The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-17

w~istfully, like the kind of a girl one
can trust. Like a girl who spends
her whole life in helping others"
It's because I'm plain you think
that" T~ormentilla cried fiercely.
people always take it for granted
that you have a sweet, helpful ma
ture if YOU aren't pretty. 1t isn't
fair"
No." said Audrey sadly; Il beg
your pardon. 1t was your eyes.
Didn't you know what speaking, SYM
| pathetic eyes you have? One knows
| at a glance that you will always un-
dcrstand. There are so few people
who understand"
Tormentilla was silent. This was
not like Dolly. Dolly never asked
for sympathy; Dolly never told any
thing she could help. And she re-
membered Miss Green's words, TRY
to forget your grief in helping 9TH
ers." Here at the first appeal she
was deliberately trying to escape, TO
turn her back upon real suffering.
Tears in a girls eyes meant deep
| suffering TO poor Tormentilla from
her own bitter experience and her
deep ignorance of the world. The
| fact that this girl who was so like
Dolly in looks should yet in many
ways be sc. utterly unlike her softened
her still more. Dolly got all she
wanted; Audrey obviously didn't.
you don't look so very unhappy"
she said slowly. mot generally, !
mean. 1 should have thought you
were the kind of person to be as
happy as the day was long"
Don't misjudge me-" Audrey MUIR
INJURED piteously, because I try to
be brave before the world. Don't you
see that one has to smile sometimes
even if ones heart breaks as one
does it,"
In spite Of herself, Tormentilla
grew interested.
You see," said Audrey wistfully,
II can't talk to mother about it, and
that is so hard. l always think one
ought to confde in ones mother be-
fore any one, but she sides with
father in this almost entirely.
Darling she says, as she has always
done when we differed, it hurts me
more than it hurts YOU But l can't
quite see it in that light, can you?"
"No," said ~Tormentilla, with warm
sympathy; II should think not. It's
simply silly" Her heart softened still
more to those misty blue eyes. Dolly's
eyes were very blue. but she had
never seen them through a mist of
tears, and Tormentilla had a very
tender heart.
I'm afraid I shall only bore you"
said Audrey, with a mournful sniff.
Don't cry" T~ormentilla said hast
lily. 1T would be so very awkward
if you suddenly burst into tears here.
1 do wish you wouldn't cry. Couldn't
we go into the garden or some
where"
Miss Cotton's clear voice reached
them across the room. YES" she
said, "over the garden wall. A
sponge. A sponge soaked in gravy.
My poor beautiful ate it, of course,
and you know what happens to you
if you eat a sponge, Mrs. Hay?"
mo-" said the lady in tone of rapt
interest. II have had so little ex-
perience, I am afraid.
Miss Cotton arranged her neat veil
round the Violets in her toque, and
Tormentilla watched her with fasci-
mated eyes, listening intently. well,
it swells." Miss Cotton spoke i'm
pressively. 1T swells and swells and
swells, till you die at last in great
agony. My poor Mafeking's agony
was something that I hope you will
never witness. A vile deed, Mrs.
Hay. Worse, far worse, I think, even
than the rats and plaster of Paris, and
that is bad enough"
"Oh, infinitely" said Mrs. Hay.
She was obviously burning with curl
osity, but ashamed to show any
further ignorance.
tCll 10 "uCI yOu "Coll
about the rats" Tormentilla asked
eagerly. She stopped as she was
leaving the room, and only regretted
that she had already missed so much
Of this exhilarating subject.
You put it for them to eat dry"
Miss Cotton turned sharply round.
And it makes them thirsty. And
you place a bowl of water in an ac-
cessible spot for the trusting little
creatures to drink out of, and they
drink and drink and drink"
Dear me! How dreadful! Who
does?" Mrs. Cogwheel was here
drawn in. and the exciting converse
ton became general.
1.-THE rats" said Miss Cotton i'm
p%ressively. And when the water
gets to the plaster of Paris inside
them, you can guess what happens.
mo, l can't" said Tormentilla can
didly. "What?'
1T forms a paste and hardens. And
as it hardens, the rats die in horri-
BILE tortures. It's a terribly cruel
world, Mrs. Cogwheel. And now ]
must rally tear myself away"
Mother, dearest"-Audrey rose
from the window-seat as Miss Cotton
disturbed the room-"I am going ia
show the garden to Miss"
"Tormentilla.'
Miss Tormentilla. What a charm
ingly original name, think it's sc