The Priceless Pearl

								

another job.
At length they sent him away--he had a business engagement of his own
for lunch--and they settled down quietly to discuss the details of the
plan over one of the small bare gray wood tables of the club's dining
room. Ordinarily they would have spent most of their time complaining
about the club luncheon, which consisted largely of loose leaves of
lettuce and dabs of various kinds of sauces; but now they were so
interested that they were hardly conscious of what they put into their
mouths.
Of course, Pearl would be obliged to go in the character of Miss
Exeter. Mr. Wood would undoubtedly have given some description of the
governess' personal appearance when he telephoned his sister, as he
had said he meant to do. But Augusta was not alarmed by this idea. Men
were so queer about women's looks that Mrs. Conway would say, "Isn't
that like a man, not even to know a great beauty when he sees one?" As
to the daily letter, how fortunate that he had insisted it should be
typewritten. Anyone could sign Augusta Exeter to a man who had seen her
signature only once.
"I hope you won't be found out; I don't see how you can be," said
Augusta.
"I can't see that it matters much if I am," answered Pearl. "I'll
try to put it off, anyhow, until they have become attached to me for
myself." And then suddenly falling back in her chair, she stared at
her friend with opened eyes. "My dear, I can't do it! How could I have
forgotten? I can't leave Alfred!"
Alfred was not a beautiful young lover, as her tone of lingering
affection might have seemed to indicate, but a peculiarly ugly
black-and-white cat--black where he ought to have been white, and
vice versa--that is to say, black round one eye, which made him look
dissipated, and black about the nose, which made him look dirty. Also
he had lost one paw. Pearl had rescued him from a band of boys in an
alley and cherished him with a steady maternal affection.
"Oh, Alfred," said Augusta, as if this did not make much difference.
This was not only wrong in tone but she had failed to say the thing
Pearl wanted her to say, namely, that Mrs. Conway would be delighted if
the new governess brought her pet cat with her. Pearl explained that
Alfred was really no trouble in the house--he slept all day and caught
mice at night--except one night he did tumble all the way downstairs on
account of his paw.
"And you'd be surprised, Gussie," said Pearl, her whole generous face
lighting up with admiration; "that cat--that little creature made a
noise like an elephant falling, he's so solid."
But Augusta, who was not so easily moved to admiration as Pearl, was
not at all moved now.
"I can't see," she observed coldly, "what it is you see in Alfred that
makes you love him so."
Pearl, who had really a nice nature, wasn't angry.
"It isn't exactly that I love him so much," she answered. "But I feel
so sorry for him; and when I feel sorry for anyone they to a certain