The Lambertville record., 1909-01-27
A Wedding
Present.
By Martha McCai2ocA-
tx1HiiomS.
, Copyrighted. 1909. by Associated
Literary Press

hCi AoVt uuld
That's pity! Such pity" Billy
Bruce murmured, with his most engag-
Ing smile. "A pity you say 1t, mean,
because l know and you know per-
fectly that you will.'
who's going to make me, or what?
Certainly not you. not the little old
scrap of fortune" Adela retorted,
sticking out her chin. Billy laughed
softly. hardly more than chuckle.
"True. we don't amount to much, the
fortune and l." he said. "Still, there's
rather more to us than You can get
any other way"
"Oh, you think so! Your modesty
won't kill you, not for long time
yet" Adela broke In, with wicked
toss of the head. Billy made her his
best bow, saying half plaintlvcly:
you didn't notice held up my fin-
gers for quotation marks. was quot
ing<rom Rob Torrens. He talked You
over down at the hotel"
II don't believe 1t! How dared you
let him? What did he say?" Adela
shot at him, round red spot blazing
In either cheek.
.He didn't say much-after ! got TO
him. Benny briggs was with him.
They We're going on at a great rate un-
til came. No; he spoke no harm Of
anybody. Indeed, he was more sensi-
BILE than one might reasonably expect"
Billy continued.
"Unless you tell me shall go
straight and ask him-ask him II he
said anything at all about me-" Adela
cried. her lip curling family. Billy
stood thought straighter. You can't
do that. He's leaving on the evening
train. It's due. just about" he said.
Il don't think you can mean to imply
that I'm lying. l wouldn't do that IL II
would make you love me. Torrens said
this, as nearly as ! can recall his
words: 1T IS II good thing the little
Ware girl has her future all settled for
her. She's pretty enough. madeap
enough. TO make history. lots Of II. II
she had free rein. And really Billy
Bruce, plus $4,000. ought to console
her fairly for losing me-"
"You-what did you say?' Adela de-
manded, sparks at the bottom of her
eyes. Billy's mouth was set into a
| grimmish smile. 1T didn't seem to
me "A time for talking" he said. a
said nothing, but Mr.. Torrens got of
the piazza-and thought he was going
to get off the earth about two seconds
later, while | explained to the rest
| al In y,x, no
| of his politics"
rs that why he's going away" Ade-
In asked In faint, small voice Billy
nodded. II reckon So" he said. May
be he'll write and give you another
reason think he had engaged to call
on you tonight"
Adela put both her hands over her
face and for minute cried stormily.
Billy watched her with something big
and hard IN his throat. Suddenly she
flung down her hands and faced him,
teary. and woebegone. She was badly
spoiled, impatient withal and selfish
with the selfishness of eighteen.
by all the rules Of the game l
ought to give in to you at once" she
said, swapping out the words But l
won't do It, Go away! 1 hate YOU
almost as much as l hate that" stop
ping and choking. Il don't want TO
see yOu--ever again-nOt unless my
mind changes. do not want to see
any man at ALL"
"All right, I'll vanish" Billy said
half wistfully. But, Dell have you
thought Of this? If you NOPE ut home.
seeing nobody at all. the town will
have 1t you're breaking your heart for
Torrens. Now l think Of It. my going
will help a lot You can reasonably
be supposed to be grievIng after me-"
"Oh. you'll kill me" Adela moaned.
But where are you going? Not that
1t matters-if only you stay away"
II shall stay couple of years. Itli
take about that time for leisurely
globe trotting." Billy said craftily.
i've all along had 1t In mind. though
l didn't mention 1t. l hoped so much
we could go together"
Adela stared at him, forgetting I'm
her amazement to cry. "Of all things"
she calculated. "Why, Billy! never
thought you'd care to go hundred
miles from home. You-you've been
always so careful about money. Not
that you were mean, but you didn't
make splash" Billy supplement
ed as she stopped for word No.
That always seemed to be foolish and
In mighty bad taste. But I shall be
able to afford lot Of things now.
You see, began to let the rents Of my
farm accumulate as soon as gram
dads will was read, giving us to each
other. Money grows lot when you
leave 1t for ten years and put more to
It every little while. kept my mouth
shut about 1t, but many a time I've
told myself, This is to give Dell the
wedding present she'll like hest In the
world ="
why didn't you tell met" Adela
said fretfully. Billy smiled. but drew
long breath.
Telling would have broken the
charm" he said. II wanted to sur
prise yon, and l didn't want to bribe
you into taking me. ! shouldn't be
telling you even now II you hadn't
made Inc see there Is no chance Of our
coming together"
Then why don't you go away?"
IAdela said, more than ever fretfnl.
She was on the verge of fresh tears
tears she would not for the world let
him see. II life had depended on 1t
she would not have admitted, even to
herself, that they were more for the
hurt to her pride involved in his going
without her than for the crushing out
Of what but yesterday she had fancied
was her one true love.
Torrens had awakened it-Torrens,
with his gay elegance, his careless,
easy assumption Of authority. so un-
ike Billy's respectful alteration. Bill
" was the inevitable, the common
place. Therefore she had resented
him even more than she had resented
the family disposition Of her hand.