El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-09


''All right was the reply in Jacks
bass tones. 'sMaybe it's not the proper
thing, but we might as well risk it.
And we heard the door close as our Wis
itors entered and took possession of our
apartment.
It was too ridiculous. I'd have had
to laugh if our lives had been at stake,
and in spite of the imminent danger of
discovery in this notifying plight l
stuffed all of a sofa pillow that would
go into my mouth and shook till my
sides aChed.
1t was the expression on MarSeryS
face that recalled me to myself at last.
CHANGING to glance up from behind
corner of the cushion l was trying to
swallow, 1 caught her listening with
strained attention to something that
was being said on the other side of the
screen. with every bit of color gone out
of her face and look IN her eyes Id
never seen there before.
eyes" Jack was saying, 'if they
don't hurry. I'll have to go without
saying goodby. My train leaves at z,
and I've lots to do.
Ned lighted his pipe before he re-
piled. Dear Ned, 1 believe he would
smoke in heaven if Peter didn't take
the precaution to search him before he
let him in.
CT guess it'll surprise them some, 4"
he remarked at last. ESPECIALLY when
they hear you re never coming back. "
Inudged Margery violently at this,
but she didn't look at me-the mink
and then Jack went on dolefully:
'.Oh, they won't care very much.
I'm afraidl''
s.Of course they will, protested Ned,
putting away. ''And I will anyway.
Must you go, old boy e.
s'Well, it's this way, Ned: AS long
as hoped that Margery might care for
me 1 wouldn't give in to my uncle's
proposition that 1 should marry his
ward, Miss Wilson, and become his
heir, but now that I'm satisfied have
no chance with the girl love, 1 might
as well marry the other one and please
the old man, I suppose. I'll be miser-
able anyway And Jack heaved such
sigh that the big paper screen waved
about till it threatened to come down
upon our heads.
I gave a Mortified look at Margery,
but her hair had fallen over her face,
and 1 could only see one little hand
clinched fercely as if she had a pain
somewhere. l reached dumbly over and
tried to take the little hand, but she
shook me off, so 1 fell to listening again
''Well. it's not so bad as 1t mi ght
be-" Ned was saying encouragingly
81 hear Miss Wilson is beauty"
''She is" said Jack with enthusiasm.
'tAnd then think of the money, my
boy Most any fellow would envy you"
81 suppose So, said Jack drearily.
"But must go. Times up. Will you
say goodby to the girls for me. Ned 2
Tell Margery"-
Here Jack choked. and was SO busy
catching a large, warm tear that was
chasing toward the end of my nose that
I forgot TO look at Margery, when, to
my amazement, little figure in a gray
bathrobe, with cloud of coppery hair
flying after it. bounded right over me.
and, as the screen toppled over with a
crash, I heard Margery's voice cry:
''Oh, no, Jack, you mustn't goi II
love you, Jackl"
I had confused vision of Jack seiz-
ing the little figure in his arms, and
then l started to run. 1 don't look so
pretty with my hair wet as Margery
does But somehow when I got to the
door 1 met Ned, and as 1 looked up
wrathfully something 1 saw in his eye
made me stop short.
Med Tucker" l exclaimed, ''you
knew we Were there all the timei''
''Well, he said, not a whit ashamed,
eff you will leave the ventilating shaft
OPEN
lyon wretch!" 1 cried, and then
else struck me- ''And the
uncle, gasped. land the beautiful
Miss Wilson,
''Are about as real" said Master
Ned, 'as rainbow. Edgar Temple
Field in Chicago Herald