, 1899-01-04
BREAKING THE NEWS

ly, Nora!' Nora Helmsley shrugged
her shoulders.
my dear Betty, you ought to know
more about Mr.. Markham's powers of
endurance than l."
but what do you think he'll do?
What do you SUPPOSE
"Why waste our time in supposition?
He'll be here most likely this afternoon,
and you will be able to judge for your
self"
Betty Oakhurst sprang to her feet.
"Ted is coming here this afternoon?
Why on 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, 3" 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 it
over. 1t will be ever so much more
awkward for you if tho news reaches
him from outside"
~ don't SEQ that at all, - returned
Betty quietly as she drew away from
her companion. II am sure that tiff
you''-
She paused tentatively.
"You don't mean to say that you ex-
pect me to tell Ned Markham that
you've Tilted him."
Il certainly don't expect you to put
it in that way" replied Miss Oakhurst,
with a little laugh, but I am quite
certain that you would explain it to
the poor fellow much better than any
one else"
"Explain!' exclaimed Nora, impa-
tiently. Il don't know that there's
anything to explain except that you've
put yourself and me in a most ridicu-
Ions position"
Mora"
II wish I'd never had anything to do
with it. l never felt so uncomfortable
in my life as l have done since you
dragged me into this precious scheme Ct
yours"
Poor old Nora" murmured Betty
sympathetically while she cast furtive
chances at the clock.
"You came here and shed any mum.
Der of tears; declared that you adored
Ted Markham that your father would
not hear of an engagement, but that if
you only had u little time before you
you were sure everything would come
right.
$50 it has" remarked Betty soto
voce. ITS only a question of point of
yiew."
Nora flashed an indignant look at her.
81 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 q 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. Goodby."
And before Nora could stop her she
had darted through the door and was
on her way down stairs. She let her go.
After all, it never was Of any use to ar
quo 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 md 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 thar 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 a further fall in ones moral barom-
eter by Il couple of hours of orchestral
music and that Nora must give him
some tea and her excuses
Nora was conscious that this was O
neat pretext for giving the young man
he chance of a tete-a-tete with herself.
Lady Hewitt was too INDECENT natural
ly not to be heartily weary of her du-
ties as chaperon to her niece.
An attractive heiress was n 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 aud would declare that Nora
had money enough for them both.
Nora sighed as she stood at the win
dow. 1t was a 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, / hadn't heard you come in.
Do sit down. Aunt isn't well. | 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 ycr let me give you some teal"
ne spoke with nervous hurry, scarcely
! using for an answer.
Ted Markham took the chair she Of
Vs. MySAC