El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-16

nervousIy. 1T would be IDEAL
! ideal" she repeated. as if striving TO
( convince herself. then broke off with a
! sudden mother cry: MY poor little
Emily"
But her exclamation went unvoiced
( by the men, and Ned. lifting his Shout
ders with a laugh, said jubilantly:
! Wei, I've got that off my chest; III
/ be moving
But before he reached the door it
I opened and Emily and Gertrude came
/ in dressed for the street.
Emily at that time was a handsome
girl of o. She combined her father
I pluck with her mothers affecuonaue
nature, and. for all their spelling, was
q generous. warm hearted girl full OF
fun and tenderness.
To Gertrude she had become the cen
( ter Of the world. the sDinster finding
/ her only real joy in life in assuminS
maternal attitude towards her niece,
ton tWofold, so that the pair were in
separable. and Gertrude knew more Of
Emily's real plans and hopes and dreams
I than either mother or father did.
Both women. however looked slight
" disconnected at sight of John home
/ in the middle of the afternoon. although
Emily strove to carry off her embar-
rassment in a gay. little badinaEe as to
his presence there, instead Of earning
their living for them.
John was secretly delighted at her
daring little bit of impertinence, and
answered affectiOnately although
Rose tried to rebuke her, reminding
her that her remarks did not show
proper respect, especially since lord
Monkhurst was present.
But Emily only laughed and de-
clared she was sure dear, old, Uncle
Neo didn't mind, a remark that nat
urally upset all three of the marital
cCnSpiratOrS.
Why uncle?' protested Ned, you've
Haven't II" answered Emily lightly.
1T seems to suit YOU
Ned tried to joke it Off protesting
he wouldn't be anvbody's uncle
though he didn't mind being a cousin.
MS quips, however, falling rather flat
when Gertrude put in ironically that
ne didn't want to be an uncle for fear
he should be considered as old as she
Before she could say more and Just
what she might say to remind Emily
OVerstrOngly that Ned was many years
older than she, John lnterpolated by
asking where Emily and "Auntie Ger
'Oh." answered Gertrude. 'Mr.
Preeee is calling for US to take us to
the Royal academy"
And, then" added Emily, I'VE shall
have tea at the new Hotel MetrOpOIe,
in Northumberland avenue. It's the
very latest thing"
At her words a frOwn of anger
gathered on Johns face and his voice
as he said shortly, "Preece2 But he
was here last Sunday"
Yes, that was when he arranged
II" acknowledged Emily, and her
father went on heavily and sternIv:
Il don't like the idea of your seeing
so much Of Preece- And your mother
doesn't like it either"
NO, indeed" echoed Rose, nervous.
", while Emily stood staring from
one to the other in surprise, but
Gertrude broke in impatiently:
But why norE He's the cleverest
man in your works; you often said
HE may be the eIeverest man in
my works, came the sharp retort
est man IN my house. Who gave
him leave to take a half day off,
I'd like 10 know2"
He said ne had business in the
west end" began Gertrude. but EN-
lily cut her short with a little ges-
ture, and turned appealingly, but still
with laughter on her face, towards '
Ned, saying with mock humility:
Now, if you want to make your
self useful as cousin, explain to
these sOcaled parents Of mine that
they oughtn't to spoil me one day and /
rule me with a rod OF iron the next ;
It's bad for my disposition
rs this man about town the same
Freeze you were telling me of"
asked Ned, turning towards John and f,
trying TO stop the sharp little gnaW- F.
ing Of Jealousy that had sprung into /
his heart at the thought of Emily Z
spending a gay afternoon with a
man, a cleverer man, and +
man who had about him the romance !
of the inventor
But Emily caught up his words .
eagerly, trying to show how proud her .
father was of Arthur Preece, and how /
much he approved of the work lone /
by this young fellow, whose inven- /
TONS were just then the talk of Lon
don, the inventions rather than the