Hue and Cry Read Online Free

draw?”
    Mally spread out her hands in a little gesture of disappointment.
    â€œNo, I can’t—not a line. Oh, what a pity!”
    Sir George’s smile was rather an odd one.
    â€œIf you could draw, you wouldn’t do,” he said. “I just wanted to make quite sure. I hate this craze of Barbara’s. She’s got to be broken of it. But she’s more obstinate than you would think possible.”
    â€œDon’t you want her to draw?” said Mally in a wondering voice.
    Sir George’s bushy dark eyebrows drew together; something rather frightening looked out of his eyes for one instant. Mally was not easily frightened, but a little danger-signal went off like a flare somewhere in her own mind.
    â€œNo.” The word was very harshly spoken, but next moment he was smiling again. “I want some one who’ll interest Barbara in other things—some one young, and lively, and attractive. When I saw you to-night you struck me as being exactly what I was looking for. I rather gave up hope when I heard you were engaged to young Mooring. Miss Leonard tells me that you will not be getting married just at present, and that meanwhile——” He paused.
    â€œMeanwhile, I want a job—yes, I do want a job,” said Mally in rather a flat voice.
    The music had begun again. Sir George got up and offered her his arm.
    â€œWill you think it over, Miss Lee? I don’t ask you to take me on trust. Mrs. Armitage is an old friend; she will tell you anything you care to ask. And as regards salary—well, I’m prepared to give a hundred and fifty to the right person.”
    Mally was speechless. A hundred and fifty a year was wealth. It was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened. It was too wonderful; there was bound to be a catch somewhere.
    She broke away from her next partner and caught Dorothy by the arm.
    â€œQuick, Dorothy, quick! Take me to your aunt. I’ve got twenty million things to ask her.”
    Mrs. Armitage was a comfortable and ample person; there was as much gray satin in her skirt as would have made several frocks for Mally. She sat on three chairs, or at the very least concealed them. She waved Mally to a fourth, against which the tide of gray satin had been stayed.
    â€œWell, my dear, have you and Dorothy had a nice long talk?”
    â€œYes——” Mally was rather breathless.
    â€œShe was so excited when she saw you. Really, she quite pinched me, and she said, ‘Oh, Aunt Laura, I’m sure it’s Mally Lee.’”
    â€œYes—Mrs. Armitage——”
    â€œAnd you had a good talk about old times. Dear me, how much I should like a talk with some of my old schoolfellows! Philomela Johnson now—I’ve often wondered what happened to her—yes, really quite often.”
    Mally, having no interest in Miss Johnson, broke in. She had a feeling that if she didn’t break in, Mrs. Armitage would begin to tell her all about everybody she had ever known since she first went to school.
    â€œOh, Mrs. Armitage, who is Sir George Peterson?” It sounded dreadfully abrupt. She made haste to add, “He told me to ask you. He wants me to go and look after his little girl, and he said you could tell me all about him—and—and please will you?”
    Mrs. Armitage looked a trifle bewildered. She had a great deal of gray hair, which she wore arranged over a cushion after the fashion of twenty-five years before. She put up her hand to her hair and patted it.
    â€œMy dear, to be sure. But I don’t quite follow.”
    Mally restrained her desire to ask twenty million things at once. Her eyes danced, but she said, speaking slowly and demurely:
    â€œI’m so sorry. I’m in a dreadful hurry, I know—and of course I haven’t explained a bit. Sir George wants some one to look after his little girl—and he thinks I would do—and he said you would tell me all