Show V C S Sro s ro on O 0 J ro r 0 I Z Si r 0 l 1 I I iv C t of c ct t f F Ff Fd J v f 1 J JI JIl K f t r s r 1 d f rt th hf y l 4 i b lre i i iZ y 1 R r rP re i j P e nr tom 1 77 ii ew iT M IA c ba If 2 rollo b 4 eat lt HE was ws dressing for fort a ball fortunately a l fancy i IlI n a r fit ball Otherwise she would have hae been unable t r rIn SHE to dress for it lacking lackin frocks and md means to purchase frocks Crocks However she chanced to be rii toy th possessor of a beautiful b auti ul old faded ir ebee gown which had belonged tn a CU mother She had chosen the character of My 11 Iy Great a Grandmother and md if her had looked In f as charming charmin as lS she did in this quaint brocaded silk with my 1 i t its ita patterning of rosebuds and amI true lovers knots and its ts 7 t fine fille lace the romantic thing tiring that happened iL needs no explanation t i She had fastened the last of a row of buttons when she felt something n crackle in the bosom Jear c 1 of 0 f the t I Ie dress d ress Investigation 1 showed a I stiffened square and nd faded stitching as IS though something many man y years years n before had been sewn into the lining ning l of the bodice m th I lb She Slit had allowed herself time and to spare for her dress dressing dressi i m be ing loitering deliciously over oer the rare delight of a aM M grand toilet She had leisure lc sure therefore to o remove th the h blur ht bodice and sitting silting down ran her scissors through the cl faded silken stitches and anu withdrew a square of parch parchment COUld conIS ment m t tied tieu with wilh a yellow ribbon In faded ink but bul clearly clearl r re and lOd hold bold boldly was set forth in a mans hand the stiff 0 quaint hand I of 0 f a century earlier ike To my beloved Ursula de dc Lisle Lyndon in token a 3 61 of my undying affection I bequeath the whole of my mya a the Monies and Property Properly Signed JOHN HERRIES post stoic The document was duly witnessed by a l justice the thel l Wi Peace and by another It was dated July Jul the twentieth Ir th 1803 J Folded with it lay a tiny note I 1 have he never neer claimed this having ing more than suf sur lo me mc URSULA DE L L LWell I Well Pamela his greeted her herrell Well rell John I her responded Why do you look al at me like that Do I look at you like l ke that thai How do I look at al you youIt youIt youIt It is difficult to ta define theres something different about your you r Tonight I am nearly a hundred years old she laughed in her silken rosebuds and true m lovers loers knots t I aiso also he said did in his clothes Pam I have ha never neer seen you look so soso so well ell John ohn I have never neer seen yon you look soso o so sadly saul not nol really so bad he lac said carelessly r lessl and you jou 01 sec see I had hau to belong to the same same period as you OU to tomake tomake tomake make Our minuet minuel decent John I hope Lilian 1 i His face clouded She 1 e c altogether like it But as Is I I told her herou you ou and I once shared bottles of food 1 We Ve never did diu I she cried indignantly You wire w re reIt reat at It school before I 1 was christened Anyhow wee weve known one another all your lift I say sa Pam Pm PamI I saGo Go and dance and do your jour duty dut Theres no time to t tsay say more a lie He drew dreV a little package from hom a pock t of his brown coat She turned whiter than her frock frocy j Good gracious 1 I she faltered A faded rose rosc he said lifting the ragged flap and andt andi t i j giving her a glimpse of shriveled fragments fr and amI the faintest whiff of sweet perfume lie He showed sho d her the envelope On it was gas as written in i the bold ol t characters she knew knew Ursula wore ore it rt r I t Ursula was my she said with witha a Do tremulous lip lipI l p lOr I know he hc answered his tics eyes on her h r curiously He returned the envelope reverently to t his pocket And b my m loved loed her Why why they marry John J JohnI I He broke the silence of a a h abruptly T Some one made mischief he said sai hurrying off l stopped slopped letters and md told lies lied I q The minuet went charmingly J strange lady who had come in party and chanced to sit bet be betide t prim tide side Lilian observed upon it Ilow delightfully ully those two dance What a beautiful beautiful ful girl and what a beautiful dress 1 I suppose that is ter the girl Mr lr Herries is to marry Then you suppose wrongly Lilian L l retorted with an In 10 d angry flush lush I am the girl irL Pc Mercy on us I the discomfited i lady murmured o Cilia e noes ca really re y I am very ery sorry Lilian was a wit She prided herself upon putting trie persons out of countenance while admirably bly preserving rate at ath her I er own owna h a 0 Hot man I Perhaps you ou are arc his Susan she sub submitted pubU tf ingenuously Otherwise I can c 11 scarcely see sec how ack l tt It his choice affects you your r 13 t 13 s I I meant to say of C course I was Vas sorry s rry the poor pour It I 4 lady bd began hegan in a flutter u t Lilian laughed to Oh I understand she he said Pray dont apologize Im not at all 11 l t trUe Tell rUe e She was not But it is is difficult to guess gu ss why hy she s perpetually boasted of it cr ere ors o Herries was an easygoing ng person per on When his mother d 4 to n had assured him he must