The Cairo bulletin., 1913-08-11
CHAPTER xi.
Other Relations.

TT Is but natural to presume after
y the foregoing that the affairs of
the Medcrofts were under close
and careful scrutiny from that
confidential hour. The 0del-Carneys
were coupicuously nice and agreeable
to the MedcrOftS and Miss Fowler. II
may he said indeed that Mr. Odell.
Carney went considerably out of his
way TO be agreeable to Mrs. Medcroft-
SO much SO, in fact. that she made IL
point TO have some one else with her
whenever she seemed likely TO he left
alone with him. The Rodneys strug-
gled bravely and no doubt conscien
uousiy Ia emulate the example set by
the Odell-Tarneys, but 1t was hardly
TO he expected that they could see new
things through old world eyes They
grew very stiff and eNmonious-that
is. the Rodney ladies did 1t was their
prcrosative, Of course. We're they hot
cousins of the Medcrofts?
Four or five days of uneasy pretense
passed with swiftness that irritated
certain members OF the party and n
slowness that distressed the Others.
Days never were so short rs those
which the now recklesslv Infatuated
Brock was spending, He was valiant.
ly earning his way into the heart of
constance, n process that tried his pa.
thence exceedingly. for she was bllthelv
nuimpresSionable II one were to indce
by The ealmneSs with which she Tended
of the Inevitable though tardy assault.
She kept him at arms length. an.
pearances demanded "A discreetness no
matter how she may secretly have felt
toward the good looking husband of
her sister. To say that she was enjoy,
ing herself would be putting II much
too tamely She was revelng in the
fun of the thing. 1t mattered little to
her that people, her own cousins in
particular. were looking upon her with
cold and critical eyes. She knew down
IN her heart that she could throw
bomb among them at any time by tie
mere ntterance of a single word. 1t
mattered as little that Edith was be-
ginning to chafe miseraby under the
strain of waiting and deception. The
novelty had worn off for the wife oil
Roxbury. She was despairingly In
love, and she was pning for the day to
come when she could laugh again with
real Instead Of simulated ioyousness.
Connie, dear" she would lament nj
dozen times a day, ITS growing IN.
hearable. Oh, how ! wish the three
weeks We're ended Thcn | could have
my Roybury. and you could have my
other Roxbury and everybody wouldn't
be plying me and cavilHnS ut you be-
cause I'm unhappily married"
why do you say could have vonr
other Roxbury?" demanded her sister
on one occasion. "You forget father
expects me to marry the viScount. r.
You are so tiresome. Connie. Don't |
worry me with your love affairs-Tl
don't want to hear them. There's Mr..
Brock waiting for you in the garden"
Il know II, my dear He's been
waiting for an hour. think It is good
for him to wait" said the other. with
airy confidence. what does Roxy say
In his letter this morning."
He says 1t will all be over In day
or two, Dear me. how wish It were
over now! can't endure Cousin
Mary's snippishness much longer. and
as for katherInel My dear, | hate
that girl!'
She's been very nice lately, Edith
ever since Freddie dropped me so com
pletely. BY the way, Burton was tell
ing me today that Odell- Carney had