Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-01-12

I placed her ia charge OF an absolutely
\ odious child. whereas Inez, thGsgh IN
tensely stupid. was affectionafS and
/ polite, and the Allisons, though they
also had fifteen servants at least left
her alone.
Hideously alone2 No. Of course not,
and Of course she didn't want 10 see
more either Of old Mr.. and Mrs. Al
hson in their dun drawing room and
dining or OF their elder daughter
Rosalie who made such loud noises
with her friends. Nothing stand -offiah
about this girl Griselda, you're to UNI
derstand-her faults, indeed, would
why, again, should she force herself on
any one who didn't want herr She
was q governess, and she'd been IN
much worse Jobs than this, and we're
governesses ever meant to be anything
but rather lonely and unhappy?
It seemed not, though once. and when
Lady Courtfield had been at her most
malicious and malevolent, there'd been
q curious period OF excitement and In
definable bliss. Connected, unquestion-
ably, with an odd young man with very
little money who'd met her one Sunday
afternoon at Kew; who'd picked up a
purse that she'd dropped. but It was
Just chance that had sent him back on
the same omnibus. Who'd talked to
her, though, and had seen a good deal
OF her after that-but only IN parks and
on more omnibuses Who'd been sent
up TO Newcastle, and had written to-
her-remote but regular letters, mostly
about his work. And then
Wen, that was all over, anyhow. That
had all ended weeks ago. and here was
Griselda decorating the schoolroom for
Christmas. and wondering If Inez
would notice anything In the morning,
and thinking that the so-caIled season
Of good win was curiously callous some
times. yet still trying to tell herself
that she was happier than she'd been
IN her last place. Well, still and in any
event, genuinely plying her successor.
And there, In his lodgings IN MaryIe-
bone, was q young man who still
thought Of her and still loved her,
though Fate hadn't stopped its we'll
known tricks for a moment but had |
now raised his screw and got him an
invitation to dine with his Chairman. /
Yes, the great II slightly gross Sir
Hector's eye had fallen on this indus
trious underling, and there'd been q
CHASTITY evening-or the underling had
thought it ghastly--in another huge
house In Bayswater, and though hel
didn't know It, Sir Hector's daughter /
had said: well, he's far better thnn
most Of the stiffs you bring back from
the office, Daddy" Shed aiso-though
busily employed In teasing q lot Of
other gentlemen-had one Of her iFn-
perious, slap-dash and inconsiderate
ideas.
We shall be coming to that, though,
and what you're saying now. Of course,
is why didn't Mark Matheson write TO
Miss Truelove again2 Would a second
OF third letter also have got no further
than q drawer fun of corks and string2
Or II so, couldn't he have bearded Lady
Courtfield. or advertised in the Person
al Column, or employed a private de-
tectiye, Or
But why should he force himself on
any one who didn't want him2 That
was his point. you see, just as it was
hers. Well. London's big place, and
here thought. or even longing, won't
bring two inhabitants together so long
as one oscillates between Marylebone
and the city, and the other between
South Kensington and the Round Pond.
Deadlock. Sad and exasperating.
Calculated to cause some Of us to wish
to wiring Lady Courtfield's buffers
neck. But ineluctable at present, as
the festive season brings fresh pengs
10 both hearts. It might be less pain
full TO glance for moment at some Of
the other dramatis personae.
Miss Rosalie Allison: 'Oh, but, father,
don't be SO dull We must do some
thingl If you won't take US to the
Dotuh OF France"
Mr.. Allison: MY dear child, I've got
my business to look after. Do you real !
Ice that if didn't work"
Rosalie: @Oh father, you've said that
as long as I can remember; and you
needn't talk as II you went to the Of
flee at night"
AGrs. Allison: ~RosaHe you're not TO
speak to your father like that"
Resale Unaffected by this advicel
tOh. don't be pig, fatherl You know
Ibis only happens once year, and we
,ant' Just sit here and do nothing, and
I've practically asked some people now,
md"
Mr.. Allison: ooh, you have, have
gou2 Who?"
Rosalie: @WeIl, some Of my friends.
IF course Wen, naturally, II we're
going 10 dance
AEr. Allison (who is probably better
Vt Board Meetings): who says you're
going TO dancer"
Resale with an air Of patroniztng
patience): ~Oh, darling, you are silly,
arent your What else do you think
we're all going to do at place like the
serene2 Except eat, mean, and
watch the"
MIR. Allison Cirmly but foolishly) {: Il
You'll never get atable now. Far too
ate"
MRS. Allison 0oolishly and weakly N
oh, Herbert, I'm sure Aginistrelh would