Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04

the last few days Still. I have no doubt
YOU find ii dun enough. wha, do you say
10 coming on t" Pau for bit?"
Pau" she repeated. ''Oh. no thanks:
am contented where l am"
But Pau is much more interesting"
urged Mrs. Britten: $50 historical-you
can go To see Lourdes and the old palace
OF Henry IL"
\ pause. Hester made no reply. See
INFINITELY preferred TO SEE Paul de Sara
I'm Nhat secrets she was Keeping!
How suddenly she had developed mys-
terles' Little did her companion guess
that young man was i'm the girls heart
anf splendid necklace was round her
throatD
Mrs. Britten was resolved that Hester
should accompany her 10 Pau-Sir Peter
was off for a week. and she dared not
lose sight of him.
MY dear. do wish you would get out
Of your groovy ways she exclaimed.
peevishly.
Il think / have got out OF them" was
the amazing rejoinder
Il will believe il when / see IL, Now
do. like good girl. come with me TO
Pau: she urged. in a wheedling voice.
as if coaxing a naughty child. I'VE shall
have great fun there
But why Pau all OF a sudden" asked
Hester. sharply.
why not all Of sudden? These has
tily made-up plans are always the pleas
ATTEST.
But have heard people say that Pau
is so relaxing" objected Hester.
Relaxing, What nonsense, At any
rate. we shall only be away for a week,
so do come
Mrs. Britten was thinking OF Sir Peter:
Hester. on The other hand. had Paul de
SaraZin In her mind as she replied:
IN H R;s rr thank you you: prefer to remain
And 1t never occurs to you that il may
not suit me-" cried the other lady, sud
denly losing her temper. How selfish
you are,'
Possibly I am selfish" rejoined the
girl. composedly; but IL is the first time
L have ever been told So In you want
so very much TO see Pau. why not go
alone?'
Perhaps you will tell me what is to
become of you? Pray, where is your
chaperon?" demanded Mrs. Britten,
angrily. 1t was evident that this girl
had recently contracted an offensive habit
of self-assertion.
''Oh. l can manage all right: and I
really think at my age l may stay for a
few days alone at an hotel without out
raging Mrs. Grundy-if Mrs Grundy lives
at Biarrtz.'
Mrs. Grundy does live at Biarritz. I
can assure you-and Mrs. Grundy's grand
mother. and Mrs. Grundy's daughters and
sisters are all here too-as ! know to my
COST! cried the other, viciously. You
cannot take tea with a man alone at
Mirabout's without setting the whole
place talking, And as for walk round
the Cote des Basques"-here she paused.
as if the recollection was too painful for
utterance: presently she resumed, But
If do &c. what about my room here?"
You can keep il on IL you wish
Mrs Britten looked fixedly at the floor
and seemed to mediate before she re-
piled.
Very well. then. il you are sure that
you don't want to see Pau. l will ask
Mrs. Cox to accompany me-"
rs any one else to be OF the party?"
inquired Hester.
''No-certainly not Do you take me
for a Cooks tourist?''
Then you are not going with Admiral
Potts. who told Mrs. Tudor that he
wished to spend week there and was
starting tomorrow"
''Oh. dear. no." becoming rather red:
what. could have put such a ridiculous
idea into your head? I have been longing
to go over to Pau ever since I came out.
are staying there at present. Well, then.
ii is all settled" rising she spoke: II.
shall be away for the inside OF a week.
perhaps day or two longer. Take care
chief. Why, there goes the first gong.
and 1 must hy.''
When Mrs. Britten had flown. with
much rustling of her fine feathers, Hes
ter rose and deliberately locked the door.
Once more she removed her dressing
jacket and contemplated herself in a
looking glass. Her neck certainly was
white! She had never worn a low dress
in her life: now she thought she would
like to possess one. Presently che UNI
fastened her great plaits. and began to
pile her hair on her head. after the pre-
vailing fashion of the hour. 1t effected
an extraordinary change: her beautiful
hair and neck-not to mention the neck
lace-completely transformed Miss Forde.
''Oh. if Jane and Eliza were to see me-"
she murmured. and she smiled at her own
"a
done with me after all. Who knows but
/ may be an ugly duckling. Duckling.
indeed!' she repeated, still looking at her
self: you are nothing more or less than
big white goose" Having made this
declaration. she rose and locked up her
treasure, and actually entered the
dreaded salle-a-manger alone.
Il began to think you were not going
to have any dinner" said Mrs. Britten. in
a ouerulous key, as she slipped into her
place beside her; Il waited for you out
side the door for five minutes; / do de-
test waiting at a door before meals. it
makes one look such fool
Il am sure you could never look like a
fool" was the girls imperturbable reply;
Il am sorry you had TO wait for me-
But what kept you? Something very
interesting, eh?'
We'll. yes, it was rather interesting"
admitted the girl.
What was it? A letter."
mo. only a transformation" And she
smiled. If TO herself.
"A transformation repeated Mrs.
Britten. raising her eyebrows. mo one
could accuse you of false hair. j sup
pose you mean some stupid old book?"
Hester merely shook her head and her
eyes sparkled
/ give it up-I never guessed one in my
life," And. with a little scornful shrug.
Mrs. Britten turned away.