Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-27
CHAPTER XVI.


own. Too young and ignorant of the
world tn understand her friends suspi-
eions as co the motives for her guardians
conduct, she was content to look on that
pentleman's desertion of her as g punish
nent for her wilfulness; and ives chiefly
concerned with the effort to find some
thing TO do, so that if he should ever re-
lent sufficiently to take notice Of her
again he should at least have proof of
the sincerity of her desire to support
herself, wftfhoratt~ ~befng any longer bur-
den on him.
Every day therefore the poor child set
forth CALAMITY, and accompanied by one
or other of Miss Gray's girls, trudged
from house to house, sometimes in dis
tricts widely removed from one another,
in search of the situation from which--as
each days experience told her with fresh
emphasis-her want of references or pre-
vious experience invariably debarred her.
Some people were harsh and angry with
her for wasting their time by answering
their advertisements at all; Others were
insolently candid in their remarks, and
threatened to write and complain of the
"Girls' Friendly" for sending out young
persons of her class. A few were kind
and regretful in their node of declining
her; but in every case the result was
the same, and every day the tiny store
of money in her purse grew less and less,
modest as was the sum which she paid
to Miss Gray for board and lodging, and
absurdly, wonderfully cheap as had been
that new leather bag, and the few neces-
saries of clothing, which GARNER had as
sured her he bought out of the little stock
of French coins which she handed over
to him.
It was characteristic of Bebe, however,
that though she accepted his assertions
on the subject with childlike confidence,
she had no sooner been instructed by
Miss Gray in the value of the little heap
of silver which he returned to her, than
she proceeded to divide it into portions,
representing a weeks expenditure, with
true French thriftiness refusing to allow
herself anything which she could not buy
for herself out of that portion.
Even GARNER was treated with the
same rigor. The little maiden met his
reproaches with the invariable answer
that she had begged Miss Gray to be
particular in instructing her in all things
convenable, so that she might not fall
into any more of the mistakes which had
been so disastrous to her at Caen, It
was not indeed until she had asked and
obtained that lady's permission, that she
would even allow her fiance to take her
out every afternoon for a rest in Ken
sington Gardens, followed by tea at a
confectioner's, although the couple of
hours so spent formed the one happy
lime in all the long and weary day. It
was perhaps characteristic of GARNER
too, that Though it went to his heart to
see her little face growing paler, and the
shadows under her eyes darken day by
day, thanks to the close atmosphere and
the fatigue and encouragement of that
vain hunt after employment, he let her
pursue her own way without opposition
until whole fortnight had passed. Then,
when they were sitting in the gardens
one afternoon, he asked her abruptly how
much longer she was going to keep him
thus, kicking his heels in town he
hated.
Bebe stared at him a little bewildered.
Somehow it had never occurred to her
that she was keeping him in London; and
veto remain there without himi Her
confusion and distress at being confront
ed with the double suggestion moved him
to explain.
To talk any more of waiting for her
guardians consent was absurd, he safd:
The man evidently did not want her and
had washed his hands of her; whereas he
himself wanted her very badly. He had
no one to mend his coat, or to pour out
his coffee at breakfast, or talk to him of
an evening. He was living in a very dull
and very expensive hotel, and wasting his
money thereby; while on the other hand
he had an offer, from q man he knew, of
the managership of big horse breeding
ranch in Texas f400 a year and a
house, and the passage paid for self and
wife. But if he took it they must sail
in a fortnight.
"a fortnight" stamnered Bebe, turn
ing very white-"and to America-the
other side of the worldl You would like
thatF All" she went on; at is for me
you do it; because you know that / have
come to the end of my money-that even
for this next week 1 could not afford to
stay at the home if Miss Gray were not
kindly employing me to assist her with
some sewing on the trousseau of young
friend, which is being prepared in Lon
don! 1t is charity on her part, for the
work she gives me is too light to be
worth paying for; but for you-you to
take me sol"
Il take you so because I want you so
badly, and love YOU so much" said Car
atCA di5O btSdhoS bHAANN hOi &c
breeding in Texas is a more wholesome
and reputable way for married man to
earn his living than by casinos and rae
ing stables. If it were not for you, how
ever, I should do neither. should pEob
ably enlist for South Africa-which is
also, let me remind you, at the other
side of the world You don't read the
war news of course; but if you did"
"Oh Cadet Rouselle, don't! You would
not leave me TO 60 to the war;"
"Rut if you do not want me for a
husband, mademoiselle, and if you keep
me hanging on here, where everything
reminds me of my old life and the pleas
ant days when"
Cadet Rouselle, forgive me! did not
mean to be selfish. II will do anything
that you likel"
Then in a week from now, Bebe? That
~lll give US another week for our honey