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CHAPTER HI.—"HIS
SWEETHEART."
I
Soon after the two young fellows laft
the room Nellie fell into a deep sleep. The
t-hoc-k of her immersion had been greater
than was at first apparent, but, thanks to
the prompt assistance of Dick Musgrave
and the invaluable help rendered bv
"Mother' Wright, the girl was in no real
danger. The sleep was just what was
needed to restore her strength and soothe
her nerves, and the everting was well ad- j
vanced before she a»"oke. I
She did so to find the cheery face of
her hostess smiling down at her. i
"Well, my dear, an' how d'ye fe?l now?
I've got all your clothes dried and ready |
for ye to put on. They're a bit rumpled i
like, but ye won't mind that, will ye? And'
shall I fell the .young gentlemen ye'r<;1
awake? They've been hanging about my j
kitchen till I was forced to drive them
out. I'm thinking ye'll "
Just how long she would have gone on
talking without giving Xellie a chance of |
replying it is impossible to say. But to 1
the girl's amused relief there came a shout
from without, demanding her presence in .
the tea-room. j
j "Thank you so much," said Nellie. "I'll
be able to manage splendidly. Plej.se
don't keep your customers waiting on my j
, account."
1 '"'It'll do them no harm to wait a bit: |
they'll eat all the more for it," replied |
the jovial old soul, a twinkle in her eyes. |
5ut she bustled out of the room, aft^r1
laying Nellie's things where the girl couid ,
easily reach them.
When Nellie emerged she found Cross I
sitting by h mself at a little table. He'
bad just finished his tea. Mu.-grave was
leaning against the open door, looking out
across the lake, where the setting sun was
making a pathway r.f gold over the ripple=.
At the sound of the girl's approach both
swung round, and Cross sprang to liis feet
and went to meet her.
"Feel all right?" he asked familiarly,
I leading her towards an easy chair.
I "Quite, thank yon. And I'm to hungry.
I see you've already had your tea. And
, you, too, Mr. "Musgrave?" she asked, shyly.
1 "No. I was rather anxious—you know,
you had a narrow shavt—I'm so glad
j you're none the worse," he stammered,
plainly embarrassed by the beautiful girl
who stood befoie him, leaning against the
armchair.
1 Cross laughed openly—a laugh that was
half a sneer. Y\Tjat a clod the fello>v
j was, to' be sure! At the sound of his
laugh. Musgrave looked up, and a dull
■ flush suffused his fact.
' "If J might make a suggestion, Miss Far
ren." be said. "I think it would be
better if you got home as soon as pos
sible. There's a train in about thre->
quarters of an hour which runs straight
through to We^tcrton, and that will give
you time to have your tea."
He walked across to the couch where hi*
cap lay and then held out his h?nd to
Nellie
j "Good-bve."
''But—but, you haven't had your tea?"
exclaimed the girl, "surprised at hi« action,
which she was ouite unable to understand.
"And I can't let you go like that after
all you have done for me. But for
you
"That's all right, Miss Farren," inter
rupted Musgrave, "please don't thinlj
about what might have been. I'm afraid,
though, I cannot
At that moment, however, Mrs. Wright
came in, bearing an immense tray simply
1 leaded with good thin«».
"Here yon are, my dear," she gasped.
, ,She bustled about, arranging the things
and talking all the while. Xellifc caught
Dick's eye, and something she saw tuere
caused her to burst into uncontrollable
! laughter.
' "That's it. my dear,*"' prattled on the
dear old soul. "There's nothing -wrong
\vi' them as can laugh. I can't a-bear
them as sits and glowers an' never has a
decent word for a body." And the looked
ac Cross, who was _ playing a "devil's
, tattoo" on the edge of the table. I
' "Come along now. Mr. Mufgrave." said
, Nellie gaily. "Pull up your chair. How
1 many lumps? Three! Oh, what a sweet
tooth! And cream? And you, too, Mr.
Cross. Can't I induce you to have an-1
other cup with us?"
| There was no withstanding her charm,
and soon thev were all threu at table,
where the girl's laughter became infectious.
, At last she glanced at the clock with an
j exclamation of dismay. I
I "Oh. dear, we've only ten minutes be-1
' fore the train starts !*"' she cried. "Can 1
we do it?" I
AYes, I think so," replied Cro-s. "Her-?, I
Musgrave, do you mind settling up with
the old woman for us?" And he flung
half a sovereeign on the cloth. j
| Dick's mouth set straight, and he looked
as though he were about to say something
in rei.'ly. But, with a shrug cf his broad 1
shoulders he turned and walked through
the passage leading to the kitcheen, and
soon they heard Mrs. Wright's voice raised
in rrofc-st. _ i
'"No, no, Master Dick," she was saying.
"Y,. know very weil as your father's son
is alwavs welcome here. And his friends,
too. Xo, I won't take jz. Now off ve
get, laddie, or ye'll nrss the train. And
see ye take good care cf that bonny lafisie."
'"S-s-h! They'll hear."
Nellie had indeed heard, for she was at
that very instant standing in the doorwiy,
laughing at them both. Dick Hushed li: e
a schooiboy suddenly caught eating sweets
in das?, but the girl passed him by and i
flurg her arms round the elder woman's
neck. I
'"You're just a dear!" she exclaimed.
I "You've been awfully good to me. I don t
know what wou'd have become of me if
you hadn't been here."
