The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-02-09

" eAoucr m4tefs ana A4fy per
ceived that she had come upon = defl-
nits errand.
"Ms. Kittersby and her daughter
were chatting about some Of the
people here In town the other day."
said Sibyl. repeating the cooling and
protracting It They said something
that took me by surprise! We were
talking about our mutual friend, Mr..
Robert Lamhorn-"
Mary interrupted her promptly. 1--WE
shouldn't consider Mr.. Robert Lam
horn a friend of ours"
To her surprise. Sibyl nodded eager
", a. II greatly pleased. That's Just
the way Mrs. Kittersby talkedr' she
cried, with q vehemence that made
Mary stare. Yes, and I hear that's
the way all you old families here
speak of himr'
Mary looked aside. but otherwise
she was able to maintain her compos-
ure. II had the impression he was a
friend Of yours" she said, adding,
hastily. 'and your husbands"
"Oh, yes" said the caller, absently.
"He is, certainly. A mans reputation
for little gayety oughtn't to make a
great difference to married people. Of
course. It's where young girls are in
question. Then It may be very. very
dangerous. There are a great many
things safe and proper for married
people that might be awf'ly imprudent
for q young girl. Don't you agree,
Miss Vertrees2"
II don't know" returned the frank
Mary. DO you mean that you intend
to remain friend Of Mr.. Lamhorn's
but disapprove Of Miss Sheridan's do
ing so?"
THAT'S 1t exactlyv was the naive
and ardent response of Sibyl. what
feel about 1t Ia that a man with his
reputation isn't at all suitable for
Edith, and the family ought to be
made to understand 1t. l tell you,"
she cried, with sudden access of We
hemence, "her father ought to put his
foot DOWN.
Her eyes flashed with a green
spark: something seemed to leap out
| and then retreat, but not before Mary
had caught a glimpse Of 1t, as one
might catch a glimpse of a thing dart
ing forth and then scuttllng back into
hiding under a bush.
| "Of course" said Sibyl, much more
composedly, II hardly need say that
it's entirely on Edith's account that
| I'm worried about this. I'm as fond
Of Edith as If she was really my SIS
ter. and 1 can't help fretting about it.
1t would break my heart to have
Edith's life spoiled"
This tune was Of the key, to Mary's
ear. Sibyl tried to sing with pathos,
but she fiatted.
"And Edith's life would be spoiled" !"
| Sibyl continued. "It would be a
dreadful thing for the whole family.
She's the very apple Of Father Sheri-
thing for him to have her marry a
man like Robert Lamhorn; but he
doesn't know anything about him, and
II somebody doesn't tell him, what I'm
most afraid Of is that Edith might get
his consent and hurry on the wedding
| before he finds out, and then 1t would
be too late. You see, Miss Vertrees,
It's very difficult for me to decide just
what it's my duty to do"
II see," said Mary. looking at her
thoughtfully. Does Miss Sheridan
seem TOTO care very much about
himf'
"He's deliberately fascinated her."
returned the visitor, beginning to
breathe quickly and heavily. She was
launched now; her eyes were furious
and her voice shook. "He went after
her deliberately the way he does ev-
erything; he's as cold -blooded as a fish.
All he cares about Is his own pleasure,
and lately he's decided it would be
pleasant to get hold Of piece of real
money-and there was Edith! And
he'll marry her! He told me SO last
night He said he was going to marry
her the first minute he could persuade
her to it-and little Edith's all ready
to be persuadedr' SibyPs eyes flashed
green again. "And he swore he'd do
it," she painted. HE swore he'd
marry Edith Sheridan, and nothing on
earth could stop himr'
And then Mary understood. Her
lips parted and she stared at the bab-
bling creature incredulously, a sudden
vivid picture in her mind, a canvas of
unconscious Sibyl's painting. Mary
beheld it with pity and horror; she
saw Sibyl clinging to Robert Lamhorn,
raging, in a whisper, perhaps-for Ros-
coe might have been in the house, or
servants might have heard. She saw
Sibyl entreating, beseeching, threaten
ing despairingly, and Lamhorn-tired
Of her--first evasive, then brutally let
ting her have the truth; and at last,
infuriated, swearing" to marry her
rival. II Sibyl had not babbled out
the word ''swore" it might have been
less plain.
The poor woman blundered on,
wholly unaware Of what she had con-