The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-04-14
CHAPTER TX.
BrIton ms GauI.

Germany at only a few hours
notice; everyone in Arundale
seemed to know it except Lady Muriel,
even Bertha had been told and asked to
look after Patty during his absence.
Lady Muriel was very angry.
II had even lunched there on the
best terms a few hours before he in
tended TO start. and had not told her.
What could it mean? Yes. there was
some one else he had not told-Chris-
tian; but that was n~othing-he never
told Christian anything"
Such being the state of her ladyship's
feelings, her irritation against Patty
was by no means m~itigated, and if
she had not been a little bit afraid Of
Mr.. Schippheim she would have de-
sired Bertha to have nothing whatever
to do with the girl; probably in refrain
ing from taking this measure she was
fully aware that Bertha's patronage
without her assistance was scarcely as
powerful as Mr.. %Schippheim hoped. es-
peeially as Lady Muriel. not having
been asked to do otherwise, thought
herself quite justified in making very
sighting remarks about Patty when
ever the opportunity offered. So much
SO that Mr.. Aston, who not being Il
clever man himself. saw most things
through his wife's spectacles, was in
clined to think her a ne'er-do-weel of q
girl. and most seriously to blame her
for the many disturbances which took
place in Arundale; for disturbances fol-
lowed zach other thickly and quickly
after Mr.. Schippheim left. Never had
business in Germany called him away
at a more inauspicious moment. The
women continued their rankle against
Patty and made spiteful remarks at
her, which with all her s~elf-eontrol it
was very difficult to swallow without
retort, especially as she only seemed
to have two friends in all Arundale,
Joe Marks and Elsie Bligh. And Joe,
she thought, was not altogether a very
satisfactory friend. since she could in
nowise give him the love for which he
was ever craving, and 1t scarcely
seemed a fair thing, decided just little
Patty, to be always letting this Young
fellow fight her battles for her. and get
a good many hard blows. without being
eble to give him one crumb of real,
true. honest love in return.
: For Joe, about this period, did get
a good many hard blows. and showed
an amount Of manliness in the way he
parried them which stamped him a
real plucky fellow.
Nearly all the other hands in the
factory were down on him. especially
p, his friend, Dick Swift, for taking up
the cudgels for, and sticking to a good
for-nothing girl like Patty. who did
not care, a button whether he lived OF
died, but he went straight on his OWL
: way; he had determined TO befriend her
and whatever people said, he meant
to do ii.
Each day the war waged hotter. this
fact being that for a long while -
seemingly -monotonous calm had reignec
in Arnhdale, but it was only in mere
seeming that it had existed; i'll viii
, and ill feeling had been smoulderine
: underneath; it wanted but a match Il
set the poisonous weeds into a lame-
: that match was Patty. d.
Had Mr.. %Schippheim been at hons
he would have dismissed the whole o
4 the workers without delay, being {
Z man of enormous mental energy, wh'
4 always considered that the quickest wa.
y to remedy an evil was TO strike a
once at the very root. But Mr.. Alison
} Notwithstanding all his talk about bii
y schemes, charging the business, ae
lcetera, ct cetera, was very sluggish II
action. He dreaded the trouble wran
Cling with the old hands and engag
ing a new staff would entail. So h
put it off from day to day. contentin;
himself with hurting a few oaths a
powerless Andrews and recommending
him, as he valued his situation, to keel
the people quiet.
If Mr.. Aston had only sent Pat
Brumeau away it would probably hay,
settled matters-at all events, for
time; but then Paul Brumeau WA
Lady Murie1's protege, and what woulC
Lady Muriel say? Peace at home was
he deemed, more valuable than pedc'
in the factory. a-.
Such was the state of affairs whel
Max Schippheim, having been gone ;
week. there seemed no chance of hi
returning for at least another forl
night, so he wrote to his partner
Patty looked so utterly and hopelessl,
wretched that ii was pitiable to behols
ner, and she would most certainl.
have run away had she not promise'
the master that she would brave an
noyance and endure patiently, IL pos
sible, till his return. s.
Bertha had been to see her twice
but what could she do. save bestow
few kind words, while Joe was so tor
l. mented by the sight of Patty, wins
having lost all her fur and brigh
spirits. was losing her good looks int
4 the bargain. that he was positively be
side himself. He watched her aboq
3 with a sort Of dogged fidelity. II
d could not believe that a set of women
evil-tongued though they might be
l. could so influence Patty as to chang
her whole nature.
There must be summat behind as
e don't see he argued with his logic
II and so he set himself to find out VIVA
1t was.
As he more than half suspected, j
- was Paul Brumeau. 81
IL L. ronainnnh non.nrrnuN