1 '"There, there, my dear. What else could
a body do? Ye should thank Master Dck
for pulling ye out. I was just telling
him "
But Nellie smothered her words with
kifses, and Dick heaved a sigh of thank
fulness. Then Cross came in to say he had
got a boat to take them across to the
, mainland and that they must hurry,
j They managed to catch the train with a
: minute to spare. Only a few of the hoJ
daymakers were returning by it, the majo
rity preferring to wait for the very last
train. Nellie and Tier two friends found
an empty compartment, but just as D.ck
1 was opening the door for her to enter
Cross touched him on the shoulder.
"Say, Musgrave, here's j-onr friend, Miss
Wriglcv," he remarked in a loud tone, at
the same time indicating a rather showily
dressed girl who was coming towards them.
Nellie turned at his word* and saw that
it was one of the two qirls who had joined
than at Ilaxr-owby that mo.ning. As she
came up Cross took off his Eat "with a
flourish.
"How d'ye do, Miss Wrigley. Looking
for Musgrave?" he asked.
"Good evening, Mr. Cross," she smirked,
extending her hand. '"I thought 1 saw
Dick coming up the road with you. What
have vou been doing with yourse f all this
afternoon, you naughty boy?"' she said,
turning to Dick and tapping him playfully
with her parasol.
There was no time for him to reply. A
porter bund'ed them into the compart
ment. slammed the door behind them, and
the next moment they were steaming out
of the station towards Westerton. j
_For the first few minutes no one spoke.1
i Npllie, sitting opopsite Mufgrave and the
1 newcomer, saw that the former was put
out about something. Was it that he re-1
rented the pre=enee rf this rather common- J
looking girl whom Mr. Cross had addressed j
I as Miss Wrigley? Or was it mereiy that j
he objected to the somewhat off-handed
manner in which Cross had asked him to
pay Mrs. Wright? Whichever it was, there
was evidently not the least doubt that he i
was angry.
At length the silence became unbear
able.
'•Won't you introduce me to your friend,
Mr. Musgrave?" asked Nellie, not so
much because she was anxious to make the
acquaintance of the girl, but because she
felt she must do something to try and
break down the icy barrier of reserve
which had so suddenly sprung up. |
Dick turned a« she addressed him, and,
for the moment, she imagined he Tvas about
to refuse her request. But Cross gave
him no opportunity.
"I'm sorry," he interjected, before ever
Dick couVl sneak. "I shou'd have done so
before. Miss XcFio Farren—Mi s Ada Wrig
ley. Miss Wrigley lives at Harrowby,
near Musgrave, Ne'Jie."
There was something in the manner in
which he imparted this last_ bit of unne
cessary information which Nellie did not
like, and instinctively she looked across to
see whether Musgrave had noticed it. But
he was gazing out of the window into the
rapidly-gathering "loom and did not ,so
much as rai^e hii= head.
The snrl was worried. She was so kind
hearted and full of happiness herself that
she could not bear to see others miserable.
Ar.d undoubtedly something was wrong
with these two men who had been brought
into her life in such a romantic manner
that day. What eou'd it mean? she asked
herself. They seemed almost to "hate one
aputher. She had had a dim consciousness
of the far-t at the moment she first saw
them together in Mrs. Wright's parlor,
when they faced e?ch other across her as
sha lay on the couch. She had striven to
dispel ihi« atmosphere, and was beginning
to ho^e that she had pucceed"d—at any
rate, for the remainder of the holiday.
.And now the coming of this flashily
drcsed girl had brought it all back ten
fold.
The journey to Westerton was anything
but pleasant, though Nel'ie did her utmost
to impart an air of cheerfulness to the
desultory conversation. As they came
within sight of the glare from the Har
rowbv coWovens. however, _ Miss Wrigley,
who had been leaning against Musgrave,
pretending to be asleep, opened her eyes
and sat up.
"Nearly home. Wake up, Dick."
"We don't stop at Ilarrowby. Didn't
you know-, Mire Wrigley?" said Cross.
''Not =top! Oh, whatever shall I do?"
exclfimed the sir] in well-simulated alarm.
"You'll be all right. M"-grave'll sec
you home, I'm sure. He'll be only too
pleased."
"That will be nice," simpered the girl,
looldng up at Dick.
At that moment Nellie felt that she
hated the girl.
At the station Musgrave helped her to
alight and a thrill ran through her at the
touch of his hand in hers. They walked
together to the exit, the other two fol
lowing ar.d whispering to one another.
| "['rn fo glad to have met you," Dick
■ said, as they emerged into the street. "Per
I hapi vou will '
] "Come alone, Nellie!" broke in Cross'
voice, snd Musgrave knew that he had
been listening. '"Good night, Musgrave.
Mind vou and Miss Wrigley don't lose
yourselves. It's a dark road, you know."
He laughed meaningly.
Once again it needed all Dic-k's powers of
self conLrol to prevent him from answer
ing the man's suggestion with the b'ow it
warranted, but he succeeded in wishing
' Nellie good nig'nt, and then, ignoring the
hand Cioss held out to him, went off with
Mis:> Wrigley clinging to his arm.
I Nellie watched them for a little while as
her companion lit a cigarette.
. "What a nasty girl that is," she ex
•daimed, irritated beyond all endurance at
I the sight of her holding Dick's arm—-that
arm -which had plucked her from a watery
grave. _ |
"What. Ada TY'rigley? Well, MuFgrare
evidently doesn't think so, else he wouldn't
he going to inarry her." i
'"Marry her! But—she doesn't -wear an
engagement ring."
Cross sir.iled. for be thought he detected
a tinge of regret in Nellie's voice. "Per
haps not,'' be replied. "Musgrave hasn't
much money to spend on rings. -4inyhcw,!
, she's his sweetheart."
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