The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-24

BrOmSgrOVs, the man VINO SoL oil
those people into trouble at Green
rose, the man who father said had a
gift for finding out things? I'm 60
ing to watch him. He shan't upset
everybody here if I can help it. When
a wolf comes to shepherd sheep-oh,
I expect I shall have lots Of oppor-
tunities."
And poor Miss Green could only
hope that she never would.
But there the conversation ended,
and the next day Tormentilla took
out her bicycle and rode down alone
to the Cogwheels'.
She found pretty Audrey in the
drawing-room.
Mother is at the Helpful Endeav-
or. with Miss Cotton" she said softly.
"She was so sorry she would miss you.
Dearest I said to her, 'T~ornaentilla
is coming'-you'll let me call you by
your beautiful name, won't you? And
she was furious with the Helpful for
happening to-day. But you'll wait to
see her, of course. Do stay with me
as long as you can, because I'm in the
most broken-hearted state"
The little catch in her voice melted
Tormentilla's tender heart.
HAS there been anything new"
she asked quickly. "And I really
wouldn't cry here, If I were you, be-
cause the servants will see you when
they bring tea in. Won't you-could
you wait till afterwards, do you
think; when we are in the garden?"
Andrew dabbed at M eye with a
little fimsy handkerchief.
"I will if you like" said she visit
fully, "but it's a cruel, cruel world"
She shook out. her pretty, frilly skirt.
Her gown was as pale a pink as the
exquisite flush of her cheek. and her
bright hair caught ~Tormentilla's eye,
bringing at once an unwelcome mem
DRY. She was a girl with the grace
of spring.
eff only Michael were different"
Audrey said sorrowfully.
perhaps you wouldn't have fallen
so much in love with him If he had
BEEN" Tormentiila suggested bril-
liantly. You sometimes find out
that the most glazing faults were
quite-quite %endearing when you've
lost them forever"
Audrey dropped her eyes.
ut isn't that" she said softly; "he
is perfect, of course, in my eyes. l
have put him or a pedestal from the
first. But my father can't be expect
ed to be so blind to his faults as
am, can he? And then, even il he
wasn't a black sheep, he is quite poor.
Father is extraordinarily m]ercenary
at heart, although he is so kind. He
won't hear of my marrying a man
who can't keep me in comfort. He
will look upon the total absence of
prospects as an iron barrier. 1t seems
rather paltry, doesn't it? And Mr..
Standring, Nigel--the eldest brother,
you KNOWS so comfortably off. It's
nothing to father that he's a vegetar-
ian and all wool and every unpleasant
fad you can think Of. I said to
mother only the other day, Dearest
I said, would he like it himself?'
And mother quite saw. Sometimes I
feel I would rather die than marry a
man who lunches so persistently on a
bean and a brazil-nut. Yet I can't
disobey father"
"You can go too far with ODE
d~ience," Tormentilla said quickly;
land it's your W long life you've
60: to live afterwards, not your ia
theirs. Why doesn't Mr.. Kenworthy
get some work to do?"
Audrey sighed.
"He doesn't like work very much"
she said; hes been in several situa-
tons already, and they've none of
them exactly suited him. He's so
often the round peg in the square
hole, poor darling. He was to be an
engineer, but the early-rising-si1,
you know, or worse-tried him dread
fully. And then he went in for chem
istry, and he couldn't stand the
fumes. You couldn't expect him to,
could you? He seriously thought OF
taking up medicine and looked to
father TO help him on, but the ex-
aminations are so frightfully stiff that
he knew from the first it was quite
hopeless and didn't waste his time on
them. And, as I said, he's had sew
eral posts in Malinder, but-well, he
was born on a Friday, and you know
what an unlucky day that always is
81 see," said Tormentilla thought
fully. You'll have money, I sup
pose?"
"Oh, no." said Aubrey softly; II
am quite penniless."
Then who'll have your fathers
money when he dies?"
But he isn't going to die" Audrey
looked up with a shocked face. 81
shouldn't like to think he would ever
die. Please don't suggest such q
thing"
Everybody dies some day." said
Tormentilla sharply, land it would be
much more sensible if your father
gave you a good comfortable dot and
let you marry your W love now
than spoil your life, and hoard up his
gains. He'd be quite sure that you
weren't wishing for his death then
you see"
tr5rov cot ~ ,pd Ind her ami