Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-05-26
A Widows Manoeuvres.

erel; once Dot is well married, it viii be
your turn, Hildegarde. At present, of
course, you must be content to play sec
onu fiddle. Dear Richard has no eyes for
anyone but your sister. and he may de
clare himself at any moment"
Hildegarde flushed neryously as she
raised protesting voice
| Indeed, don't grudge Dot or YOU any
thing. nor do | covet ANYTHING for nv
self Only, Just suppose for minute
that he-that Mr. Cumberland doesn't
/ propose. What shall you do? The
money"
Dear me, Hildegarde. sometimes
think you are lacking in common sense
interrupted her stepmother sharply.
Where are your eyes, your ears, your
intelligence! Not propose? Not mean
anything? You must be mad to even
hint at such things. Now, please do go
to Celine, and hurry her up with that
chiffon ruche-the voiture will come
round in half an hour, and it must be
ready by them
How stupid Hildegarde is said Dot
impatiently as the door closed behind her
stepsIster. She went as red as a poppy
when you said you expected him to pro
pose. | really thought for the moment
she was going to claim him for herself
And when Celine opened the dress basket
from Paris, she said something
couldn't quite catch the words and she
wouldn't repeat them. Do you know.
mamma, | think liildegarde is growing
very selfish; she quite grumbled at not
coming with us today to the ruins"
Il do hope she won't put a spoke in our
wheel" replied her ladyship vexedly;
she could make herself so disagrceable
If she chose. | had another letter from
the lawyers this morning. and they point
ed out that | was drawing her whole in
come and pledging my credit beyond
what my money would ever pay. They
limited something very unpleasant about
the duties and responsibilities of trustees.
| think perhaps, Dot, you had better give
her one of the frocks-"
Indeed, | shall do nothing of the kind. -
Indignantly; goodness knows how many
more things will turn up, and once I am
engaged | may be carried right off to his
people ON view without time to get a
fresh supply. What about Mr., Korner.
mamma? Has he spoken yet? But of
course not, or you would have told me-
"Of course | shouldn't But | quite
reckon on his proposing today" com.
placently and Sir Thomas, too! What
a mercy, Dot, that you were not entan-
gled with the baronet before Richard
turned up"
Meanwhile Hildegarde had sped on her
mission to the ladies' maid with a very
troubled heart.
She was most awkwardly placed, and
hardly knew what to say or do.
That their credit was being pledged al
most beyond their power to recoup she
knew. 1t was all very well to close their
eyes and plunge, but she knew that their
whole income was under two thousand a
year, while they We're living at the rate
of six or seven.
She had her own ideas about Richard
Cumberland, also-vague, sweet, yet
| troubled.
Was he Dots lover. or her own? He
could not be both. Was he sincere or
false? If he was precisely the same to
Dot as to herself, then he was merely a
flirt, and not worthy of the niche he oc-
cupied in her heart.
| She had no one to confde in, no one to
ask for advice or sympathy; she had TO
shut up her little dream of love and 10Y
in her own heart, and she felt like a
traitor to Dot in doing so.
She had nothing definite to tell-iust
a glance here, a whispered word there, a
bunch of violets, an infection in the voice
"A poor tale of love making all told, yet
sufficient to stamp him as traitor to any
other than herself, since no other girls
lover ought to look at her as Richard
Cumberland did
! Not even Dots gayest new frock had
earned for her deeper ring of JOY in his
voice than was there as he met Hide
garde i'll the corridor returning with
Celine's message, to Lady Charters
room
WHITTIER away?" he asked gaily. bar
ring her passage, "and whence this de-
layed toilette. Why are you not prepar-
ing for the picnic?"
Il am not going replied the girl, a
trife ruefully.
Not going?" in tones of astonishment.
why, it was all on your account it was
arranged"
All! Lady Charters and Dot are GO
ing" hastily.
But you--?"
81 am not to 90 today" reluctantly.
| anu IHe itdSou! WIN hHltteu oToWS.
Hildegarde bestated, flushed deeply,
and looked confused
1t was so difficult to explain that her
stepmother had told her to efface herself
as much as possible during the remainder
of their stay at St. Marie. That their
stock of ready money was becoming woe
fully short, and that her ladyship dreaded
any comments on the great difference be
tween her own and Dots wardrobs and
that of her stepdaughter, and therefore
meant to keep the latter as much out of
sight as possible, until Dot was safely
settled in life. pleading that the air did
not suit her, that she suffered from head
acne that she was unsociable; in fact,
I sa++;po, forth any u,Iaugihla eyc,1Sa which