Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-06-02
A Widows Manoeuvres.
CHAPTER III.

=
Nth her sobs, and mopped her streaming
eyes Vigorously
II should just say something was the
natter. she replied shrilly. why, the
ron is an impostor, an adventurer-al-
most a panper-and- and-and I've spent
= email fortune over him"
cover whom =" asked Dot, lost in
amazement.
That wretched fellow, Richard Cum
bsrland. Girls, he isn't the heir after ALL
st least. only to the empty title, and
that won't suit my book, can tell you.
could almost kill him when l think
how he has deceived us"
"Ob. no, no." protested Hildegarde Wig
orouslv. ''He said nothing. You deceived
Yourself. Lady Charters. You hunted
nm all about him before he came, and"
"You hold your tongue, miss; it is easy
20 feel compliment when the disappoint-
went doesn't touch you. 1t is all Dots,
NV poor, deceived, wronged child -
But if they love each other, what diff
farence does it make whether he is the
aarl's heir or not?" continued Hildegarde
hrayelv. Surely it is the man himself
Dot loves, not the money"
"You will drive me mad if you pirate on
much longer" cried Dot fiercely. "Of
course. l like the man himself, only if he
were perfect Apollo and Adonis in one,
l wouldn't marry poor man. Mamma
ia quite right. He has deceived us abom-
inably."
Her voice rose almost to a scream, and
Hildegarde glanced apprehensively at the
omen window of their sitting room, which
was one of a line of a dozen at which
here and there people were seated.
"Oh, do be careful" she entreated,
"others can hear what you say. Lady
Manning is leaning out of her window,
and there is gentleman in the next
ROOM"
AZ don't care who hears" cried her
ladyship fercely; my child shan't marry
n pauper. I'll tell him so when he comes
here again; and the money we've spent
over it--why it's enough to make one i'll
to think of it."
Il declare | positively hate him." cried
Dot. and I've lost Mr. ,Korner, too, all
because threw him over for Richard"
There's Sir Thomas left" suggested
her ladyship gloomily for it was long
drop from an embryo earl, with fortune
running into seven figures, to middle
aged baronet of quite moderate means;
Eve simply can't go on at this rate much
longer"
Il believe he's coming now" cried Dot,
looking up with blazing eyes; II can hear
him whisting."
Hildegarde rushed out of the room;
she felt she could not bear to see him
cut. or openly insulted, as most certainly
he would be. if he entered before the vio-
lence of their wrath had expended itself.
From her bedroom overhead ,she heard
the babel of voices, she recognized her
step mothers coolest, angriest accents,
and Richards quiet voice replying
She could have heard the very words
that passed between them had she chosen
to listen, but that she could not stoop
to do. Only when she heard the door
close behind him, she ran downstairs
again, and, meeting him in the corridor,
held out both hands in sympathy.
Il am so sorry, so very sorry" she
whispered; cit was all their own fault,
not yours. Do believe me that the money
makes no difference. l am more your
friend even than before-how could they
do it."
Thanks little friend" he replied quiet
ly. Il have seen too much of the world
to be very surprised. They made sure
| was the heir by birth and right, and
knew nothing of the private luminosity
which put my cousin In my place. 1t
is all true. For my position, as a future
peer, | shall be horribly poor; but, as
you know, l said nothing about my af
ialrs one way or the other; deceived no
one. Why should l intrude an old fam
lily quarrel upon strangers"
You are blameless, quite''-vehement
"; they simply deceived themselves"
My aunt, Lady Howard, did me a
great kindness in letting them know in
directly just how things are. was quite
prepared for the sudden change in Lady
Charteris' tone towards me- Wealth is a
very mixed blessing after all, for pow
erty is the only true tombstone of sim
cerlty. Hildegarde, dearest, am a very
poor man for my position, My entire
means, present and future, except what /
may earn at the bar, come under a thou
SAND year. If ever ! am lucky, may
come back. Will you give me one word
o. nope to carry away with me-"
Dearest Richard she said shyly, yet
bravely, the money is nothing, the title
Is nothing, the man himself is all. You
are my all and l shall be prouder to
lhlnk | have place in your remembrance
imam OF anything else in the world. Come
back to me, rich or poor. at any future
tllhe, you will find me waiting and true,
yours alone; | have known it from the
very first, only l thought it might be
Dot"
hey may have thought it, sweet
heart; surely you could not have made
snch mistake" he replied tenderly. Il
should claim you now, today, for my own,
only after the trying scene 1 have just
passed through, know there would be no
nope for us. | was treated like an
lmPostor, and l know Lady Charters is
@onr guardian until you come of age"
yes, | cannot marry without her CON
SEM NJ, until then"-quietly.
men fCr q year-for eiObtaay r7ortbs