"PLEASE BUY MY DIAMOND NECKLACE," SAID KATHLEEN.
I've no mother, now I'm weeping--
She has left me here alone;
She beneath the sod is sleeping,
Now there is no joy at home.
_Old Song_.
Before Kathleen could reply, the door opened softly and Helen Fox came
in with two letters in her hand. Kissing Kathleen good morning, she
exclaimed:
"What do you think? The postman has just brought me a proposal!"
"From Loyal Graham?" queried her friend.
Helen blushed up to her eyes, but answered, gayly:
"No, indeed--from Teddy Darrell."
Kathleen arched her black eyebrows in surprise.
"Teddy Darrell! Why, he proposed to _me_ last week," she said.
"And did he ask you to keep it a _secret_?" asked Helen, consulting her
letter, her blue eyes dancing with fun.
"Yes, he did, now that I recall it. Oh, my! I'm sorry I mentioned it;
but you took me by surprise."
"There's no harm done, my dear, and you need not look so
conscience-stricken. Bless you, I don't mean to keep it a secret,
although he prays me here to do so. Why, Teddy Darrell is the worst
flirt in Boston, and proposes to a new girl every week, always trying
to keep the new love a secret from the old one."
"But does no one ever accept him, Helen?"
"Perhaps. I don't know, I'm sure I sha'n't, and I'm just dying to tell
the girls. Why, only last week we were comparing notes over him, and
out of seven girls in the crowd he had asked five to marry him. Maud
Sylvester said I'd be the next one on his list, and you see I am."
"But how can he fall in love so often?" queried Kathleen, laughing.
"He's very susceptible, I suppose, or maybe it's all in fun. You know
some young men like to be engaged to several girls at once, so they
can boast of their conquests, and maybe he's one of them. Well, I must
lacerate his poor heart by a refusal," with a mock sigh.
"Who will be his next victim?" asked Kathleen.
"Either Maud Sylvester or Katie Wells. One is an actress, the other a
novelist. He is wild over both fraternities."
"How amusing!" laughed her friend. "But your other letter, Helen? Is it
another proposal?"
"No; this is an invitation to attend a flower show."
"From Loyal Graham?"
"Ye-es," Helen answered, a little consciously. "But, Kathleen, how pale
you are! Did you not sleep well?"
"No; I was restless," answered the girl.
She debated within herself whether she ought to tell Helen of the news
Susette had brought. She concluded that she would not just yet.
"Come, we will go down to breakfast, dear," Helen said, drawing an arm
through Kathleen's to lead her away.
"Susette, you need not go back yet. I shall want you after a while,"
said Kathleen, and the maid remained very willingly.
Down-stairs Kathleen smiled, talked, ate, and drank in a mechanical
fashion. She was busy revolving schemes for escaping her threatening
fate.
Kathleen had not been home from school more than six months. The idea
of returning to it, and leaving the social whirl, that as yet was so
new and charming, was not to be tolerated.
"And just as I had met Ralph Chainey, too," she said to herself, in
keen dismay.
Her mind was on a rack of torture. She was afraid that open rebellion
would not avail. Her foe was keen and subtle. She would employ strategy
to compass her ends.
"I ought to meet her with her own weapons," she thought; and all at
once she began to wonder if she could not quietly get away and go South
to her dead mother's relatives, there to remain until the return of her
father should make her safe from persecution.
Two hours later Kathleen bade her friends good-morning, and walked away
with Susette, as they supposed, toward her home. Little did Helen Fox,
as she gazed with loving eyes after her beautiful form, dream of the
tragic doom hanging over Kathleen Carew.
"Susette, I am not going home with you," she said.
The maid looked inquiringly into the beautiful young face, and Kathleen
added, determinedly:
"I am going straight to the station, where I shall take the train and
go South to my mother's relatives, to remain until papa gets back to
free me from that woman's tyranny."
"Oh, Miss Kathleen! do you think that will be for the best?" inquired
Susette, timorously.
"Of course it will, Susette; for they will be kind to me for my dead
mother's sake."
"And you will have me to pet you and care for you?" said the
affectionate maid.
"I can not take you with me, Susette; for it might get you into
trouble, you good soul, and I don't want to do that. I can take care of
myself, never fear. No, you are to go straight back home and say that
I sent you, and will follow presently."
Susette began to sob dismally, and Kathleen had to draw her aside into
a pretty little park where they seated themselves, and talked softly
for some time. Then Kathleen arose, and pressed her sweet rosy lips to
the woman's wet cheeks.
"Now good-bye for a few weeks only, Susette, dear; for as soon as
papa returns I'll be back. If Mrs. Carew turns you out, go to Helen
Fox and ask her to give you employment while I am away. She will do
it for my sake, I know. And I'll write to you at Helen's as soon as I
get to Richmond. How fortunate that I have my diamonds with me, for
I can go to the jeweler's and sell enough to carry me on my journey.
Oh, Susette, don't sob so, please, dear! Good-bye; God bless you!" She
signaled a passing cab, gave the order: "Golden & Glitter's, Tremont
Street," and was driven swiftly away.
It was a bright, cool morning in April, and Tremont Street was thronged
with shoppers and business people as she stepped out of the cab in
front of the jeweler's elegant shop.
Bidding the cab wait, the young girl drew down her lace veil and
entered without noticing, in her preoccupation, the tall, blonde young
man, with a small satchel in his hand, who was intently gazing into the
jeweler's window with a covetous gleam in his pale, dull-blue eyes.
But the young man's eyes turned aside from the contemplation of the
treasures displayed within the heavy plate-glass window and fastened on
the beautiful young girl with her patrician air and elegant costume.
"Kathleen, as I live!" he exclaimed, with a violent start, and followed
her stealthily into the shop.
The elegant place was thronged with shoppers, and he mingled with them,
keeping close to Kathleen, although unobserved by the object of his
espionage.
"I wish I had the money that lucky girl is going to spend!" he
muttered, enviously, to himself.
Kathleen went immediately to the desk of Mr. Golden, the senior partner
of the firm. Drawing a small black case from her pocket, she opened it,
displaying a very pretty diamond necklace.
"Mr. Golden, of course you remember when papa bought this necklace here
for me," she said, timidly. "He paid five thousand dollars for it, you
know. Well, papa is away"--with a catch in her breath--"and--I--I need
some money very much. Will you do me the favor of buying this back for
whatever you will give me?"
The kindly white-haired gentleman, drew a check toward him and began to
write rapidly.
"Will a thousand dollars do you, my dear young lady? Because you can
take that, and leave the necklace as security for the loan. You can
redeem it when your father gets back," he said, beaming genially upon
her, for the Carews were among his best customers.