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Show BESSIE'S BLUNDER By MARY DREAM. Mrs. Emily Hilton laughed in an embarrassed wny. "Walt till Bessie comes homo from her finishing school," sho said. "Then, Mr. Raymond, Ray-mond, you will approbate us moro," It really was ombarrasslng, for Mrs. Hilton, at thlrty-olght, was still an uncommonly un-commonly pretty woman. Her husband hus-band had boon doad five years. Ho had left her an annuity of $1,200, which was amplo for tho village, and ono daughter, now eighteen years old. Ocorgo Raymond was thlrty-flvo. He had settled in tho little placo a year beforo and opened a law office, which was flourishing, as law offices do In country villages whero litigious rich men exist. And Mrs. Hilton was conscious con-scious against her will that sho was falling iu lovo with a man throo or four years her Junior. Ho was a frequent visitor at tho Hilton homo, but ho had nover mot Bcsslo. And Mrs. Hilton was determined deter-mined that ho Bhould nover tell her ho cared (or her until ho had at least met tho girl. In duo ttmo Bcsslo camo homo, ready for tho gamo of llfo, her pretty head full of Bhallow nonsense Sho was a blonde, In striking contradistinction to her mother. Sho was frivolous, Joyous, and altogether Insincere. But what is insincerity in tho balanco with youth and freshness? Emily Hilton Hil-ton found herself, to nor horror, a rival with her daughter for tho young man's affection. And, what both troubled and yet pleased her troubled her as a woman and pleased her as a mother Georgo Raymond was undeniably bo-comlng bo-comlng infatuated with Bessie. 1 Sho watched tho progress of tho llttlo affair, and, If sho was unselfish enough to bo glad for Bcsslo's sake, Caught Her Breath. for Georgo was a man of standing in tho community nlready, sho was sorry for his. In tlmo ho would discovor 'what she herself had long known, that thero was not an unselfish thought In hor daughter's empty head. Howovor, as things woro going, sho wns simply being swept down tho current; and sho ) could detect a sort of filial rcspoct In tho way Georgo spoko to her. Bessie's callers wero numerous, girls and young men. It was on a particular particu-lar moonlight evening, when Besslo and a girl friend wero munching chocolates together In tho llttlo summer sum-mer house that Emily Hilton was an unwilling hearer of what passed. Sho hnd not meant to listen; but, when sho began to overhear sho ro-malned ro-malned rooted to tho spot iu strong disgust. "My dearest Tess, I havo not the slightest Intention of marrying Georgo Raymond," said Bossle. "But ovorybody thinks you nro going go-ing to," protested her friend, helping herself from tho box. "1 know It. Well? I'vo never had a proposal in my llfo, ana I meant Goorgo to bo tho first That's why 1 am leading him on." "Besslo!" Interposed her friend, shocked, yot wondorlng. "That's what I'm doing. I toll you, I havo that man at tho end of a nlco long string. Ho thinks ho has only got to ask mo and ho'll get mo. But I mean to havo somo fun out of llfo, with mamma so easy-going, and I'm going to break a dozen hearts at least beforo I mako my choice." "But Is it fair to Georgo?" "I hopo so. But I don't caro It it isn't Listen, Tess! I only wish you could hear when ho proposes. I'vo got him so that I can mako him do It any ttmo I want to. Whon he looks like beginning I'm going to luro him on and listen with downcast eyes and blushing blush-ing faco, and then, as soon as ho has 'finished, I am going to look him straight In tho oyo and say: 'Nothing doing, Georgo!' Just like that." "You'll got a roputatlon as a flirt." "I don't caro. Other girls do tho samo thing, Besldos, you know wo haven't much mbnoy, and how am I going go-ing to got gifts and things unless tho mon glvo them to mo? Now Goorgo gave mo this box of candy. Well, I'vo got two othor fellows on tho lead, too. Oh, Toss, It only you could seo tho fun! Georgo is coming tonight." "My dear" "Havo you good ears, Tess? Why don't you go when ho comes, and sit on tho piazza behind tho locust tree?" "I will, then. But, O, Bessie " Emily Hilton turned away, sick with dtsguot. It was growing darker as tho moon waned. That was why sho did not rccognlzo Georgo Raymond till sho almost bumped Into him, and did not at first know that ho had heard. Whatever' Georgo had heard, and how much, ho gavo, no Blgn of It half nn hour later when ho. made his way toward Besslo In tho summcrhouse. Ho carried anothor box of chocolates, dono up In pink ribbon, which ho bestowed be-stowed upon tho giggling girl, Flvo minutes afterward Toss, who hnd solzed tho opportunity to depart, sat on tho piazza, straining her ears to catch tho words of tho lover and her friend's answers. ' After a whlia sho heard Georgo say, In a low volco: "Besslo Besslo, dear, thero Is something some-thing that I have wanted to i.ay to you for a long time. But 1'. take3 courago, nnd somehow I hav not dared to mention it. It moans such r. chango In your llfo, Besslo." "What is It, Mr. Rnymond?" Tess heard Besslo answor very softly. Georgo Raymond seemed to hesitate. hesi-tate. "I am not sure even now that I ought to tell you," ho said. "But I am sure that you muBt have guessed something of my feelings, and seen by my attentions" "Go on!" said Besslo, in a tono Just calculated to reach the ears of her friend, "Well," said Georgo, with a laugh of embarrassment, "the fact is that I lovo I want to marry " Ho broko off, stammering. Besslo Hilton suddenly raised her .volco loudly. : "I understand now, and I am sorry." sho said. "But you ought nover to havo Imagined such a thing was possible possi-ble Why, you are old enough to bo my fathor. My feeling for you has nover been anything but sisterly, oven daughterly. Why, you are old enough to marry my mother. Go and ask her, if you must get married," said the girl with biting scorn. "Why, Besslo" "It Is useless, Mr. Raymond. You moan nothing to mo at all." "You entirely misunderstand mo." retorted Georgo, Just as loudly. "What I wished to announceto you was this: your mother, to whom you havo ro-forrcd ro-forrcd mo, has JUBt promised to bo-como bo-como my wlfo, and I wns trying to break tho fact that you are going to havo a stopfather and guardian," ho added meaningly. Tess, on tho piazza, caught nor breath. Then, hystirical with mirth, sho crept away, Just aa tho shamed and weeping girl rushed by. Upstairs Emily Hilton heard nothing noth-ing of this. Sho was in her bedroom, sobbing softly from happiness. (Copyright 1915. by W. O. Chapman.) |
