Part 53 (1/2)

CHAPTER XLIII.

THE CIRc.u.mVENTION OF AUNTIE.

Sadie sat up with a start and rubbed her eyes.

”All right, Nanette,” she said sleepily. ”I'm awake.”

The trim, rosy-cheeked maid smiled and swiftly left the room.

She had deposited one armful of fluffy things on a chair beside Sadie's bed and another armful of fluffy things on a chair beside Helen's bed. She had also performed other mysterious little offices noiselessly before going to the side of Sadie's bed.

”And sleeping like an innocent babe,” said the comely Nanette to herself with a depth of affection in her tone. Then she bent down and called in Sadie's ear:

”Ten o'clock, Miss Sadie.”

She had to repeat the whispered call several times before Sadie's eyelids fluttered and she stirred into life. The maid had vanished by the time the younger of the two sleeping beauties had removed the cobwebs from her eyes.

The twin rosewood beds lay side by side enveloped by the transparent silken hangings of a single canopy. The room was exquisitely done in pink and everywhere were evidences that the two lucky mortals who slumbered therein were coddled and pampered to the limit of modern luxury.

Sadie's robe de nuit, as the fas.h.i.+on magazines put it, was a creation of laces and ribbons and mighty becoming. She had admitted this to herself as she surveyed her reflection in the tall oval mirror only five hours before. She admitted it again as she hopped out of bed and confronted herself in the same mirror. Then she turned and ran quickly to the side of Helen's bed.

She bent down and kissed her cousin.

”Get up, Helen,” Sadie urged, as the blue eyes reluctantly opened.

”Get up and dress, dear--we haven't much time.”

”Much time for what?” asked Helen, sitting up and going through the ceremony of rubbing her eyes.

”Much time before Auntie wakes.”

A roseate blush spread up from the ribbons at Sadie's throat to the roots of her fair hair.

Helen's eyes were wide open now and she looked at her cousin in frowning puzzlement.

”And Mr. Hogg is expected,” said Sadie, with swift inspiration.

”Whatever are you driving at?” asked Helen.

”Are you anxious to greet Mr. Hogg?” pouted Sadie.

”No,” was the vehement response.

”Then we must be out when he comes--and I have an important engagement at eleven.”

Helen shot two little pink feet out of the covers and planked them down on the velvety rug.

”Whom have you an engagement with, Sadie Burton?” she asked, with breathless eagerness.

”I have an engagement to elope!”