marry money in the abstract rrY ny un he had haJ 1 assented laughing Why Wh y not noli he said nJ moneys an excellent thing could rt 0 When she had further informed in ormed him that he must marry money mone in the concrete form of Lilian the great greal brewers only daughter he had further assented as 33 assented Ill laughing Why Wily not I a handsome jolly sort ort of girl It did not occur to him to doubt the wisdom of his choice until his old friend Pamela congratulated him EAGUE upon it She showed herself so frank and smiled so beamingly and gratified that thai he hc turned of a sudden J Je to rr R crusty One might ht think you were going to to marry Pamela had Teals her ller you jou seem so pleased he lie grumbled g to never appeared to him so fair and delectable as she did didat g at nt that thal moment from behind the iron iron barrier of his hi hirr rr Tie l a engagement 0 season t c Oh Im far too poor to think of being married toe the ly It 1 P a responded laying her lashes demurely on her herte herly te I I lr checks And An afterward he lie asked asted himself what thc the dickens she he had meant Pamela was ws pacing up and down the little orchard using breezy language About her the scene was pink and w and magical with wilh apple blossom and wit under her feet the grass lay by cool ana and andreen an green reen above aboc the sky was blue and everywhere a sweet wind laden with wilh the fragrance of Spring flowers It was the morning following upon the ball Her I Ier face wore still that irradiate brilliance the excitement and Ind joy of a ball bring to some girls faces but her brows met Tact frowningly her eyes flashed and amI at inter intervals als vals she stopped to lo stamp a pretty prelly foot As chance had h d it Berries sprang presently over oer a breach in the low wall in and with crop in hand handI I say sa Pamela he said heartily good Lord I youre never neer crying Of course Im not she snapped Why f in the name of everything absurd should I cry Who knows I he lie said Why do women cry erY A dead canary A spoilt lt bonnet honnet A cross word Pam Pamela ela cla he broke in earnestly arc you perfectly happy you jou know Is Miss liss Coventry always good to you ou Im perfectly harpy happy she insisted and you shall shaH not make horrid insinuations about my nip m aunt All right all right he lac said put putting putting ting tins up large hands wherewith to defend himself dont annihilate me inc I meant no na harm Ive Ie come conic on Jill and Ive brought Jack Ick to see sec if youve oue a mind to ride Dont say no Pam He lie was surprised to 10 find that she said yes with without without ith out any an further ado ada She was presently walking beside him to lo the house to dress All of a sudden she stopped slopped and Ou faced about Where is Lilian she demanded Have llave you asked Lilian j 4 4 l r t ft o t rr j f r riI r iI I Y t tr tI I l S Sr r y t I t i t 1 M 1 I 2 C T rT T N ir WV t v C 4 r x il X y 1 ll NI L I 0 S I I A AM Ml Ii EARLY A HUNDRED YEARS OLD SUE LAUGHED t i J He stood rubbing his hands reflectively If I knew what he lie to to tell he said Id Iu tell it But youre so difficult If f I 1 say I asked Lilian probably probably probably and if I confess I about aboul duly duty ably preach 1 to me my have asked Lilian tilt your nose and tell me you refuse to figure as a substitute She laughed into inlo his rueful countenance retorted and Ill come under any circumstances she tripped gaily on Pam he said boyishly overcome with gratitude when you OU are arc rc friendly and nice it seems as though as ai though there were three suns shining Oh what rubbish I she cried hotly HOU you forget youre not talking to Lilian LilianI He I fe laughed to himself It would have been rubbish lead had he talked it to Lilian Lilians moods had hau no effect at all upon the weather Half an hour after they had ridden away Lilian called calle to sec see Pamela Informed that Miss liss Pamela was not nOi at home she s e asked for Miss Coventry Oh I 1 did so want to see sec Pamela was her breath breathless breathless breathless less greeting It ll is most important There is not an m hour to spare Do you think she would lend me that delicious frock she wore last night so that I 1 may have haveit it copied exactly for a fancy fanc ball in in town She went away away ay some minutes later with gown gom and fathers will wrapped d in brown paper front scat Sc l lof of her carriage r That same evening g she confronted John as he hc sat smoking in his library I came across the th lawn she said I have some something something something thing to say sa to u 1 1 Her lIer manner was hostile He shrugged ged shoulders lie Ife was of course to lo be scolded for riding with th Pamela Lilian unfolded a small parch parchment ment anent She described how haw she had come come by it Did Diu you know of it she demanded He I Ic stood white and perturbed I wonder if Pamela has seen it he said slowly She repeated repealed the thc question I 1 knew of it he admitted There was a long sil silence silence silence ence Then she broke out contemptuously And you OU have hac defrauded Pamela Pamell nil III these years years ears and anu would have hac defrauded me would have made me party parly to 10 a cheat I meant to tell you he said laid tonelessly She cried out