Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-26
..Yt v.s. ,nA.ea ny sa,a.

ut vas. indeed. ~ said.
"Yeu-you-vsrs that-that her.iA
as.ek. :S "Ws.t d,d YOU yoa expect expect n. s",:s T.
dot catch Q prstty sirl playing
Z trick like that on me to got her
uncle out of paying his rsnt, and OF
course kiaa her-a 10 gusrro CONNIE
2 10 gusrrs. ! couldn't beat you for
The ,i herrid , fright you'd given me.
my unel.'. r.nt, what Do you
means" she DRIED.
Ny heart Jumped jeyful,y. I had
S.s1.s Sssn sfnt ti. 'ss n.A not h!a known her
been sure Of It really.
why. didn't you know? Your
uncle was trying to get his house rent
free on the ground that Number .
was haunted" blurted out like a
born idot.
she stood quite still. staring at me.
and wrinein1 her hands: 80 that
was his joke" she said ''and-and
what you must have been thinking OF
mo all this time! OH"
Il thought that your uncle had told
playing on a friend" said quickly. m Nv
You did mott" she cried,
II did!" cried I.
You did not! You thousht-oh,
you thought that I was party to the
e! did not-never. l knew vol,
couldn't be-" ! said stontly.
You did---you did. dh. under.
stand now-the things that puzzled
me-the way you've loo',oi at me
sometimes. And that kisS--oh. how
I've hated you for that ;iss."
1T couldn't have heon ne vou
hated for 1t. because YOU didn't know
It was me. Besides, the cther kisses
have wiped it away" said.
she' rubbed her lips; and her eve.
blaxed At me.
.," I'm Il,!s never ,: speak to you again."
much. but for thinking that OF me
It vast was shameful! And OH
did think 80 much of you," He,
voice broke a little.
But l tell you, didn't think it!'
you did. I know you did" sh,
SAID; And she turned and wen,
but waverinE, as it she did not quite
see where she was going.
sat still; and II looked as big q
fool as felt. I must have looked a
| congenital idiot. did not follow her
At the moment I did not quite see
what to do. 1 thought had better
give her time to get over it a little
II was mess; 1t was not only that
she believed me to have been thinking
badly OF her, was also the person
she had been detestinE for that kiss
thought that she would get over
the kiss pretty soon; for as l told her
there We're those other kisses. Bu,
she would be some time getting oyel
my having believed that she had beer
party to her uncle's little game.
was sure that that would hurt hel
horribly. I wondered how I could
ever have been such fool as to
think it. Then told myself, with
details, what 1 thought Of myself for
letting her learn that l had though,
1t.
1t eased my mind little: and I
settled down again to decide what !
should do. I first made up my mind
somewhat. Then II considered how
horribly hurt she would he feeling ali
that time, and how wretched i,
would make her. It must be stopped
at once, somehow. Rut could not
thin know. 1t was beyond my brains
to find way. At last | had an idea
there was just a chance that she
might be bullied out Of her wretched
ness at once, while she was still up
| set.
1t was worth trying: in fact, II was
the only thing to try if would not
wait. walked quickly to Number
9; and on the way 1t occurred to me
that her uncle had got us into the
mess. and tho least he could do wa,
to help US out Of 1t. He might have
a great deal of influence with her;
cha r,,{0f,< h4 P..l-
IL would be no much better that she
should have one unpleasant quartz,
! of an hour than that she should be
miserable for a week Besides,
should probably find it very difficult
If not quite impossible, to get an in.
terview with her on my own ac.
count; he might at least try to work
that for me.
1 made up my mind to try 1t, and
rang the bell. The butler said tina,
| Mr.. Scruton was at home, left me ir
! the drawinG-room for couple OF
minutes and then took me to the
smoking-room. Scruton was sittins
In . big armchair. smoking a cigar
with a novel on his knee. When
came into the room he Jumped ur
to greet me with such q bright face
that fancied that novel-reading was
not one Of his strong points
We greeted each other: he gave me
q cigarette; and we sat down facing
each other.
"l've come to see you on an i'm
portant matter" ! said. II want to
marry your niece"
Scruton rose. came slowly to me
with solemn air. held out an enorm-
Gus hand and said Shake, Lord
Garthoyle."
shook the enormous hand: and
he said solemnly: "She Is yours"
That's just what she isn't; and it's
your fault" I said.
scruton's face fell: and he said
anxiously: "My fault?"
Yes. I had fixed the matter up,
and was just thinking Of beginning
to discuss the date of our mdrriage
when stopped to say something
about the ghost trick YOU set her to
play on me-
.Sha didn't knau uhx sha 1ra q