| OCR Text |
Show The Persian Rug I ii That rug was a perfect stunner, all gorgeous rich blues and greens, with a background of a most beautiful tor-ra-cottary crimson. It had been "mado expressly for us." as NIta explained proudly to the grensy Oriental, who, howover, did not seem a bit Impressed with tho Information, but persisted In tho extremely low prlco ho had offered us at tho beginning. An absurdly low price, yet ono to which wo finally had to agrco, for both NIta and I wero firmly resolved on one thing wo would go to Mrs. Stephenson's houso party. It would probably bo our last bit of fun with tho old crowd. Hcnco-forth Hcnco-forth wo would havo to forego socloty and earn our own livings. (How wo hated tho Idea!) For Mrs. Stephenson's Stephen-son's houso party ono, of courso, needed need-ed now gowns, etc., nnd In conso-quonco, conso-quonco, money. Now, slnco n most unkind guardian cousin (not angel) had Invested our small fortuno In such a way that It not only becamo smaller, but wns finally lost to viow entirely, wo were pennllcrs, and when wo decided de-cided we must sell something nt onco, tho discovery was mado that no ono thing In tho houso would bring moro than tho rug. I having tho better 'business head" of us two did tho most of the bargaining. I argued, tho Oriental stood firm. I argued again, and succumbed. NIta boro up bravo-ly bravo-ly until the man began counting tho monoy out to mo, thon, with ono howl, sho flow from tho room, slamming tho door after her. Well, wo went to tho houso party. I would havo had a good tlmo If It had not been for NIta. Sho spoiled everything. every-thing. Each ovonlng while we dressed for dinner sho would scold mightily. Each night sho would sob herself to sleop, nnd mo to wakefulness, and through all tho scoldings and tho tears swept tho refrain; "Our rug, our dear, beautiful rug!" Then, ono evening, somo llttlo tlmo after the dressing boll had rung, NIta camo in from I don't know whoro. Sho had a fearful sunburn on, and was so mussy, and on my timidly suggesting suggest-ing her hurrying a bit (she was aimlessly aim-lessly gazing Into tho mirror), sho turned to mo with tho sweetest, gon-tlest gon-tlest smllo, and said, "I know It, dear." I nearly fainted. Not being as well acquainted with NIta as I am, you may not appreciate this. I can only Bay it wasn't llko her. Of course I was puzzled puz-zled by tho chango, but thought sho might havo realized thero wasn't time to scold then. That I would havo doublo measure at tho next opportunity opportun-ity I had no doubt; but no, bedtime camo and no outbr.rst, wrathy or tearful. tear-ful. Such a relief! Yet hours after NIta was asleep I lay awake thinking. What could It mean? Alas, no light dawned on mo. Tho noxt morning (Nlta being lato) tho rug was mentioned men-tioned the first thing, but so differently. different-ly. "Dear old rug," sho said, gaspingly (she was being hooked Into her gown), "perhaps It Is Just as well, Henrietta, that that wo didn't keep It." I started. "A house party is rather good fun, Isn't It?" sho continued. The next day wo dined on board a yacht, and I didn't sco NIta alono until un-til bedtime. "Oh, I'm having a bully tlmo, Henrietta!" Hen-rietta!" sho exclaimed. I folt hurt "So would I havo had from tho start, if " "Yes, I know you poor dear," sho said. "If I hadn't boon so very horrid about tho rug. But now I'm not, am Mil (f v . w. ! ' (CO ' ' A perfect stunner. IT For I'm really awfully glad about it!" But tho noxt day was tho strangest of nil. Nlta didn't speak to mo onco whllo wo wero dressing. (I was rather glad, belub lato myself that day.) Sho didn't speak, but her faco fairly beamed. At bod tlmo sho was still beaming and still silent. Sho may havo said "good night," but I doubt It I was awakened from such a nlco dream by Boino vnguo thing that was, I fancy, similar to being murdered. I sat up In bed nnd yelled. "Oh, glory! Henrietta, keep quiet," Bald my sweet sister, trying to do tho Othollo act. "Nothing's tho matter. I only wanted to talk to you." (Sho had wakened mo by pulling my hair out ono