scornfully full Did you think I would consent to be a fraud fr d He lIe turned and looked at It her Your Tour estimate of me m is scarcely flattering he said stiffly No because Ive found you out she cried i I sec See Seethe the whole mean plot You would marry me for my money mone so as to make yourself safe s Ce in case the will II were found And you would go o riding and paying plying at attention attention attention to Pamela so that should it be found She halted lacking words and breath He turned away awa his face like a man ashamed In a forced unnatural voice oice he lie said Under this will I should have been een a beggar Lilian Lil The estate must have gone I should have hac been liable for the interest and accumulation of all 11 those years ears She laughed curtly I thought you well enough off elf to be marrying marring me for myself she said saiu I suppose it was in in the character of a beggar that you YOl yo asked me Perhaps you would have hae had the honesty to declare the tile will and anu pay payoff off the time interest and anu accumulation when you jou had got my money mane with which to do it itlie itHe lie He kept kepi his face averted Your opinion of me is isis isis isis is staggering he said lamely of she retorted smartly but Not my 01 opinion you yourself with the light let in on you OU In a way he said 1 I admire you ou for your indignation tion But are you not expressing it a bit bil coarsely I believe in calling spades spades she retorted bluntly After a minute Of course coarse you jou realize that I under these circumstances all is over oer between bet us Oh of course he said drawing a light breath Her face fell She had not expected so o easy an In ac acceptance acceptance Still she resumed resumed hurriedly if yoU 01 should do the honorable thing thilE thin my money would be enough for forI or orI I t think of it il he Ice broke brake in as Hurriedly and with rather more eagerness Oh Ol well rehl she cried as you please A flash lash of light darted prismatic from her hands She had thrown her engagement ring upon the table After Afler all she said bluntly it il was bought with Pa Pl melas money moncy She turned to leave lete She turned tuned back to look at him He carried off orr the thc situation well Standing there his fine frame erect his head well up she had never neverseen neverseen neverseen seen him look cooler or more composed She moved a pace toward oward him John she sync began and stopped short The rage in n his eyes showed her his composure as merely a mask She knew that nothing she could do now or would wo ld cement the relations she had broken She changed ehan ed her tone What arc you going to lo do o about the will This he lie said Before she could reach it he had caught it from the table and had put it in in the lure fire He held helu her handy hands 1 COPYRIGHT ISO 1503 when lien hen site sl would w ul have e snatched it from the blaze A moment later Ilter it il was a blackened mass Then he released her hr You arc a mean cadi cried beside herself with anger anger I 1 suppose there is no copy Oh yes es he returned coolly But Bul it is in in my possession Well Veil I shall tell Pamela and anu everybody she threatened as she site left him She met him hint two days das later in a lane lie He raised his hi hat and anu would have hae passed her But she stopped in front of him John JOhI she appealed I said too much the other evening I took too much for granted I 1 find you had already dy told Pamela His eyes wandered Did Pamela tell you OU so he ire asked Yes She was quite angry ans with me She said you told her long ago and offered to make everything right Will you ever eer forgive forgie me meNever meNcer meNever Never he said emphatically Then as 15 though the subject had no interest What lt reason rc son did Pamela give gic Oh some sonic nonsense about not nol caring for money Its plain of course that in love loc with wilh you you ou I He winced as though he had hau been struck Great Crest I heavens he lie cried arc you made maue of hemp and anu straw Im sure I dont donl know kno what you mean Possibly not he lie retorted And have you OU told everybody else i Of Cf course I she said sullenly And I 1 apologize for all I said to you youe Dont give gic e it a second thought he lie said with absent looks He lilted lifted his lint hat again and md left her looking after him hint When it was as known that the thc engagement between and Lilian was broken off everybody asked everybody else to bear witness that thal it was exactly v what she had foretold For said each it had hind been plainer than a pikestaff that he had never cared two pins about her Such love loe as there had been had been wholly on her side And when later laler she site became Lecam engaged to lo an impecunious actor the reason she had thrown over was still plainer There arc Ire per persons persons persons sons it il is impossible to hoodwink These persons knew also that Henries Berries engaged him himself himself self presently to Pamela Redwood merely from pique Others there were however who insisted that Pamela had never neer been Deen so full of spirits and gay laughter as she slue had been immediately after Lilian hind had ha accepted ferries Pamela are arc you ou ill dear inquired of her ruefully once during their engagement She Site |