Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-08

almost too frank as she answered, and |
it was frightening not even to be |
snubbed
Il told you today that she had taken |
fancy to you. my dear. OF course |
she could not hope to secure Victoria. |
even If she preferred her, for Victoria |
has important engagements which will |
carry her through the season and after |
ward to Cowes and up to Scotland for |
the shooting at Dorloch castle. But you |
are still almost child. and children |
do not have engagements. Neverthe-
less you are Lady Betty Buckley. the
Duke of Stanforths sister, and as such, |
though in yourself you are an unim-
portant little person. it's not impossi- |
BILE that as a member of your family
these Americans may think you worth
cultivating. One hears. that they wor-
ship titles
I'm sure they can't worship them
as much as some people in our own
country who haven't got them do" ]
cried. defending Americans for Miss
WOodburn's sake. Vic says
"Never mind what Victoria says"
returned mother. 1.-The less you think
on these subjects the better, my dear
Betty. i merely limited at possible
and partial incentive to these peoples
friendship for you, so that you need
not feel it incumbent to be oppressive
ly grateful, you know. | should wish
you to keep your dignity among for
eigners, even though you would, of
course, look upon Mrs. Stuyvesant-
Knox as. in way, your guardian.
Now l must call Thompson and have
her put me into my dinner dress, as
there is no more time to waste. When
Mrs. Stuyvesant-Kn6x speaks of your
visit you will know what to say"
l mumbled something vaguely duti-
full and began to dress as quickly as
could. But the more / thought of 1t
the more l felt that l hadn't been fair
ly treated, to be disposed of in such an
offhand way. After all, l am eighteen,
and person of eighteen isn't child.
I'm not sure l wasn't pouting when
| Vic came in. ready for dinner. asking
| if she should faSten up my frock
had nearly finished it, for practice has
| made me almost as clever as a con-
| jurer about manipulating my hands
| behind my back, but when Vic few at
me and began giving useless little
| touches | guessed that she wanted to
whisper something in my ear without
| mother seeing, II she should happen to
| prance in at the wrong moment, as
she often does.
Look here, Betty, are you going to
be a good little girl and do what you're
bid without making a fuss?" she asked
in quick. low voice.
I'm not certain yet" said 1. I'm
| thinking it over. don't see why
should be sent OF across the water
with strangers at a moments notice.
and r.
"'Tisn't moments notice It's five
| days. They're not sailing till Wednes-
day, and as they've a suit engaged
the best on the ship, Mrs. Ess Kay
says-your going Won't put them out a
bit, and they'll love having you. AS
for the why's and wherefores, mothers
been telling you, hasn't she?
"She talked about my health and
valuable experiences and a lot of
things in the air, but l feel there's
something behind it, and l hate mys-
teries"-
IF ! can convince you it's for the
good of the family in general, If not
yours in particular. will you be nice
white woolly lamb and go with your
kind little American friends?' Vic
broke in, with her head on my shoul-
der and an arm slipped around my
waist
airs. Ess Rays neither little nor
kind" said 1, but of course I'll do
anything to help if only I'm treated
like rational, grownup human be-
ing"
And so you shall be. l told mother
it would be much better to be frank
with you. if you are a baby. It's toe
late to explain things now, but if you'll
be sweet to Mrs. Ess Kay and agree
with everything everybody says about
your trip. when we come up to bee
and mothers doors shut I'll make q
clean breast and show you exactly how
matters stand"
With this we separated, for we could
hear Mrs. Ess Rays voice in the CORR
dor talking TO Sally WOODBURY. on the
way downstairs. Her voice is never
difficult to hear; rather the other way
and Miss Woodburn's soft little draw
following it, reminded me of spoonful
Of Devonshire cream after bunch o.
| currants.
Mother was with them both in tn,
oak drawing room when Vic and go
down, and found myself staring a
Mrs. Ess Kay with a new kind o
criticism in my mind. Indeed it hadn'
occurred to me before to criticise a
all. I'd only felt that l didn't wan
to come any closer to her. Now wa
to come mpch closer it seemed, and
: looked at the glittering lady, wonder
[ ing how it would feel to be so close
l wondering what she herself was.
Outside she's more like the bigges
and most splendid dressmakers mode
ever made for a Paris show windoy
than anything else can think of. A
l least she is like that from under he
q chin down to the tips of her toes.
: say under her chin, for that feature a