Evening star., 1923-11-11
By Archibald Marshall
Illustrated by II. S. Barbour.

mo. dear. don't want you to GO"
said Evelyn; you might get into
mischief"
Yes, 1 might" admitted Moral
by and by. it was a funny thing Mr..
Daubeny going of so suddenly with
out any reason"
'He had a very good reason" snap
ped Philbeach. He had asked the
rector and his wife to come and see
him"
That is what makes it funny
said Norah. I'VE know Mr.. Truelove
very we'll, and he hasn't got a wife
We'll. ! won't swear to the wife.
said Philbeach. II may have mis-
understood him. He was in such Il
hurry"
Are you sure he didn't say his
sister, asked Norah.
Yes that's it. OF course. 1t was
his sister" said Philbeach, much re-
lieved.
Norah, because Mr. Truelove has
only one sister. and she is in Aus
tralia"
Phflbeach turned round on her.
Look here" he said, cant you go
and read that magazine somewhere
else? You seem determined to make.
yourself unpleasant to me-why I
don't know. But there's no necessity
for you to disturb yourself with ny
company if you don't like it"
II do like it, said Norah. You
Lii nd W.
brought me those chocolate cream.
I was going to give them back To
you, but / don't think / can now.
have eaten several more-rather too
many. in fact. You may have observ-
ed-or more probably you didn't
that I took very little part in the
conversation at tea. And / passed.
the seed cake"
Philbeach's turned scarelet.
oh, that's it. is it?' he said. He
cast a hasty glance at Evelyn. Then
he turned savagely on Norah. You
odious little eavesdropping cat" he
said, you ought to be ashamed OF
yourself"
Norah went white, but she stood
her ground.
I'm not a bit ashamed" she said.
but her voice trembled q little. How
dared you talk about my sister as you
did to Mr. Daubeny? Fancy think ing
you could cut out man like that.
she continued. why, you couldn't
cut out the pony boy. And if my
frocks are improperly short" she con-
cluded. mother bought them for me.
and when I'm older / shall have longer
ones
Philbeach turned to Evelyn.
rs il any use after this. Miss Eve
lyn." he asked, "or must l go away"
You had better go away, 1 think.
aid Evelyn, quietly. Then she broke
out: "Oh. go away. Please go away
Philbeach got up and went without
a word.
uoH, Norah. how could youo" ex-
~ claimed Evelyn, in great dis
tress, directly they were alone. 81
shall never be able to look either of
them in the face again"
"Oh yes, you will. said Norah.
You'll look one of them in the face
pretty soon. Stop here minute, Evy.
I'm coming back. l just want to go
and speak to the pony boy" She ran
off toward the gardens.
Poor Evelyn, left to herself, seemed
overwhelmed.
"Oh. why did l let herr" she eX-
claimed And he'll go straight and
tell Charlie-Mr. Daubeny. 1t serves
me right for encouraging the horrid.
silly jackanapes. But l only did it TO
oh, 1 don't know why I did IT
The end of her soliloquy was burst
of tears. in which Daubeny found her
a few minutes after he came striding
off the grass onto the terrace.
Norah, walking to and fro on the
lawn. saw her sister spring up from
her chair and allow herself to be en-
veloped ina manly embrace. from
which she showed no immediate in
clination to disengage herself.
Il think it's time 1 stopped it now
Norah said to herself after brief
interval. and presented herself on the
terrace TO the now united pair.
"Oh, Norah you are wicked
childr' said Evelyn. I'll never for
give you"
That's so like human ntaure," com
mented Norah. I've done everything
for them, and now they turn against
me-"
IT don't. old chap" said Daubeny.
gayly. I'm jolly grateful to you
Here. shake hands. No. I'm hanged if
don't have a kiss. Yours going to
be my sister some day. you know.
"Norah wiped her mouth refiectively
WELL" she said, you seem to have
learnt at last how to treat a woman"
Copyright. 1921