hnlr at a time!) "Seems to me you might wait until morning," I said slcoply. "No, I can't" Nlta was sulky. "Oh, Honrlotta." Sho shook me this time. Ileally, Nlta Is very strong for a llttlo thing. "Do bo a dear, and wako up. I havo something to tell you." Sho "I know It, dear." yollcd this Inst In my car, evidently forgetful of her warning to mo a whllo before. I got cross. "Oh, Nlta, what Is tho mattor? I'm so sleepy." Nlta wept "Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I havo no ono to tell but you, and you'ro so unsympathetic." "Tell mo, dear." I said, sitting up. Alas! I must havo shown too much alacrity and eagerness, for Nlta's manner man-ner changod Immediately. "I don't know why I should," said My Lady. "You don't want to know." "I know I don't, dear," said I, trying to sound rollovod. "Good night," and In a fow moments I snored a thing I never do really. NIta didn't suspect, though. A long pause. I had ccaBod my snoring, but sleep was really beginning begin-ning to get tho best of me, though I was pinching myself black and bluo. Then "Aro you awnko, Honrlotta?" camo In a very subdued volco from tho darkness. I almost said "no," so anxious was I about my diplomacy. "I I would llko to toll you, Henrietta Henri-etta but (my heart sank) but I don't know how to begin." Here I heard something very llko a glgglo, smothered In a pillow. Now, oven as a schoolgirl Nlta had novor boon guilty of giggling! Horrors! "Is It anything about tho rug, dear?" I suggestod kindly. "Indeed, no!" camo tho indignant answer. Another sllenco, thon "Porhaps It Is about tho rug aftor all, Henrietta " "Yes?" (ThiB vory sleepily.) "Ho I mean If we hadn't sold It, we couldn't havo come, and If wo hadn't come why, then O, Honrlotta ho's awfully fond of me, and I guess I llko him." (Yes, thoy wero giggles! I never would have bolloved It of her, novor.) I was evidently supposed to bo sympathetic, sym-pathetic, which under tho circumstances circum-stances was hard. I hadn't tho least Idea who ho was! To tell tho truth, I nadn't noticed Nlta much nt tho house party, being but never mind. "Ho's so nlco and tall." (This was merely to say something anything. All of tho half-dozen men wero tall-four tall-four of them unmarried and only ono of thorn engaged, to my knowlodgo. Ho was ono of tho other three then. 1 tried In vain to remerabor tho colors of tholr eyes.) "iBu't ho?" acqulescod NIta, Joyfully. "Ho has a lovely namo," I ventured. ven-tured. "Such a lovely name " said Nlta. And then I thought I know, for one nad tho first name of John, anothor tho last namo of Smith. Nlta had always al-ways hatod tho first namo of John, and tho InBt namo of Smith I was qui to suro of myself now. I grow very bold. "A stunning namo Reginald Haugh-ton." Haugh-ton." "Henrietta, what aro you talking about you don't think you can't think I'm ongaged to that fool I How could you7 Oh, but you poor dear, I mustn't blamo you. How could you Ihtnro eye, for " (I mustn't tall SBB what sho said such a foolish child! l BBBJ "Well, I'll tell you I'm engaged to BH I lowland Smith, and I'm vory glad. BBBJ Good-night" BBBJ Tho next morning they went up to B town to buy somo cotillon favors. Nlta BBBJ told mo they wero also going to buy BBJ tho rug back "I'vo told him all about BBBJ It, and ho says we must havo It for 'iBVBI Our House." (It was spoken with a flBBJ Capital air!) They camo back on an BBBJ afternoon train. I went across the flBV lawn to meet them. BBl 'Tho rug was bought by whom, do jBBV you think? That horrid Mrs. Ardsloy. BBl Hut I don't caro," said Nlta, smiling BBV sweetly nt us (ono of us especially), ABB as she turned toward tho house. BBBJ "Sho has the most beautiful dlsposl- flflBB tlon In tho world," said tho lucky BBBJ man, looking after her fondly. BBbI DaaV To-night, tho Inst ono of tho house BBBJ party, Nltn told mo, with gleo, "I have BBBJ mado a discovery; his wholo namo I ,BB John 1 lowland Smith, nnd, as I don't !flBB want to cnll him what every ono olse BBH docs, I'm going to call him John I" BBB Maud Virginia Thompson In Boston BBl !BBB |
