Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-09
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
NOth0rd GrOLUS Vehement,

''Ninette is very self-willed," said
Mrs Crawford slowly. "She has never
been taught self-restraint or anything
Peter did you ever see anything Ike her
display of diamonds last night?'
my dear aunt. she knows no better"
Instinct should have taught her
Mrs. Crawford insisted.
Peter looked at her, and his face hard-
ened. Z
"Are you turning against her now that
she has no money!" he asked sharply.
Mrs. Crawford flushed.
peter! To say a thing Ike that TO
me" she protested.
He shrugged his shoulders and nan
epOlogized.
I'm sorry. but it is so often the way
NJ the world-and she knows it, too He
stopped and poked the fire into olaze
Look here, / have got proposal TO
make l meant you to keep her Win
YOU and let her have as good time as
possibIe Later on, when the shecA Oh
all this has passed, she Will be quite
willing and eager to go about ana ENJOY
herself again. After all, she Is only d
aBnt. my dear Peter, If there is no
money"
Pei ? flushed q little.
I'm find the money" he said oluhtIy'
"Only YOU must take care not TO let
her know. or she will be of at a tangent
| know Ninette, and she would rather
sweep crossing than take money from
me. in the circumstances. Fortunately
I'm well-to- do man, and l can anofd
it; but
"My dear Peter! With your own mar
rage coming so soon?"
He frowned and answered brusquely.-
rs it coming soon? l was not aware
Of it; and, anyway, there Is enough TOT
Ninette az well l don't know what cav
snagh proposed to allow you FOR chap-
eronlng his daughter, but. whatever II
was, I'll allow you the same, on the con
dition that she is never told
sBut. NV dear boy. why should you
The girl is nothing to you. She must
take her chance, as others do. l don't
mean any unkindness. l like Ninette, but
there IS no earthly reason why you
should spend hundreds a year on seeing
that she merely has a good time. She is
nothing to you"
Nothard laughed, not very mirthlessiy
very well, then; We Will call her
self imposed responsibility. And, my
dear aunt, my money is as good as an
other mans surely"
Il am not thinking of that"
Very well, then; think Of It. and for
get ali the rest" His voice was i'm
patient. II have made up my mind, and
l can be obstinate, as you know" He
bent and kissed her again with careless
affection.
But not a word to Ninette"'
"You can trust me, Peter"
He made a little grimace.
"Can man trust any woman, J
wonder?" he asked cynicaly.
But so the arrangement was made
Ninette stayed on IN Mrs. Cranford's
house through all the dark days Of ex
posture that followed, and, by good dea'
of skilful manipulation and contriving
on Nothard's part very little mention
was made of her at all in the papers.
! Many people were ignorant of the fact
that Cavanagh had a daughter, and grad
ually the scandal and nine days gossip
blew over, and WAS forgotten.
"By every one but Ninette, I am
afraid" Mrs. Crawford told Peter, rather
sadly. "Oh, she never speaks Of him, J
know, but she is always thinking about
the tragedy. You can see it in her eyes
and she's grown hard Peter"
"She has had enough to make her" he
answered.
But she knew very little Of her
| father" Mrs. Crawford said, in a puzzled
sort of way. 81 don't see how she can
have had a great deal of affection for
him. But there is something worrying
her. I am confident. Peter" her voice
dropped diffidently-"you don't think
sometimes I've thought perhaps she has
had a disappointment love affair"
| Nothard laughed.
"Ive never heard of it, Ninette has al
ways declared she would marry for
money, aud no other reason"
Mrs Crawford looked relieved.
"Then, of course, I must be wrong"
she admitted. But I thought really
did think, if you will forgive me for say
ing so, that perhaps she had grown too
"a little too fond of you, Peter"
Nothard turned round, his face flush
ing DULY.
"Of me! Good lord She hates me like
the very devil, and always has donel" he
said vehemently.