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Show HIS INTERFERENCE There Was Only One Way Out of the Engagement. BY A. MARIA CRAWFORD. "You've always had all the money you wanted, Theorem and you wouldn't know how to get along without It," Bald Betty decidedly. "So it's best to consider our engagement at an end. I can't marry you." i 7ncurZ Crane looked at the girl wonderingly. "There Is only one way out of this engagement for you, just one," he repeated, re-peated, "and that is to acknowledge that you don't love me. No other reason rea-son will hold with me." Betty pondered, a tiny pucker showing show-ing in her forehead. She spoke with an effort. "You know there has always al-ways been Tom." She tried to look at him, but her eyes fell before the sudden sud-den Are in hia own. "Well, what of it? He's a sort of half-forgotten myth." "Don't these roses look real? He has sent flowers every day for two years." Her retort came quickly. Her pride had been stirred, "Do you mean to tell tae that you you of all women would have allowed me to hold you in my arm and kiss you if you had not intended to marry me? Were you thinking of Tom then?" The girl's defense was being swept away ruthlessly. She felt the hot blood tingle in her face. "I don't suppose you ever made a mistake and kissel the wrong girl, did yoU?" she asked slowly. "Bfetty! What's the matter? Your "ather has told you that Uncle Henry drew up his will yesterday and left his money to me provided that I don't narry a so-called society woman. He has always been a crank on the subject sub-ject of marriage. Thinks that women ought to know how to cook and sew nd run a house, you understand. I went to the office and begged your father fa-ther not to tell you. Uncle Henry has been in Australia for twenty years and he didn't know a lawyer nor anybody PliiSSi ' "How Many Guests?" else in this town. Imagine how I felt when he came in to luncheon today tnd announced that he had been to 1 Gustave Carter to have his will drawn up! To your father! I don't want his money. I can take care of yon. Oh, Betty, dear, I've been so happy. Say It's all a mistake. I don't want anything any-thing but you." Betty swallowed hard and staring in the Are, went over to herself every word her father had said at noon. "Betty, you must give up Theoren Crane," he had urged. "The boy has A future and this old uncle of his has a dozen millions. Tou mustn't let maudlin sentimentality cheat the boy out of a fortune like that. The old fellow loves Theoren and wants him to marry a quiet, simple girl who is accustomed to do actual work, house-;i house-;i hold work, he said. Yes, I know it's hard on you for you are more than ;i capable and can run this big establlsh-,1 establlsh-,1 merit, but Henry Crane demands that his niece shall not smack of the social j world. You're like a beautiful orchid. Betty, don't cry; we'll go abroad for a year. Henry Crane would never believe be-lieve that you could work. You must not think of yourself in this, but what this fortune will mean to him." Acts of heroism appeared easy enough to accomplish in the creatures of men's fancies in books but when an actual experience came home to an average, normal girl, it seemed too difficult dif-ficult for mortal endurance. Betty wanted to cry out how dear he was this man she was giving up for love of him. He was so big and strong and capable of caring for her. She would love him so that he would never regret re-gret the loss of money under the circumstances, cir-cumstances, she promised herself, and then the voice of her father, speaking In a cool way of the material things tf life, smote her inner consciousness, "Tou mustn't let maudlin sentimental- i'.y cheat the boy out of a fortune liki; that," and Hetty steeled her heart and determined to prove herself equal to her father's expectation and demand. "If I ever "sarry, I will marry Tom. Nobody could love a woman any more than he loves me. I am going abroad in ten days, where I hope to study and travel and improve myself. I need it." "As late as last night, you didn't reed nor want anything except my love. Tell me the whole truth, Betty. Why are you talking about. Tom now? Isn't it because of Uncle Henry's will? Do you really love this man in the south? Be honest with me, Betty, please, for I believe In you like I like I believe In God," he finished reverently. rev-erently. Theoren, I" Betty put her hand to her throat. She seemed to be choking. "Give me two days to think things over. Then I will send for you, Theoren," she held her arms out to him as he turned away to the door. "Don't lose faith in me, not yet not yet." The next evening at dinner she heard her father's voice calling her. "In the kitchen, daddy," she answered. an-swered. "I'm getting dinner. Mary, Susie, James and my own maid rushed home an hour ago when the grocer's boy told them about that big fire in the" block where they all live. I'll hurry. You won't have to wait long." "Put more water In the soup, John Carter told her; smiling at this strange trick of Pate, "for I've brought company com-pany to dinner," , "All right." Betty was not perturbed. per-turbed. "How many guests?" "One Mr. Wilson from up country." Mr. Carter stood for a minute admiring admir-ing the slight figure In an evening dress pinned up carefully and partly i covered with one of Susie's big blue aprons. Betty Dervcd her dinner without any apparent effort and found time to chat gaily with her father's rather silent guest. "Did you really cook this nice dinner?" din-ner?" Miss Betty,?" he asked yielding presently to her gracious charm. "Yes. We keep four servants, but this afternoon they all stampeded because be-cause of a fire in the block where they live. Fortunately, my mother trained me to be ready for Just such emergencies." emer-gencies." "Now, Miss Betty is just the sort of a girl I want for my " i Let me give you some more iuvw. begged John Carter hospitably. It was evident to the guest that , Mr. Carter did not care to discuss professional pro-fessional matters at home with his daughter, so he immediately took up the worn topic of the high cost of living. liv-ing. "Betty is a shrewd manager," commented com-mented Carter, proudly. "I hear other men complain of expenses, but Betty is a good buyer and wastes nothing, so I find that although I have everything every-thing on the market, my expenses, household expenses, are no more than they were ten years ago." "I'm proud to know such a girl in these days of wilful waste and extravagant extrav-agant living. You'll make some man a mighty fine wife, Miss Betty." A little later as the men sat smoking smok-ing in the library, Betty's voice, plaintively plain-tively sweet in a tender love song, made John Carter's heart begin to ache. He remembered her assumed ! gaiety at the table and her brave attempt at-tempt to take his advice without any apparent effort. The tinkling of the door bell startled star-tled htm from his reverie, then the rustle of Betty's skirts and then Theoren Theo-ren Crane's deep voice in the hall. "Betty, I don't care a hang about Uncle Henry's money. Something tells me that you love me and that you are sacrificing yourself for my supposed advancement. I couldn't' wait for you to send for me. I love you, Betty. You're all I want in the world." Wilson turned questioningly to his host. "Isn't that Theoren? Is that why you asked me to take an assumed name for the evening?" A few words between the men explained ex-plained matters, Henry Crane chuckling chuck-ling with laughter, parted the curtains cur-tains at the door. There stood his nephew, his young face drawn with suffering, pleading with the woman of his heart. Betty, all the color gone from her pretty face, was biting her lips to keep back the hot tears. "God bless you both, nephew. I couldn't find you a better wife in all tne world than Betty. Take her and I'll draw up a new will in the morning, morn-ing, leaving the love . I have followed all my life gold to my dear niece and nephew. May I kiss her, Theoren?" The-oren?" "Yes," said his astonished kinsman. Then as the older men withdrew, he caught the girl to his heart. "Betty, you're the right girl for me, am I the right man for you?" "Yes; there's never been anybody but you, Theoren. Oh, what I've suffered suf-fered trying to give you up because I do love you!" "Never mind, it's all over now, sweetheart. Some poet has Bald that a tear lies in the petals of every rose. Please God, we've had our tear now for the heart of the rose of love and life I" (Copyright, 1J12, by Associated Literary |