The Democratic advocate., 1904-05-28

what Mr.. Hamilton thinks. l dom want
to meet him.
That's simply ridiculousI said Miss
Page decisively. ~ credited you with
more sense. l don't know what's come
over you since that absurd holiday with
Mary Fordham, Molly .
Molly bEnked at the fire with suddenly
smarting eyes as her aunt got up and left
the room Not day passed now that she
did not live over, in memory, some Incl
dent of that three weeks so unexpectedly
full of interest. The ''advance agent,
as he had laughingly styled himself, had
soon become a constant visitor to the girls
farmhouse, with questions and plans and
suggestions, and there had been the ex-
element of giving reckless orders to a
London house and experimenting the un-
loading of packed vans, and expeditions to
distant cottages in search of old bits of
furniture, in which she and Mary Ford
ham and Gerald Whately had revelled as
children in a new game.
And since then Molly had heard moth
ing of dear, sunny, little Lelham, and the
days had been strangely gray, and Aunt
Harriet exaeting regime had not tended
to tighten them.
Somehow, in spite of her professed un-
willingness to meet the Philistine from
Australia, she found, during the next day
or two that she was quite looking forward
to Wednesdays At Home She was en-
gagged upon that particular afternoon in
putting the finishing touches to her toilet
when Miss Page, in semi -dishabille, hur-
ried into her bedroom.
"MoIly, she said ''Oh, you re
ready-that's right Go down at once,
will you? He's actually arrived at this
hourr'
"Who?" said Molly ats only half
past three, -
Mr.. Hamilton. Say that I'm COM
Ing in a minute.
For moment refusal trembled ON
Mollys lips, but with petulant little
shoulder shrug, she walked downstairs and
turned the handle of the drawing room
door
Good afternoon, Miss Page said
cheerful familiar voice ~ hoped if /
arrived early that the fates might
'You?' faltered Molly The room
seemed TO swim for moment, ''Oh,
how do you do? beg your pardon, but
| was told Mr.. Hamilton was here"
"Oh-er-he is, said Gerald Whate-
ly, awkwardly.
',Where?' asked Molly. She found
the transition from country attire to cor
rect morning dress triie startling. Won't
YOU sit down? Where is Mr. Hamilton2
The visitor pulled forward chair, and
she took it in some bewilderment.
Il was sent down to receive Mr.. Ham
ilton. she reiterated. ''Do you mean
that he in the house?'
"Well-er-yes' General Whately
rammed his hands nervously into his trou-
ser pockets. ''Yog see, the fact is-er-
L N Hamilton myself. | didn't exactly
say so at Lelham, because
WHAT cried Molly. She sat bolt
upright in her chair, surveying him with
a sudden angry light in her eyes. Say
that again, please!
The visitors said it again. He was
manifestly unhappy.
IL won't believe it, cried Molly.
Her quick mind had flashed to her first
meetins with the blue-shirted workman.
.sYou-you eouldn' ber'
"Well, am, really-Gerald Whately
Hamilton, you know. | say, your re not
annoyed? Miss Fordham found me out
the last night at Lelham-caught sight of
one of my eheques-only made her swear
not to say word until-until-"
.rn never speak to Mary Fordham
again as long as | livel'' cried Molly, fu
riously. ''How-how dared
1t Is a triae difficult to storm from a
humble position at person who towers
above you. Mollys voice choked, and in
an instant Gerald Whately had dropped
on to his knees at her side.
II say, he said, ''don't! Just give
me hearing You see, was just on the
other side of the hedge when you and Miss
Fordham we're talking about the cottage
that frst day, and you said you never
wanted to see or speak to me. And when
YOU came through that gate with the sun
sort or shining on your hair
You deliberately deceived me- flashed
Molly.
well remember what the alternative
would have meant | consider | had
every excuse. For the matter of that,
YOU never told me that you were intimately
concerned in the business on hand, you
know.
Molly's bushes deepened.
you see, you were 500 jolly that
afternoon, and | really felt absolutely at
sea about furnishing I'd come home two
months sooner than I'd intended, and
thought L d Just ask you for little help;
and it did strike me that if got it all
done according to your taste | might get
YOU TO be tenant at-at very nominal
rate, you know, because | thought losing
the place was such awfully rough luck on
YOU But very soon
ssYou never would interrupted Molly
hotlv
Very soon, continued Gerald Hamil
ton, unheedingly, II began to find that
well it Just mattered all the world to me
whether you liked blue chintz or pink, and
all that. Only l wasn't going to tell you
so till got my affairs quite settled-some
of them were in bit of a muddle-and
till came to your aunt's house in my
own name. And now"
well, said Molly, unyieldiugly.
Il still want tenant for Rose Cot
tage.
II don t see what I've got to do with
that
The tenant want would-would just
have to take me along with the place,
said Gerald Hamilton, daringly. ''Fve
got so fond of it. -
''Molly's face dropped
1T S rent free, - said the broad-should
ered anxious landlord.
Still no reply.
II say, wouldn't it? Don't you think
that furniture would be awfully wasted on
anybody else, Molly
Molly raised hot face which dimpled
into the suspicion of a smile.
I'M -, +bo.cis o .1r,atb binu in that -