The midland journal., 1906-10-12
Lovely Betty.
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1t caused nine days wonder among
the people of Twallingham when the
news got about that Mr.. George Bat
tersley had left his wife and daugh-
aers SO poorly provided for that they
would be obliged to leave their spac-
lous home, and live economically in
some small house. For years they
had classed among gentry of sub
stance. Mr.. Battersley was supposed
to be a very wealthy man, with an
income derived from apparently in
exhaIstfble mines and fiourishing
plantations in transatlantic regions.
Scarcely anybody cared for his wife
"a dull, anxious faced woman, credit
I'D with being very near" in her own
expenditure OF the daughters, the
plain one, Maria, was engaged to a
curate, whose income would scarcely
justify marriage with a penniless girl
for years to come, while Alice, so
pretty that her many admirers had
been all supposed to be thinking less
of the fathers wealth than the daugh-
ter's eyes, was still free when the
great change came.
The inquiry into Mr.. Battersley's
affairs showed that he had nearly
spent the last of heavy legacies from
relatives, and that, while denying him
self nothing he could fancy, and pay
ing lavishly for outside popularity,
he had left to his family the few hun
dreds he did not live long enough to
get rid of in his usual style.
AS speedily as it could be managed,
a great sale took place, the stately
Home passed to a new owner and
the widow, with her daughters, went
to live in a roomy cottage at the
questionable end of Twallingham,
taking with them the Oldest, plain
est part of their furniture.
The two sisters had counted on be-
ing able to earn sufficient money to
be able to keep their modest house
hold without touching the little capi-
tai which was to be reserved for
emergencies. They were now finding
out that nobody wanted their SER
vices; that their accomplishments
were a drug in the market; that
abler, stronger women, trained to
work, would be preferred before
them; and that exery advantage
would be taken of their ignorance OF
the huckstering worlds ways.
The climax of their anxieties was
reached eighteen months after the
fathers death, for Alice was knocked
down and so severely injured by a
reckless cyclist that she became a
helpless invalid for while.
Maria's curate was still working for
stingy old rector, who begrudged
him his very modest stipend, and af'
fected to forget when it became due
Maria began to look much older
and palmer as the work of their small
home devolved almost entirely on
her; and the pessimistic mother spent
most of her time in her bedroom
as it happened to be the largest
apartment in the house.
Mother" exclaimed Alice one day
from her little bed, "leave mending
that old sheet, and talk! There are
ghosts in this room, who must be
exercised by human conversation OF
a practical turn. 1 have heard them
slip and slide when the place has
been very quiet Talk about some
thing, but not about our poverty. We
can do that when 1 get better and
find some paying work. Look here!
You were baronet's granddaughter,
and have never made enough OF your
ancestry. 1t ought to help us with
rich snobs. Bring dear old Sir James
Afington's name more in your dis
course with visitors!"
Never, my dear!" replied Mrs.
: Battersley, firmly. His name would
only remind people of that scandalous
woman who was his third wife. Be-
fore now ill-natured persons have
said she was my own grandmother
shame on them!-and have made
me afraid to talk of relations. She
disgraced your great-granafather's
name forever!"
'How interesting" exclaimed tht
invalid. "Oh, mother, do cheer ms
up with the awful tale, and so make
me forget my aches! She was called
Lovely Betty, wasn't she, and became
the most talked of woman of her day
the idol of princes, poets and paint
ers? Began life as a tramp's child
did she not, and ended it as a bar
onet's wife, after dukes and all sort
had gone mad over her? How cam
great-grandfather to marry hei
mother?"
Because he was sillier thar