She put her head out of the door and called into the bar.
"Milly, Mr. Burton's taking me to the theatre to-night. Why don't you
get Mr. Waddington to come along? We can both get a night off if you
make up to the governor for a bit."
"I'll try," was the eager reply,--"that is, if Mr. Waddington's
agreeable."
Maud came back to her place by the piano. She was a plump young lady
with a pink and white complexion, which suffered slightly from lack of
exercise and fresh air and over-use of powder. Her hair was yellower
than her friend's, but it also owed some part of its beauty to
artificial means. In business hours she was attired in an exceedingly
tight-fitting black dress, disfigured in many places by the accidents of
her profession.
"You are a dear, Mr. Burton," she declared. "I wonder what your wife
would say, though?" she added, a little coyly.
"Not seeing much of Ellen just lately," Burton replied. "I'm living up
in town alone."
"Oh!" she remarked. "Mr. Burton, I'm ashamed of you! What does that
mean, I wonder? You men!" she went on, with a sigh. "One has to be so
careful. You are such deceivers, you know! What's the attraction?"
"You!" he whispered.
"What a caution you are!" she exclaimed.
Pages:
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280