Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-20


street, during the brief time l remained
in London. To the world in which had
lived l was as dead, and l took rather
pleasure in defying it's opinions, and fol-
lowing a course which would enable 1t to
say that its worst anticipations OF me
had been justified.
"Bahl That's the bitter talk of a
ruined mani man ruined by his own
fault, mind you. Don't try to make ex-
cuses for me, Bebe, but now that you
know the worst-and you do know it, for
Pve kept nothing back from you--tell
me, have I any right to ask you to give
your life into my keepingf Would you
If l did3'
The children had all gone home to Their
dinners. Trompette lay sleeping IN the
sunshine. The green canopy of the lines
cast pleasant shade over the bench
where these two wanderers, both home
less and alone in the world, had found
shelter in each other.
Bebe cared little for the chance of OBJ.
servation as she looked up, her eyes still
burning with the tears which had flowed
pitifully through part of his story.
ooh, Cadet Rouselle-poor Cadet kcu-
selle!" she said. Il am so sorry for you!
IL do love you!"
And she kissed him.
Yet they did get to the Girls Friend
ly," after all, that afternoon; and when
GARNER left Bebe it was with the com
forting knowledge that she was lodged in
q respectable house, and under the care
of a kind hearted woman, who, from the
first, seemed to take a sympathetic in
terest in the blne-eyed and childish-look-
ing waif committed to her.
1t was Pebe indeed who insisted on the
step. She was quite ready to marry Gar
nier--her love had gone out to him with
all the spontaneity and generous enthu'
siasm so typical of first love-but Mere
Margot must never be able to say that it
was for that that she had run away from
the Rue Caumont And of course guar
dian must give his consent; so, not to be
dependent on her lover in tie meantime,
she wished from the very outset to do
as she had planned, and set about earn
ing her own living.
Suppose" she urged that when he
arrives he will say that am not to mar
ry you till you have time to know me
better or till | am of age; or suppose he
me unless | go Jack to Mere Margot.
Well, of one thing ] am determined
WIN not do that. Do you not know that
saw her take your money! And there
are things she said--no, mol Better to
do any work than that And you--you
will not like me less because | have
taught little children, or walked behind
chair, eh?"
GARNER smiled. Full we'll he knew that
there were twenty chances to one against
poor Bebe being engaged by any one for
either duty, and that with regard to the
girls guardian, the chances were equal
that he would refuse his consent to their
union under any circumstances, or, being
anxious to get his ward off his hands,
would take the perhaps more offensive
line of insisting on an immediate mar
rage.
But GARNER was determined that,
whatever scandal there had been in the
past, no breath of it should attach itself
heneeforth to the girl who had trusted
herself to him. Better far that she
should find an independent lodging, how
ever humble, with some reasonable per-
son of her own sex, and that her guar
dian should be informed of the fact with
out an hours delay. Better even that
she should be allowed to test her plan of
seeking employment, than run any fur
ther risk of damaging her fair name
through any seeming dependence on him
self.
So it was a comfort to him when, dur
ing an interview with the lady secretary
OF the Girls Friendly society after Bebe
had confided her story to that lady and
had been permitted to find temporary
lodging under her roof, he discovered that
the prim but mild-eyed Miss Gray was
entirely of his opinion, and was indeed
rather inclined to regard him as kind of
grand bashaw" in disguise, and to feel
an anxious hope that he might not come
to repent or tire of his chivalrous gener-
osity.
Left to herself. and judging from her
own knowledge of the world, Miss Gray
had come to the same conclusion respect
ing the social status and position of her
young charge. as GARNER had formed on
his side In her phraseology it summed
itself up as dubious, very dubious"
That the girl herself was guileless as an
infant, and her story transparency truth
full, she felt sure; but as to the rest, If
she were not the acknowledged daughter
of that mysterious guardian himself-a
supposition which Bebe's tender recollee-
tions of her father seemed to forbid
then II was more than likely that she
had filed the same position in the estab-
lishment of some other man, whose irreg-
ular union with her mother had probably
been the reason of his own continued res
idence abroad. Possibly-who knew
tae deceased man might have left law
full widow and family in England, TO
whom this poor little girls existence, if
brought TO their knowledge, would seem
as gross an offense as it had done to the
lady in Lansdowne road
What seemed clear at any rate was
that, with the exception of GARNER, no
one desired the girls company, or took
any interest in her welfare at the pres
ent moment. Her guardian, whoever he
might be, neither answered her letters,
nor gave any sign of his existence or
whereabouts. For anything they knew
no mi chit no head Or en- s,Iad 70 ~ him.