Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-05-07

it to her when he died. She and
Challis spent several summers there"
Vivian took me through it one aft
ernoon last summer"
1T must have been quite as much
of a novelty to her as it was to you.
old chap" said Leslie gloomily.
What do you mean?"
"Vivinn's bit of snob. She never
liked the place because old man Gooch
built 1t out OF worsteds. She never
went there"
But the old mans been dead for
years.
That doesn't matter. The fact is,
Vivian didn't quite take to Sara until
after-weIl, until after Challis died.
We're dreadful snobs, Brandy, the
whole lot of US. Sara was quite good
enough for a much better man than
my brother. She really couldn't help
the worsteds, you know. I'm very
fond Of her. and always have been.
We're pals. Cad. 1t was fearful slap
at the home folks when ChaIlis justi-
fed Sara by getting snuffed out the
way he did"
Booth made an attempt to change
the subject, but WrandaIl got back
to II.
Since then we've all been exceed
ingly sweet on Sara Not because we
want to be, mind you, but because
we're afraid she'll marry some chap
who wouldn't be acceptable to u.s."
Il should consider that very neat
way out Of it," said Booth coldly.
Not at all. You see, Challis was
fond OF Sara, in spite OF everything.
He left will and under it she came
In for all he had AS that includes
third interest In our extremely refined
and irreproachable business, 1t would
be deuce of trick on us il she mar
ried one OF the common people and set
him up amongst us, willy-nilly. We
don't want strange bedfellows. We're
too snug-and might say, too SNUG.
Down in her heart mother Is saying to
herself 1t would be just like Sara to
get even with us by doing just that
sort of trick OF course Sara is rich
enough without accepting a sou under
the will, but she's a canny person. She
hasn't handed it back to us on a silver
platter. with thanks; still, on the
other hand, she refuses to NEEDLE. She
makes us feel pretty small. She won't
sell out to us. She just sits tight
That's what gets under the skin with
mother"
Il wouldn't say that, Les, if were
in your place.
TITS rather priggish thing to say.
isn't ft?''
E Rather
You see. I'm the only one who
really took sides with Sara. / forget
myself sometimes. She was such a
brick, all those years."
Booth was silent for moment, not
ing the reflective look in his compan-
ions eyes.
Il suppose the police haven't given
up the hope that sooner or later the
er-the woman will do something to
give herself away" said he.
They don't take any stock In my
theory that she made way with herself
the same night. / was talking with
y y
anyone who had wit to cover up her
tracks as she did. is not the kind to
make way with herself Perhaps he's
right. 1t sounds reasonable. Cad,
felt sorry for the poor girl they had
up last spring. She went through the
third degree, If ever anyone did. but.
by Jove, she came out Of it all right.
The Ashley girl, you remember. I've
dreamed about that girl, Brandy. and
what they put her through. It's sort
of nightmare to me, even when I'm
awake. Oh, they've questioned others
as well, but she was the only one to
have the screws twisted In just that
way"
Where is she now? 2"
She's comfortable enough now.
When / wrote to Sara about what
she'd been through, she settled a neat
bit of money on her, and she'll never
want for anything. She's out west
somewhere, with her mother and sis
tiers. tell you, Sara's a wonder. She's
got heart of gold"
Il look forward to meeting her,
old man.
Il was with her for a few weeks
this winter. In Nice, you know. Wv
ian stayed on for week, but mother
had to get to the baths. Cad, be-
iieve she hated to go. Sara's got a
most adorable girl staying with her.
A daughter of Colonel Castleton, and
she's connected In some way with the
Murgatroyds-old Lord Murgatroyd,
you know. think her mother was a
niece of the old boy Anyhow, mother
and Vivian have taken a great fancy
to her. That's proof of the pudding"
Il think Vivian mentioned a com
panion Of some sort"
"You wouldn't exactly call her
companion" said Leslie. She's got
money to burn, take it. Quite keeps
up with Sara in making it fly, and that's
saying a good deal for her resources.
/ think it's pose on her part, thie
calling herself companion. An Eng
Hsh Joke, Ell? AS q matter OF fact.