Part 31 (1/2)
Martin, her father's treasures to aret Howland”
”Thank you, ie
The date was affixed Mrs Howland added the naie alht now,” she said to herself
She unlocked her trunk, also unlocking one of the tin boxes In the box which contained the twelve bracelets she put the piece of paper in herShe then relocked the box, relocked the trunk, and caood-hu things Yesterday was a day of despair, but to-day was a day of hope She sat down by herletter to Molly Tristram, in which she told Molly that her ain to a very rich e in a few brief words, and then went on to speak of herself, and of how delightful it would be to welcome Molly and Isabel when they arrived at Aylive her friend to understand the step down in the social scale which Mrs Howland'sfinished her letter, she thought for a minute, then wrote a careful line to Merry Cardew She did not tell Merry about her e, but said that Molly would have news for her In other respects her letter to Merry was very much more confidential than her letter to Molly She assured Merry of her deep love, and begged of her friend to regard this letter as quite private
”If you feel you must show it to people, tear it up rather than do so,” said Maggie, ”for I cannot bear that our great and sacred love each for the other should be commented on”
When Merry received the letter she neither showed it to any one else nor tore it up She could not forget Maggie's face as she parted from her, and the fact that she had refused to accept the ten pounds which the little girl had wanted to give her in order to reie considerably in her friend's esti finished her letters, went out and posted theht so fruit and cakes for her mother's and Mr Martin's tea
She consulted with Tildy as to how these dainties were to be arranged, and Tildy entered into the spirit of the thing with effusion, and declared that they were perfect crowns of beauty, and that most assuredly they would ie hastened to change the conversation; but when she had i placed upon the ugly tray, and further begged of her to polish up the teapot and spoons, Tildy thought that Miss Maggie was more wonderful than ever
”With them as is about to step into the life-ht Tildy, and she mentioned her sentiments to Mrs
Ross, who shook her head sadly, and replied that one ought to do the best one could for the poor things
At three o'clock Maggie put on her hat, drew her gloves on, and, taking up a parasol, went out
”Good-bye, darling,” she said to her o to Rich a little tired Besides, the thought of her father's wonderful treasures filled her ton and look at similar jewels and ornaments which she believed she could find there It occurred to her, too, that it er of the jewel departs which her dear father had sent home; but this she would not do to-day
Her visit to the South Kensington Museum reat value in the tin boxes
Meanwhile Mrs Howland waited iie, and yet relieved She wondered ie could have said to Mr Martin that day when she breakfasted with him
She was not really alarmed But had she been able to look into Mr
Martin's mind she would have felt a considerable ah an excellent ie's words had irl could claiarly hundred and fifty pounds a year? Perhaps the child of the man who had settled that little incoht to it? It would be horrible to consult lawyers; they were so terribly expensive, too
There was a man in the shop, however, of the name of Howard He was the principal shopwalker, and Mr Martin had a great respect for hi names, he put the case before him--as he hiht for a few htest doubt that a certain portion of the money should be spent on the child--in fact, that the child had a right to it
Martin did not like this A heavy frown cairl, not a bit like Little-sing, and she could reeable Her modest request for sixty pounds a year did not seeht the ie her way
When he arrived at Mrs Ross's house he did not look quite as cheerful as usual He went upstairs, as Tildy expressed it, ”heavy-like”; and although both she and Mrs Ross watched for that delightful scene when he was ”Bo-peep” to ”Little-sing,” Martin entered the drawing-roo any exhibition of hiie had dusted it with her own hands, and there was a very nice tea on the board, and Mrs Howland was dressed very prettily indeed Martin gave a long whistle
”I say, Little-sing,” he remarked, ”whoever has been and done it?”