Middletown transcript., 1903-10-05
A Charade and Its Ending
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
MARGOT MAUDE
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
Addie left by the two o'clock trail
Nita accompanying her to thestation ane
during the long drive, trying to comfo1
her with affectionate tenderness. Charli
had wished to accompany them, but Mis-
Dellwyn had assured him that her frien
would prefer to be alone with her.
Mayn't l come to see you in London
he asked rather wistfully.
Charlie found, to his secret dismay
that "that quiet little girr' as h
had at first described her-had, almos
unconsciously to himself, won her wa
into his heart. He hated the idea tha
she was married, however unwillingly, t
Chesteron, and he did not want her t
leave them without the probability OF
future meeting.
1 think, if you don't mind, that yo
had better not, replied Addie hesitatingly
My mother is a great invalid, and
1 am a great favorite with invalids!
She is unused to strangers.
AM not stranger. You promised II
look on me as friend.
So / do, butt would rather you die
not come. Thank you thousand time
for all your kindness, and l hope tina
you will be very happy-always!
That sounds like last farewell! Char
lie remarked uneasily. Addie, DOM
intend it to be sol am far too fond o.
you. Hang it all! Why can't they dc
away with this idiotic marriage?
1t won't make much difference, she
said indifferently.
The girl was longing to escape from
them all. How she wished she had
never come to Dellwyn's Hope! What a
lot of humiliation she would have saved
herself But no-she had not even the
right to wish that! For the sake of the
one hundred a year, which would mean
so much to her dear ones, she must forgo
even her dislike Of Chesteron. She
ought to be grateful to him. But the
happiest day of her life would be that on
which she could announce that she would
accept his money no more, and that she
intended to repay that which she had
been forced to take.
1t will make every difference, said
Charlie warmly. 1t means that you are
not free-that you are bound for life to
Chesteron.
That doesn't matter. l don't want to
marry anyone, and told him SO.
If you had been free 1 would have
tried to make you change your mind.
Addie looked rather startled as she
gazed into his troubled face.
I hope you do not mean that, she said
quickly. l should be sorry to think that
Ihad made you-unhappy, for it wouldn't
have been any use.
Are you really so Indifferent as you
seem? Do you mean to go through your
life without loving or being loved?
Think it most likely-and now, sup
pOSe, u6SlThUl0.
And | imagine to be very unlikely.
Don't you think could have made you
care for me? he asked, in pleading tone.
No-I don't think go, Addie answered |
candidly. l like you immensely as a |
friend, but that is all. Mr.. Dellwyn-
Charlie-do as wish in this-don't call |
on me in London.
l won't come yet, at any rate-after-
wards we shall see. But, Addie, when
your mother is better couldn't you re-
turn?
No-I shan't be free, and should not
care to leave mother again. Good-bye!
Don't think me unkind or ungrateful-I
am doing what l think to be best.
Even from Nita, dear though she was
to her, the girl was glad to get away, and
as the train passed out of the little sta
tion, and Miss Dellwyn, waving farewell,
gradually faded out of sight, Addie sank
back with sigh of relief. Now she had
a few hours Of solitude in which to think
out the whole matter-to consider what
she must tell them at home, and what
leave unsaid.
She would not mention Chesteron or
the marriage Addie thought if her mo- {
ther knew Of it she would at once insist
on its being acknowledged and would s
probably wish the ceremony to be re- s
peated in a church, and to that the girl {
was determined not to agree. She would s
swear to no false VOWS; she never wished t
% see Chesteron again. No-she would I
'ay nothing about it, unless by some un-
ucky chance any rumor of the affair
cached her mothers or her sisters ears,
Then she would have to explain, other c
wise she would be silent, and she did not 4
hink that it was likely that they would d
lear the truth. is
How then could she account for the b
hundred year which she would receive? Il
Her mother and sister were very trustful. a
md they would believe any story she d
liked to invent. What should she say? a
That it was gift? But from whom? A "
egacy? Yes-that must be it. And she n
would say that it was to be given her by 81
he executors of her godmother, who had
lied some months previously, leaving a
Addie nothing-much to Mrs Delahay's q
disappointment, for the old lady had fire. G.
uently promised to remember the girl it
n her will. Her mother and Monica a
'ould be quite satisfied and would be- al
EVE that the executors had found some el
odicil which bequeathed to her the
money. That would do in default of a d
etter idea. a
When she arrived at Kings Cross it h
las quite dark, and she still had before ID
er the long journey across London in u
he Underground Railway, and, at Ham, a,
lersmith, the walk home. Arrived at cl
ne house, she knocked very softly and W
oted with pang that the knocker was re
luffied. Monica must have been listen. ri
lg, for the door opened Immediately, u,
nd her arms were around her sister as ia
ne said over and over again how glad W
lie was to have her Addie back again, ca