The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-09-07
CHAPTER III.
Continued.

SlQe, ner square, DOylSn shoulders
thrown back. She was not satisfied
yet with the way Audrey vas yielding
to her influence. She was beginning
to find that it was not nearly as easy
to do good to people as she had at
first supposed. 1t was extraordinary,
when you came to think of it, that
people should show such absurd re-
luctance to being made gloriously
happy. And she felt that she had
come now to a deadlock. Nothing
more could be done until she had
made the acquaintance Of Michael
Kenworthy. Then perhaps she would
be able to show him how easily he
could save his beautiful, unhappy Au-
drey from his vegetarian rival. Peo-
pie were strangely wanting in mag
nation sometimes.
She found Lise alone in her cool
green drawing-room, half asleep in a
corner of a big, luxurious Chester
field. She was really glad to see Tor
mentilla, and made the girl sit down
beside her. 1t was refreshing to see
this frank, healthy young face and
the clear eyes, and Lise dropped her
Indifferent, sulky name and sud-
denly determined to make herself
agreeable.
They talked amiably of nothing for
some time until Tormentilla's passion
for getting to the horses got the bet
ter of her.
you're a friend of Audrey Cog
wheels, aren't you?" said she abb
ruptly.
Lise was silent for a minute, and
her eyes darkened.
81 used to be-" she admitted.
"She's very sweet, isn't she?" Tor
mentilla's tone was curiously at vari-
ance with her words.
Very sweet, indeed-oh, certainly
she's very sweet"
Its a pity she's so unhappy, isn't
it,"
rs she unhappy" Lise asked cool
ly. She crouched in the corner of the
sofa, and her little face looked just
like the face of a spoilt and sulky
child.
Tormentilla stared at her. "She
told me you knew"
How long had Audrey known you
when she opened her heart in this
way?" Lise asked with a harsh laugh.
I'D seen her three times. 1t was
rather quick, but then she's not like
other girls, and her trouble is wearing
her out. She's told me so several
times"
"She would" said Lise softly. do
so on"
and, then, perhaps I'm rather out
spoken myself" T~ormentilla added
doubtfully.
Lise laughed a little.
"No!" she said. well, do you
know, I rather guessed that. Audrey
told you about poor Michael, I Sup
pose?"
Eyes. It is awful for them, isn't
it,"
Lise was silent.
"You know" Tormentilla said ear
nestly, pushing back her hat and
rufiing up her hair to meet Lise's
eyes with a frankly troubled gaze, i
want to help those two, tremen-
dously."
Lise stared at her, still in amused
silence.
II have a trouble of my own, YOU
see," the girl went On earnestly, land
I'm most anxious to drown it. can't
tell you how extremely anxious I am
to drown it. And there can't be a bet
ter way Of drowning a selfish sorrow,
can there, than by doing something to
make some one else happy?" Her
cheeks flushed; she seemed half
ashamed of the sentiment as she ut
tered it.
ITS a popular idea" said Lise
YEARLY. Il don't know that it's
much good practically. You see, scn-
orally things turn out so differently
from what you expect, especially the
things you do for other people. And
perhaps what they think they want
most isn't always what is most likely
to make them happy. There are sucn
a lot of points to consider before YOU
embark On IN ~altruistic career. l
never got beyond the considering
point myself, and I'm not qualified to
advise the Youthful enthusiast. But.
my dear girl'-her voice changed
with bewildering suddeaness and be-
came caressing and soft; her face
lost its sulkiness, and her cynical
smile grew quite tender-"my dear
little girl, l am very sorry TO hear
that you aren't happy. At seventeen
or is it eightccn?-the world ought
to be an enchanted garden, with a key
Of pure gold hidden in a place where
YOU are quite sure to find it. By all
the laws Of fairyland--"
The world isn't fairyland, though,
IS it," said Tormentilla in resretful
tones. And l am nearly nineteen. I
didn't know what unhappiaess was
till last year. Last year, YOU see"
The smile fascinated her, and she
went on: ~ found the garden and the
key too, and then
"Yes?" Lise's voice was irresist-
ible, her changed face extraordinarily
sympathetic.
Tormentilla went on: Il lost it
again, suppose. At least. a serpent
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