The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-05-12
Breaking the News.
hDO YOU think he'll take it very
IL badly, Nora?"

hnO YOU think he'll take it yer.
IL badly, Nora?"
Nora Helmsley shrugged her shout
ders.
my dear Betty, you ought to know
more about Mr.. Markham's powers o
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 after
noon, and you will be able to judge fol
yourself"
Betty Oakhurst sprang to her feet.
''Ted is coming here this afternoon
Why on earth didn't you tell me be
fore?" And she fdgeted nervously
with her hat before the glass as sht
spoke.
But you knew. Betty, where art
you going?"
Anywhere out of this cried thu
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 i
over. It will be ever SO much more
awkward for you if the news reache!
him from outside"
II don't see that at all" returned Bet
ty, quietly, as she drew away from hel
companion. II am sure that fit
you"
She paused tentatively.
"You don't mean to say that you ex
pect me to tell Ted Markham tina,
you've Tilted him?"
II certainly don't expect you to put
# in that way" replied Miss Oakhurst.
with little laugh; "but 1 am quite
certain that you would explain it to
the poor fellow much better than any
one else"
'EXplain!" exclaimed Nora, impa.
tiently. II don't know that there's
anything to explain, except that you've
put yourself and me in most ridicu.
lous position"
Moral"
II wish I'd never had anything to do
with it, never felt so uncomfortable
in my life as have done since you
dragged me into this precious scheme
of yours"
Poor old Moral" murmured Betty,
alphabetically, while she cast furtive
glances at the clock.
"You came here and shed any num-
Der OF tears; declared that you adored
Ted Markham; that your father
wouldn't hear of an engagement, but
that if you only had little time be.
fore you, you were sure everything
would come right"
$50 it has," remarked Betty, soto
voce. Its only question of point of
view"
Nora flashed an indignant look at
her.
II 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 bell broke in upon
Miss Helmslcy'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
had darted through the door and was
on her way downstairs. She let her go
After all. it was never any use to argue
with Betty; she was one of those de-
lightfuliy 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
judging by ordinary standards. Nora
wondered, as she stood there idly look
ing into the street, how she could ever
have been foolish enough to take Bet
tvs 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. He
had arranged 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 depress-
ing for 1t not to be madness to risk
the probability of further fall in
ones moral barometer 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