The Dermott news., 1917-10-18

you SAID you went 10 brighton
Georgy continued relentlesSiy
When | said | went to Brighton?
When went to Brighton" Miss vii
louGhby corrected her coldly
But the chill of her remark was lost
upon her patient cross-examjner.
Gcorsy was too intent upon uncover
ing the romance that She thought she
had stumbled upon 10 be SO easily
discouraged
We'll. today at lunch Hugh Middle
ton said you couldn't have been in
Brighton that week." She paused
TO watch the effect OF her homhshell.
Did he? Really" Miss Willough-
by replied with weli-feigued indiffer
enee But beneath her cold calm her
heart WAS beating furiously She felt
for all the world like some wild thing.
trapped. at bay. And she turned away
to hide the alarm that She feared must
reveal itself in her face
Yes, He was in Paris. and
Paris" Ethel echoed with faint
start
Youth Is ever cruel; and Georcy
had no thought Of sparing her compan-
ion, Her sole idea was that II Ethcj
We're hiding SOME secret liaison she
wanted 10 share the romance with her
Yes" she Went on reientiesSly.
And he saw yon there twice that
week, and both times with Henry
Streetman'
hut that's impossible" Ethel pro
tested
but Mr.. Middleton seemed very
positive" the Younger girl said some
what doubtfully
It's too absurd" Ethel cried. fore
ing laugh Il WIS at BrI-hton. as
can very easily prove"
"Well-that's settled" Georgy ex
claimed. with an air OF relief in spite
OF her hopes Her feelings had. as Il
matter OF fact. been somewhat com
pick "Of course I'd only admire YOU
for being brave enough to defy the
conventions. But father wouldn't"
but | haven't dctied conventions,
Ethel insisted, placing both her hands
over Georges as II to emphasize the
truth OF iltE stdttlltUl.
"Oh. don't care II you have" Sir
Georges daughter told her eallously.
but you ought To care" Ethel pro
tested And rs your governess | can
not condone such an attitude on your
part. Really Georgy. stupid as con
ventions may appear sometimes. nev
ertheless there il bitter penalty ex-
acted from people who break them"
Miss Wagstar rose abruptly as If
impatient with the views of her COVER
ness. and. crossing the room. she seat
ed herself nonchalantly upon the arm
OF chair that WAS drawn up at one
side OF the tea table
oh. pooh she exclaimed AN
that narrow -mindedness is old fash.
toned"
The older girl regarded her reprov-
ingly
What silly book have you been
reading" she inquired After her adj
vent into the Wagstaff home II had not
taken her long to discover that
GeorEy's literary tastes had developed
along lines that would scarcely have
met With Sir Georges approval.
Miss Georgy did not even deign
10 reply 10 Ethel's question. They had
had numerous discussions more or
less heated-upou the subject OF her
reading. which Georgy regarded ms
both footlesS and absurd She had
openly rehelled ut reading the books
that Ethel recommended TO her Jane
Austen and Mrs Gaskell were In her
opinion, hopelessly behind the times
I'm glad you haven't had an affair
with Henry Streetman" the younger
girl remarked Il don't like him
Don't you?" said Ether. relieved
that Georgy was at last convinced that
her suspicious We're groundless
No, Every time he comes into the
room my back sort Of goes up, just
like Rowdy when he sees a cat" Row
dy WIS Georges Scotch terrier whose
antipathy To eats was proverbial
mfr. Streetman has been very kind
TO me" her Governess observed
"Oh. don't defend him. Georgy
cried impatiently. Il know inside that
you agree with me-
Miss Willouguby did not care To
continue the discussion And with an
air Of dismissins both Mr. Streetman
and her relations with him from her
own mind as well as Georges. she
rose from the wide seat. and as she
glanced at her watch exclaimed with
surprise:
Heavens. It's after five must
fuss up bit for the party"
But Georgy would not be put of
SO easily.
We'll, forewarned Is forearmed"
she said sententiously II was clear
that she did not intend to be squelched
like child. II Henry Streetman
were still in her mind. she saw no
reason why she should dissemble In
order to please Ethel or anybody else. !
There's nothing to be forewarned
about" Miss willoughby observed. as
she paused at the door that opened |