Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1922-01-24
BY RUBY NJ, AYREs
ieaRgFisht. 1871 b TIE Mhesisr ~
paReF slndiestsl



The luncheon was q sumpluous al,
lair, and the table was speedily dee
Grated with Aeapolilan violsls and
white roses.
NinetIe gave LITTLE cry 81 pleas
nTe,
"oh, DO you always have hoWeFs
Ike this ON the tables"
She raised her eyes 10 him, NJ
iolets are my layorile flowers"
she said, "But how did sou knoWf"
lie smiled rather sadly,
u once knew someone-Yery Ike
You-whose iagafile flowers were
also yioleis, SO hoped ! might have
done the right thing when chose
them today"
lie looked round The room aud
back again TO her flushed face.
"And what did Mrs. Delay say
when you told her YOU were lunch
ing with me-" he asked after mos
ment
TIE color deepened a little in
Ainette's cheeks.
oh. Margaret didn't mlnd.y she
said "But Mr.. Delay was cross. |
don't quite know why"-she paused
with a sense OF diseomiort--''l sup
pose he thinks am not old enough
10 so about alone" she added.
Then suddenly she smiled.
Peter Aothafd- Mafgarel's BROTH
er, you know-eame down just As !
was starting. lie wanted NE TO 20
10 a thcatef with him, and lac was 1
very angry when ! said | could not"
Cayanaugh's dark eyes searched |
her face euriously.
"Nothardl Why. what has Il 10 do |
with him whether you lunch with |
me or not. he asked rather CURLY. |
Ninette shook her head.
Il don't know. at least. ! suppose |
he thinks he has a right 10 order
ME about-more or less"
What do you mean by that he |
insisted. Il know Peter Nothard. He
is a young mana successful man,
but" He broke off TO ask again
impaticn,ly: what has he to do
with you:'
Ninette shrugged her shoulders.
Il may as well tell you,' she said
at last He took ME into his house
when Josh died. ] was very i'll and
| had no money. and Mr.. Nothard
paid everything for me, and then-x
when | was beticr-he sent me down
10 his sister" She gave a quick sigh
II owe everything to him | sup
pose" she admitted reluctantly. shat
is why | am SO anxious TO find some
work and make some money and
pay him back"
"And who was Josh'i" Cavanagh
asked.
Her eyes clouded with tears.
"He was the best and dearest man
in the world" she said, her voice
broken with emotion. "Hc paid for
me right from the time was born,
even though he was so poor he had
hardly enough for himself. II it had
not been Tor him should have gone
TO the workhouse, because there was
nobody else who would take me. ]
lived with Josh till | was IS and /,
then he got i'll, and--and we hadn't
got the money to give him all the
food and things he ought 10 have
had, $3.50 bs-dicd."
There was tragic silence. Ninette
kept her eyes lowered to hide the
tears in them, but one ovcrflowed
and splashed down onto her black
frock.
"And then" Cavanagh prompted.
after a moment "Then-this man
Nothard took you in: How did you
know him."
She answered at once.
HE owns the paper Josh used to :
write for, and went to see him, and
and" She stopped.
And he saw you had a pretty
face, / suppose" Cavanagk said
"and SO he acted the phil
or chose to call it by that
name"
Ninctte did not answer for mo-
ment, then she raised her fearful
eyes.
No, it wasn't that at all, she said
deliberately, harsh note of memo
ry in her voice. He didn't like me
a Bit She laughed shakily. "He
doesn't like me now; | know he
wishes me at the bottom of the sea-
but, well, in a way, l forced myself
upon him. You see she hesi-
tated, then added slowly: Il broke
into his house the night Josh died.
| was desperate We had no money
and IL should have taken his
watch and sold it, only-only he
caught me and then"
you broke into his house?"
yes" her cheeks famed. Are
you shocked? | can't help it if you
are. I'd do the same thing again il
the chance came and it was for Josh.
I'd do worse! | wish | had done it ;
before. He might have been alive
now if | had"
CHAPTER XXI
$50 You Like Me lust a Little"