The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-31
AN EPISODE OF HALLOWEEN
Henry, you muSt5 She's your sister.

Henry. you must$'
 She's your sister,
 But, Henry, you are her guardian and, besides, we agreed that you rather pretty sharp-featured little woman. looked determinedly across the table at her husband. Do put down that paper. I never get chance to speak to you. Something must be done, and at once"
 Certainly. m. dear. certainly" Mir. Beiden avoided his wife's gaze as he hurriedly swallowed hjs coffee. "i shall take advantage of the first op- portunity. But just at present I'm a little hurried-an imp ortant engage ment-"
 His wife eyed him soornfully.
 As if anything could be more inn portant than Sally's welfare" .." T think you lay too great stress on the matter" ventured her husband. mbildfy. -'The- harmless irritation of a pretty girl. Surely we can count on Sallys prudence" ... "Prudence! when did Sally ever have any pruaence?" flashed back Mrs. Bel den, wrathfully. She Is forever with that man! Everybody is talking about it. Oh, he knows what he is doing. the eyes of a silly. romantic girl like Sally. And here is MT. Atwood de- voted to her. and she treats him shamefully."
 Tears of exasperation filled Mrs. Beldens eyes. Henry. you must for old it..
 'Fou are right, my dear: quite right" agreed her husband, eyeing his watch furtively. Some other time-of course 1 should like to speak to her now but this engaGement--
 He pushed back his chair with sus- picious haste, as a tall, slender girl listlessly entered the dining room.
 Good morning, Sally-sorry to be in such a rush--important engage note of relief in Mir. Beldens voice as he hurried into the hall and the front door banged behind him.
 Mrs. BeIden was magnifcently con temptuous of her deserting spouse.
 Sally" she began-Mrs. Belden never wasted time on preliminaria If you want to make a fool of your self with that beggarly. grinning i'm position of a French count, I wish you wouldn't select other peoples houses to do 1t in. Everybody at Mrs. Van Rensellar's was talking about 1t last night"
 Indeed" returned that young lady defiantly. And who was everybody, may I ask? And what did I do that
 
 erybody'-should gossip about me?"
 People will talk" retorted her sis ter Even about you. You cannot expect to sit all evening in a secluded corner of a conservatory with so wide. ly criticised an adventurer as Count de Castra q think he is a French hairdresser myselD and not come in for some of the criticism. As for Tom Atwood-you know very we'll that wild horses couldn't make him say anything against you"
 He knows enough to attend to his own business" said Sally, calmly helping herself to a muffin.
 T wish you did" cried her sister, cxasperated. Well. It's your own af- fair. You will find your French hair dresser out in time-I only hope it will be before you marry him. But in the meantime you will have made yourself conspicuous and have fiunr over Tom Atwood-and everybody will be laughing at you"
 They'll stop when I'm a countess. retorted Sally.
 As Mrs. Belden looked at the lovely mutinous face across the tah1e ber anger suddenly melted.
 Sally" she said earnestly, "riva him up. He Is not one of us He /. only accepted upon srffera nee. Even the name he bears may rot be his own. No one knows his object in liv- ing here.'
 q know what il is" cried Sally She knew his reason from his own lips. She knew, too. from that sams reliable source, in what a world of romance he moved, and what a tri-