The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-01-31
By
Sidney Gowing
Musfrdffon< by
ELLSWORTH u

either. AS for me, l shall go to Sea.
bridge, or on a walking tour-or any
thing l choose !"
Aimee, are you mad?"
"It is one of the sanest moments of
my life :" retorted Aimee; and, lean
ing over the back. she tore the tag
labels off her luggage and Georgina's.
and scattered them on the road. You
can take my things with YOU
IF you think for a moment I'd have
anything to do with such a bu iiness-'
A fiendish expression came over Al
mee's features. She gripped her cous-
ms arms again.
IF you don't" she Kissed, "Tll tell
everybody about you and Aloysius
Biennerhasset getting lost at the ruri-
decanal picnic!"
AT this monstrous accusation, Geor-
gina blushed scarlet. The mildest pee
cadillo in a blameless life, the memory
of the incident in question always
filled her with alarm Aimee had held
1t over her head before.
~ won't listen to another wordi"
she gasped.
You needn't. 1t is the time for
deeds," Aimee seized a small square
box from among the luggage and
thumped the chauffeur on the back.
"Grundle, stop here, l have only a
bag. I'll walk up to the station APP
proach. Take Miss Berners ON to Jer-
vaulx. And hurry-she4is behind time
already"
A family bewildered expression
passed W. the %chauffeur's face. as
though he were trying to arrange his
ideas. He rubbed his ear for a mo-
ment, then saluted and let in the
clutch.
G~eorgina, who had risen with the
intention of escaping from the car,
lost her balance and collapsed in a
slightly undignifed manner on the
seat.
She struggled up and turned a
flushed face towards her cousin.
Stop! Stop" she cried, in an ag-
onized voice. Aimee
oOod-Ds. dCdi SdIu aill1tt. WAY
ing her handkerchief. Don't get lost
with Alexander
The car bore the speeches. and GEES
ticulating Georgina out of sight round
the bend. Aimee sat down on her box,
buried her face in her hands, and dis
solved into such unfeeling laughter
that a pair of thrushes and a chaffinch
fled from the hedge in Indignation and
alarm.
Onward through the green lanes
and over the county border the car
carried a limp and ~nerveless Geor-
gina. CONSERVATION had given avs
to numb despair. -
what shall / do:- she thought.
"What am / to say to Lady Kythea
There'll be a fearful row."
Georgina racked her brains for a
way out of the difficulty. There
seemed to be one She lay back ex-
hausted. And so perverse is even the
purest of human minds that a faint
suggestion crept into Georgina's-a
niue Whisper, as IL were, IN that
blameless ear-that it would be De-
culiarly delightful if she could fill the
role that Aimee had mapped out for
her.
Georgina started. and thrust the
idea from her with Mortified self
~reproach. Again she sought for an
explanation-a true one-whi l would
save Aimee's face. BY the time she
had considered and rejected half a
dozen, finally deciding on one that
she thought might do, the car had COW
cred the thirty miles and was thread
ing through the park road of Jer-
vaulx.
Georgina stumbled out of the car
at the main entrance and faced a
gaunt and majestic lady in gray silk
who came down the steps.
"And so. my dear Aimee" said
Lady Erythea. in a large and inform
alive voice. you arrive at last. Wei
comet"
Georgina faltered. Everything she
had intended to say was driven out