Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-01-11

1
self in this ridiculous position, but
since you have"
'Put myself in this position!" She
was frantic. tits plot, wretched
trick of yours, this quarantine, to keep
me here"
Jim gasped. but gave him warn
| ing glance, and he swallowed hard.
"On the contrary" he said, with
maddening quiet, II would be the last
| person in the world to wish to per-
| petuate an indiscretion of yours. For
| it was hardly discreet, was it, to visit
| bachelor establishment alone at ten
o'clock at night? AS far as my plot
ting to keep you here is concerned, /
| assure you that nothing could be fur
Their from my mind Our paths were
to be two parallel lines that never
touch" He looked at me for ap-
| prevail, and Bella was choking.
'You are worse than | ever thought
you," she stormed. Il thought you
were only "a fool Now | know you
for brute!"
Well, it ended by Jim's graciously
permitting Bella to remain-there be-
ing nothing else to do-and by his
magnanimously agreeing to keep her
real identity from Aunt Selma and Mr.
HARRISON, and to break the news OF
her presence to Anne and the rest It
created a sensation beside which
Anne's pearls faded away, although
they came to the front again soon
enough
Jim broke the news at once, gather
ing everybody but HARRISON and Aunt
Selma in the upper hall. He was
palpitatingly nervous, but he tried to
carry it off with high hand.
TITS unfortunate" he said, looking
around the circle of faces, each one
frozen with amazement, and just q
suspicion, perhaps, of incredulity
It's particularly unfortunate for her.
You all know how high-strung she is,
and If the papers should get hold of it
we'll, we'll all have to make it as
easy as we can for her"
With Jim's eye on them, they all
swallowed the butler story without a
gulp. But Anne was indignant.
TITS like Bella" she snapped well,
she has made her bed and she can lie
on it. I'm sure | shan't make 1t for
her. But If you want to know my
opinion, Mr.. HARRISON may be a fool,
but you can't ram two Bellas, both nee
Knowles, down Miss Caruthers' throat
with a stick"
We had not thought of that before
and every one looked blank Finally,
however, Jim said Bella's middle name
was Constantia, and we decided to
call her that. But it turned out after
ward that nobody could remember It
in hurry, and generally when we
wanted to attract her attention, we
walked across the room and touched
her on the shoulder. It was quicker
and safer.
The name decided, we went down
stairs in line to welcome Bella, to
forget her deplorahle situation Leila
had worked herself into a really SYM
pathetic frame of mind.
Poor DEAR" she said, on the way
down. 'Now don't grin, anybody, just
be cordial and glad to see her I hope
she doesn't cry: You know the spells
she takes"
We stopped outside the door, and
everybody tried to look cheerful and
sympathetic and not grinny-which
was as hard as looking as If we had
had cup of tea-and then Jim
threw the door open and we filed in
Bella was comfortably reading by
the fire. She had her feet up on
q stool and a pillow behind her head
She did not even look at us for min
ute; then she merely glanced up as
she turned page.
Dear me-" she said mOckingly,
what a lot Of frumps you all are!
had hoped 1t was some one with my
breakfast"
Then she went on reading. AS Leila
said afterward, that kind of person
ought to be divorced.
Aunt Selma came down just then
| and | left everybody trying to ex-
plain Bella's presence to her, and fed
to the kitchen The HARRISON man
| appeared while was sitting hopeless
ly in front Of the gas range, and show
ed me about it.
II don't know that ever saw one,"
he said cheerfully, "but I know the
theory. Likewise, by the same token,
this tea kettle, set on the flame, will
boil. That is not theory, however
That is early knowledge. Polly, put
the kettle on; we'll all take tea Look
at that, Mrs. Wilson. l didn't fight
bacilli with boiled water at Chicka-
manga for nothing"
And then he let out the policeman
| and brought him into the kitchen. He
was large man, and his face was a
curious mixture of amazement, alarm
and dignity. No doubt we did look
queer. still in parts of our evening
! clothes and l In the white silk lace
petticoat that belonged under my
gown, with a yellow and black pa
jana coat of Jimmy's as a sort Of
hroo Ixf0 eff ia0knf