Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-04-04
out the gas, while Pansy hastily found
the door and ran upstairs.
CHAPTER III.

Pansy was right. The morning brought
news. When tie first post was delivered
there was smart rat-a-tat at the door,
and, into the letter box, which was made
lttle use OF in those DAYS, the postman
/ deposited a letter addressed in n neat
handwriting. Patience ran hastily out,
/ returning in the act Of tearing the en-
/ velope open. She perused the contents,
anu then without a word, gave the letter
to Pansy. 1t was addressed to Patience.
aud the sum and substance of it was that
Pearl had. on the previous morning,
started with the Lily theatrical company
/ to America, to which place they were
/ touring for six months. Il know (the
/ letter RAM that you will be magnanimous,
i darling and forgive me, your willful sis-
/ ter. Pansy viii comfort you. and its not
/ for long, after all, you know. ! could
/ see that you would not give your con-
sent beforehand, and so / had TO take
/ French leave, you see. | really couldn't
help it. | was wild to try my luck, which
has been very good hitherto, must say"
! She went on to stglC, briefly, how she
had, under preteXt of working late, man
aged 80 get practice, and how. when APP
pearing for the managers approval, he
had voted that she would do" How he
/ had offered her this vacancy, and paid her
in advance enough to equip heI Tor the
| journey.
/ She concluded by saying that, as she
hated scenes, she had thought it better
to do the thing quietly, and so save lot
of veXation and useless talking. She as
sured Patience that she would write to
her from New York, and keep her in
/ formed of her movements, and remained
her affectionate Pearl"
Pansy glanced at her sister after perus-
ing the contents of this letter, and saw
! that she was gazing out of the window
! iiXedly, her face set i'll stern lines, and q
| hard look in her usually gentle eyes.
| "Well?" said Pansy, interrogatively.
| "Well?" echoed Patience, calmly.
There was a short pause, during which
Pansy turned the letter over meditative-
| ly, wondering what to say next At last
she hazarded the remark, you seem to
bear it uncommonly we'll What do you
think of it?'
"Think of it?-nothng," replied Pa
thence, coldly. What is there to think ?"
Then | do think something" respond
ed Pansy. with burst of Indignation she
could no longer suppress. Il think it is
an unnatural, unsisterly thing to have
done. / think she deserves our Just re-
sentiment in disowning her. She Is dis
grace to us-a disgTace!"
She paused, her checks flaming with an
ger, and she dashed the letter on the
table, and smoothed out her dress with
no gentle hand
'To think of the duplicity of her ac-
tons all this time" she continued her
voice shaking with passion She must
have been deceiving us for months. To
think of our greenness in supposing her
the victim of overwork and under pay.
and blaming her unconscious employers
for what they were never guilty of!
Think of the times she has sat at your
feet and allowed you to smooth her
wicked head. and utter your admoni
tons and lessons against such calling
as she has chosen, and then flying in the
very face of them as she has done. Sure
ly you cannot brook all this without
some retaliation?'
Patience had sat silent during this out
break of rage, 1ut, as Pansy stopped, she
rose slowly from her chair and replied,
ut is not al my nature to retaliate,
| Pansy. Pearl has taken her choice; she
must abide by it. l have done all / could
for her. and / can do no more. She has
placed herself beyond my jurisdiction
now. l am disappointed in her, but
must expect appointments is full
of Them
She sighed and, without another word
left the room, leaving Pansy fretting and
Tuning, and groaning over the wicked
ness of her sister, and the dangers to
which she had voluntarily exposed her
self
"She will come back painted and pow
dered and loud-voiced, and devoid of vir-
tue, and expect to be called sister, and
treated accordingly" she groaned, wiring
ing her hands in helpless indignation
And Patience will receive her and forgive
her, aud be imposed on just the same as
ever. | foresee it all But really I was
astonished at the calmness with which
she bore it. / wonder why2 1t is not
that she does not care for her more than
she does for me, worse luckl 1 believe
she loves the ungrateful wretch more
than anything in the world. Poor old Pa
thence! 1t must have been a shock to
her, though she does not acknowledge it,"
| By this time the hour had come at
which Pansy was in the habit of DON
ming her hat and jacket and sallying
forth to her daily occupation, and for
that purpose she went upstairs.
She found Patience spreading mp the
DCND HAiA 'N"iNatS 'NNJ pHAt' OhI liitit
were no traces of tears on her face She
looked up as Pansy entered, and gave her
a wan smile, bur made no remark.
Pansy donned her things in silence. and
then put her arm gently round her sister,
and, kissing her, said Cheer up, old
girl. We must make the most of each
other, now We are alone. You still have
me, you know"
Returning her embrace, Patience wills
pered, in a choked voice, yes. dear! But
to think she should leave us like that;
oh, it is too much! But go, my darling
l am only OBTAINING you"
And Pansy went.
When she came home in the evening
everything was, as usual, spick and span,
and the tea laid in CHEEKY warmth and
comfort, and she and Patience had that
meal together.
Neither mentioned the absent one-it
was too sore a subject to touch on Just
then; indeed, what was there to say?
They both felt that discussion would be