | said to Milli-
cent. "or I'll tell Guy the whole story
In front of you.
She made haste To obey I'm view OF
that awful threat. and l met Guy in
the hall.
What on earth has happened?' he
asked anxiously. as soon as We were