Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-06-18

For the moment Mary's heart was
dead and incapable of further suf-
fering. She felt as II she had reached
the end of her tether of endurance
and nothing mattered any more.
There were letters waiting for her
when she got back to the fiat, but
| she let them lie on the table un-
| opened. She had forgotten David
Bretherton and her own miserable
indecision in the horror of this fresh
tragedy.
1t was only hours after their ar
rival that Mary opened those let
ters. One was brief acknowledg-
ment from the owner of the fiat In
reply to her own intimation that she
wished to leave; and the other
Mary turned it over DULY. She did
not know the writing; but the post
] mark
Her heart beat a little faster as she
saw that. She broke open the flap
The paper was expensive, and en-
bossed with heading-"The Red
Grange"
MY dear child" lit began).-"Da-
vid tells me that he has asked you to
come here and live with us so / am
just writing to assure you of my
very hearty welcome, both for your
! own sake and dear Nigeps. We will
both do our very best to make you
happy, and try and help you forget
your sorrow.
| Come as soon as ever you like.
am having Nigers room prepared for
you. I thought you would like to
have it.
perhaps you have not heard of
jr1,n 1,..f f,-nx WI, n. xrtI k1Il
me of you, / am sure we shall grow
sincerest wish.
Believe me, my dear child,
"Yours laffectionately,
''Nigeps Aunt Florence"
Aunt Florence! Nigel had spoken
of her so often. He had loved her
dearly. How good of her to~write!
So they really wanted her! There
was something in the simple warmth
of the letter that felt like kindly
hands outstretched to grasp her own.
NigePs room! How dear of them
to think of that!
But, of course, it could never be.
Now she would have to finish that
letter to David which she had begun
only yesterday and tell them the
truth.
She folded the letter from the Red
Grange and thrust it out of her
sight in blotter. She resolutely
walked from the room, determined
to forget it.
But the insidious voice of tempta-
ion walked with her, whispering,
always whispering: why no? Why
not?"
CHAPTER XVIII
An Experiment
Montague Fisher and David
Bretherton had been friends ever
since their schooldays when Fisher
had tagged" for Bretherton and
adored him as a younger boy will
sometimes look up to and make a
hero of an elder who is more bril-
liant and popular than himself.
when Bretherton came into the
inheritance and rent-roll of Red
Grange, one of the first things he
did was to look up his old friend
then a young lawyer but just begin
ming to feel his way-and hand over
his affairs for Fisher to deal with.
1t was through him that Nigers
generous allowance had been paid
while David was abroad, through
him that the estates had been ad-
ministered during their owners alb
sence.
But the old friendship between the
two men still existed in spite of their
business relations, and Fisher had
been genuinely delighted to see
David again.
He was thinking of him one morn
ing as he sat in his office signing let
ters that had been prepared for him
by his typist.
BY the early post he had heard
from David to the effect that he had
arranged for his brothers widow to
come to Red Grange.
q. We can but see how 1T
works" ESQ he wrote). Aunt Flor
ence is quite willing for the expert
ment to be made. She entirely
agrees with me that We ought to dc
everything in our power to help her
now Nigel is gone.
ITS a mistake-Tm sure it's a
mistake. Fisher said across the
breakfast table to his sister. David
/ hasn't seen the girl, and have
! I'm sure he'll regret having taken
! such step"
said Dora idly.
She was breakfasting in a loose
! teagown and her hair was careiessiy
dressed.
Now David was no longer in the
house she had reverted to her usual
rather slovenly habits. She yawned
as she spoke.
'What sort of woman Is she!'
she, asked, without much interest.
Monty hesitated.
| "Weli, I dare say you'd call hei
pretty-in a common sort OF style'
he said hesitatingly. She's got
rather good hair, reddish-sort OF
color-Oh yes, she's decidedly pret'
ty. But there's something cheaI
about her. / don't know II us mel
clothes or her manner, but I'm sure
| that she won't suit David for long.
Il shouldn't think David would
suit her either. If she's what you
! describe. She'll find the Red Grange
dull, and David uninteresting."