Middletown transcript., 1903-09-05

I. choice, mother, as you are well
g aware. You don't suppose that
d | ike to go-that it is pleasant
9 work to sit at piano and grind
!. out dance music for four or FIVE
i hours? she demanded, with re-
4 pressed bitterness in her tone.
0 The only pleasant part is the
t money shall receive for doing
r it-that will be welcome enough.
1t is all your own fault, Hilda,
Mrs. Sullivan declared. If you
would let me write to your cousin
. he would be only too willing to
: assist US.
l know he would, Hilda said
quietly, but l do not wish it.
He has been far too generous to
US already; he has done more
than any other man would have
done, I feel sure. He paid Ber-
ties debts once, as you know,
and makes him on allowance
which ought to be amply suffi-
cient-and I will net allow his
generosity to be imposed upon!
| Somehow or other we must raise
this money ourselves.
| I don't see how you are going
| to do it, her mother returned
plaintively.
| Neither do I, at present, Hilda
answered, but it must be done.
i saw Mr. Grey yesterday; he
was very kind and promised to
advance the money. We must !
be economical and save as much |
as possible this next half year,
and if I am tolerable fortunate
in obtaining engag ements per
haps we may manage to pay it
oT before loug, ~Buttkwill give
l,Bertie clearl5 taunderstand that
it is for the last time.
| .Shes left the window as she
finished the.sentence, and, COM
| ing nearer tosthe fire, leant her
arm againststhe mantelpiece and
looked into the burning coal with
gloomy eyes.
I wonder if Paul likes the Hall |.
any better now, she continued,
aftera long silence. But he has
been away so much lately. Isaw
in one Of the society papers that
he had been invited to come for
ward as member for the county
next spring. There is to be a
general election, and Mr.. Hell
stone intends to retire, so the
paper, said. It announced too
and she gave a faint smile-that
there was a probability of Paul's
marriage to his cousin taking
place soon. I wonder if that is
true. Fancy Phyllis aLady
Sullivan! She was nice little
thing and used to look4pretty iii L
her pink gown, feeding her pig.
cons, or knitting under the roses
in the porch. But | can fancy
her as the mistress of Durnford
Hall! u
Eighteen months had elapsed
since Hilda and her mother left
Durnford Hall. They were liv-
ing in Hornsey; that locality had
been chosen because it was
cheaper and more in the country
than Kensington or Bayswater,
near to where Mrs. Hilyard,
Hilda's aunt, resided, and--no
light matter in the girls eyes
it was far removed from all her
old associations and friends. Sir
Johns personal property had
proved to be smaller than even
Mr.. Grey had feared; but, with
Mrs. Sullivan,s own small for
tune, it afforded an income on
which Hilda and her mother
could live in comfort, or, rather, =
it would have done had it not
been for Bertie's extravaganza.
The boy had gone back to cofs NJ
lege full of good resolutions He !.
would work hard, pass a credi- (
table examination, give up all his
fast friends, and become a
changed character in every re:
spect. For few months, BERTHE
was a reformed character; then,
tired of virtuous living, he went
back to his old ways. Several
timeshe had applied to his mother
for pecuniary assistance; and,
to Hilda his allowance
appeared to be amply sufficient,
The girl had felt sorry for him
and had willingly denied herself
many little things to supply his
wants. Butat last even her pa
,ience had given way, and when /
BERTHE wrote asking for so large =
/ sum as a hundred and twenty
pounds, Hilda's indignation was