The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-10-19
"What is the meaning of this infer

wheel and Michael Kenworthy?" he
asked. But Lise was too frightened
TO reply, too stunned even to lose her
temrer.
II hear" Jack pursued coldly,
that You have encouraged, and per-
haps even inspired, an absurd scheme
of elopement for these two. Is it
true
Yes" said she hoarscly.
"Wby?' He asked the question
with a contempt which would have
reused her to a frenzy yesterday.
What had come to her? "Why?"
He repeated it CURLY.
Lise made an effort.
Because they were in love with
each other. Because there was no
reason why two young people should
have their lives ruined through a
m~ercenary prejudice. Because"
Don't lie to me, Lise. Why are
you helping them? What business is
it of yours?"
None" said Lise helplessly.
81 should think not. I wonder YOU
, dare encourage a mad plan which is
almost sure to end in disaster"
mot more than most other mar
rlages," she answered slowly.
ours, for instance?"
She nodded.
"Perhaps not; but the mere fact
of being in Purgatory yourself hardly
justifies you in reaching out and
dragging all your friends after you,
does it,"
Il SUPPOSE not"
81 wish you would tell me truth
fully what Influenced you in this af-
fair?"
Lise made an effort to show a
proper spirit.
Don't please speak to me like
that" she said. you have no right
to speak to me like that. l did not
to be quite sincere, 1 began it
thoughtlessly to please that little
! girl"
"The girl at Malinder-Miss
GTCGu. ue dShSu ohoi pH!-
Yes, Tormentilla. She was so
wrapped up in the idea, so deter
mined to help those two lovers to be
happy, so enthusiastic and unselfsh
and sincere about it, that she carried
me away, and I promised to help her.
Audrey had been weeping in her
arms, you see, over her broken
hearted and shattered happiness, and
they are very ignorant, childish, UNI
! selfish arms. Michael, too, had i'm
pressed her so much by his gloomy
appearance and his obvious inability
to settle down to work. She didn't
know that the disability. was chronic,
You see
She laughed a little in spite of her
self, but her husbands eyes did not
soften, and she hurriedly went on.
she had made up her mind to
help those unfortunate lovers to hap
piness at any cost. She is such a
plucky, straightforward, trusting
child, that well, I believe you'd
have wanted to help her yourself if
you'd listened to her. She idealizes
all love, and lovers. in the most curl
Gus way. She is absolutely ignorant
OF life as it really is. How could l
discourage her? And, after all, I
think they stand quite a good chance
of being happy on Mr.. Cogwheels
money. 1 think Michael might be
quite a different character if he were
comfortably off,"
S%tandring stretched out his legs
and plunged his hands into his
! pockets, and Lise thought she'd never
seen him look so d~isagreeable.
1T didn't occur to you, I suppose,
to consider Nigel in the natter"
She started and grew pale. Now
she understood.
"Nigel?" she asked disingenuously.
Eyes. Nigel would have :narried
the girl if he'd had time. The father
and mother are most anxious for his
engagement. Audrey was simply
playing with him. 1t was merely a
question of time. Nigel was sure he
would win her in the end. And he's
simply mad about her. He says he
sees her faults, but that he's be-
witched. He looks so thin and wor-
ried and miserable that I can't bear
to see him about the place. He gives
me the blues. He can't do a thing
at the Office. I wish to heaven he'd
leave the business alone while he's
in his present state of mind. He ate
a mutton-chop for his lunch yester-
day without noticing it. The waiter
brought it by mistake, and he fin
ished it to the bone before he found
out. His state Of mind when he'd
realized what he'd done was awful.
Looks upon himself as a kind of can
nibal now, l believe"