The National tribune., 1901-03-28
.SUMMERDALE BRABBLE.
Continued from first page)

Ekln OF lHt stubuIu suhhScu "
deep. hot red that showed even under til
bleaching rays of the arc-light above hel
Does he say | am Indifferent aske
Sears, with greater animation than he ha
yet shown. He shifted his seat in orde
to face Margaret.
He says you told him you could see n
sense in hating a woman simply becaus
she chose TO marry someone else-an'
you wouldn't feel hurt a bit, suppose. L
i were TO marry Mr.. Bettson himself! fol
don't want anyone to make any Sacrlhcc:
for you-to give up anything, and-and-
she hesitated and was lost.
Sears smiled n little as he remembered
some views Margaret had expressed on the
same subject not many weeks before OF
the Point of the Mountain, but he was the
last man in the world to tax anyone with
inconsistency. and merely said: Certainly
not
What is your idea of love, Gilbert,
anyway
simple enough; constant desire to
promote the happiness, the well-bcing from
every point of view. of the person loved.
Mr.. Bettson's right He said you
hadn't spark of romance in you., rather
spitefully.
You seem to have discussed me pretty
thoroughly with Mr.. Bettson."
Yes, that is'-she stammcred. Il
may az well out with it; Mrs Ashbel will
l.
son moved into your aunts house, he asked
mammals leave to call on me! Imagine?
You know, for some time before your aunt
died. it seemed as if he We're sick of the
Brahble While even from the first he
had never been anything but nice to mann
ma. lately he had seemed to take some
pains to be agreeable. Since he has ac-
cepted your aunt's legacy. to tell the truth,
we have seen him almost every day. No
one could be more charming. He takes us
to drive and goes riding with me and
brings me flowers and books-oh, he's
very devoted, with an arch glance
land | don't believe I've seen him once
that he has not said something pleasant
about YOU
Rather new idea. that" said Gilbert,
"to steal mans sweetheart by sing
ing his praises.
.'Well, he says you are a dangerous
rival because you are man likely TO
succeed-a type which he flatteringly re-
fines as having strong legs. not too thin
skin. and endowed with a good digestion"
''The cursed hypocritei burst out Gill
bert, springing TO his feet. 'Ah-I beg
pardon. Margaret" he gasped, reseating
himself quietly by an immense effort.
That's all right" answered the girl.
oyerjoyed at having broken through the
crust of his Indifference nj last: no mat
ter how "As | said, think mamma got
q little tired of having her former lover
under her feet all the time, paying court
to her daughter. 1t made her feel her age
as if she were shelved. you know. l
don't want 10 seem conceited, but he was
simply my shadow; and when he couldn't
find me. he would sit and talk to her
about me. / think-well, i think she got
a bit jealous. One evening he came while
I was out. though mamma expected me
back at any time, and stayed until after
II waiting for me. The next morning she
declared she should close the house and go
abroad at once. to stay indefinitely. She
has always managed her own business af-
fairs, with Mr.. Hillyer's help, but he has
been elected to the Legislature. you know,
and when she came to wind things up she
got INTO an awful snarl, and on top of that
there came q tenant who wanted to lease
the house. furnished, for four years. and
so in at once. Really, before | could get
over the surprise of it, we were packed
and at the hotel, with mamma and Mr.. |
BettsOn up 10 their ears in papers-for he |
is our lawyer nOw-and everything ar
ranged for me TO come here with the dear |
Ashbeis-beeause mamma says I'm ter
rible bother when she has business on her
mind"
'EYou're going abroad with your moth
er?7 asked Gilbert.
Certainly. What else could l do?" |
In genuine surprise.
IL didn't know" said Sears; "but
Mr.. BettsOn:"
The girl blushed in a confused sort of |
A way as she caught his meaning. He |
he's going with u.s." she stammered. !
Didn't l tell you? He has taken charge !
of everything. Mamma couldn't get along |
without him, he's so clear headed and con- |
siderate. You don't know how nice it is |
to have some one who is really interested |
TO think for you and look out for you, |
yyher haaD a lnnalK. for
long
Then" said Sears, slowly, 'it is all |
arranged between-between you and Bett- |
SOM"
well, no, TO be frank We have mere
ly agreed to let things remain as they |
are l don't quite understand it myself. |
One would suppose man Of Mr.. BettsOns |
age, having made up his mind to marry. |
would not wait TO loiter over it. But he |
seems very happy as il is, pensively.
DO you mean TO say that you are not |
formally ensaged?'
"Mr. Betfson has never asked me to be |
his wife. Yet he is going over on the |
same steamer with us, and will stay until |
we are settled for the Winter"
Sears was silent a moment, then he said, |
"Humph," evidently as commentary to |
private train of thought, and Margaret |
heayed a big puzzled sigh as a commen- |
tary to 1t. For some reason the part she |
was playing abounded in unexpected pit
falls which. having no particular light to |
guide her, she didn't quite see how she was
going to avoid.
lie always spoke very warmly of you" |
she began, piaintively. '' If he were go
ing toto
ITO what? 1 suppose I ought to be
grateful for anybody's good word. now" |
"T0-to-injure you, / shouldn't think |
he would speak well of you. He said
once that you would be very rich man in |
time-and-I thought he-hinted that / |
could help you-that it was my duty
did he say that? Did he tell you that, |
MaggieE gasped Sears, bending forward |
and gripping her hand Don't listen to |
him, don't speak to him. Maggie, don't |
have a thing TO do with him-he's 4 bad |
man.
I'm sure you're wrong, Gilbert Per
haps IL know what he meant, and it's |
you who are mistaken. Supposedly |
suppose-he meant that Aunt Lucy in !
tended that he should give up the money |
10 you-On some condition
Did he tell you what that condition |
wasF' asked the young man with some |
thing in his voice that made the girI shrink |
back in alarm.
Suppose it was that should marry |
-himf By giving yoa the money that is |
yours by right, to hire mc-to marry him |
to spite mammal she ended, with n lit |
tie SOB. ..And-you won't do anything |
to help IT."
Perplcxed at this new complication, vet |
relieved beyond measure that she had not |
found the real clue TO the secret trust, |
Gilbert asked. How could l help it,"
.'lOu miglt-fOr n ehonga-aSk ,na 20 |