"Oh, John!" she sobbed; "how could you be so unkind, so cruel!
Think of it, a scandal on the very first day in my new home, and I
was so happy!"
I would confess everything. There was no other way out of it. I
was on my knees by her side just about to blurt forth the awful
truth when my courage failed and suddenly I switched my bet and
gave the cards another cut.
"It's all a mistake," I whispered; "it's only Bunch Jefferson doing
a comedy scene. Don't you understand, dear; when Bunch tries to
get funny all the undertakers have a busy season. I simply don't
know who he means by the two queens, and as for scandal, well, you
know me, Pete!"
I threw out my chest and gave an imitation of St. Anthony.
"You must know who he means," she insisted, brightening a bit,
however.
"Ah, I have it!" I cried, brave-hearted liar that I was; "he means
my Aunt Eliza and her daughter, Julia! You remember Aunt Eliza,
and Julia?"
"I never heard you speak of them before," she said, still
unconvinced.
Good reason, too, for up to this awful moment I never had an Aunt
Eliza or a cousin Julia, but relatives must be found to fit the
emergency.
"Oh, you've forgotten, my dear," I said, soothingly. "Aunt Eliza
and Julia are two of the best Aunts I ever had--er, I mean Aunt
Eliza is the best cousin--well, let it go at that! Bunch may have
met them on the street, you see, and they inquired for my address.
Yes, that's it.
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