Read Gone Away for Free Online Page B

East,” Miss Hanny broke in primly. “I propose to do that now.”
    “I’m afr— ” Before Patricia could articulate the words, Maimie had broken in.
    “Of course you know all about the East. I ... heard about you at the Academy. The Academy of Music, you know. I work there.” Before Patricia could recover from her surprise, Maimie rattled on: “One of the girls there knew your name at once. I happened to mention that a Miss Dare had replied to Auntie’s advert, and she told me all about you.” Maimie laughed, while a flush of excitement crept into her cheeks. “She said you were often travelling backwards and forwards, and that you would be the very person to look after me,” she ended breathlessly.
    Just in time Patricia caught the agonized appeal in the younger girl’s eyes. What did it all mean? There was only one thing of which she was absolutely certain, and that was that Maimie was urging her to silence, begging her not to deny the story. With relief she heard Miss Hanny ’ s voice, and realized that for a few moments, she was spared the necessity of speaking.
    “You didn’t tell me you’d heard anything of Miss Dare.” There was a note of reproach in Miss Hanny’s tone. “It’s a great advantage that you know the country, ” she added somewhat grudgingly, turning to Patricia. “Then perhaps we can leave the rest until I am quite sure whether I shall entrust you with the responsibility.” She rose from her chair as if dismissing the subject, an d , turning to her niece, concluded, “See Miss Dare to the door, Maimie dear.” She held out her hand to Patricia. “Give me a few days to think over the matter.” She smiled. “Although I must say, I haven’t much doubt in my mind.”
    Patricia bade Miss Hanny goodbye, then followed Maimie to the door. It was not until they were in the hall, and well out of earshot, that Maimie spoke, and then her voice was a hushed undertone. “I never heard a word about you really. You twigged that, didn’t you?” Without awaiting a reply, she added, “Directly I saw you I realized that you were the only one of the people who have called that I could bear to go with.”
    “But your aunt ... I’ll have to tell her,” Patricia insisted.
    “You ’ll do nothing of the kind. I’ll make sure that she fixes on you, and I’ll take jolly good care she doesn’t see you again.” She leaned confidently toward her companion. “Send on the wretched reference she wants, then tell her you’ll be away until the day we sail. All the necessary arrangements can be done by letter,” Maimie insisted with assurance. “We’ll have a heavenly trip, I know we will.” She took Patricia’s hand and squeezed it impulsively. “Be a sport.”
    There was a pleading quality in her tone that Patricia found hard to resist. After all, Maimie was right; whether she was an experienced traveller or not, in these enlightened times she felt quite capable of escorting Maimie safely to Singapore.
    “Are you going out to be married too?” Maimie questioned eagerly.
    “Good heavens, no!” Patricia laughed and with an impulse she couldn’t quite understand, confessed to her companion, “I’m going out to take a chance. I saw the advertisement. I hate my present job; I’ve always longed for an opportunity to travel; the temptation was more than I could resist. I’m just praying that when I get there, something will turn up.”
    “You’re a sport!” Maimie turned a pair of admiring eyes on her companion. “I would never have had the courage to do a thing like that.” She sighed enviously. “But, then, you’re free; independent I suppose. I’ve been under Auntie’s thumb for so long I’ve never had a chance to do anything really worthwhile. Thank goodness I’ll soon be married. Seymour Warinder is an angel.” She spread her arms above her head in an attitude of abandon. “Thank goodness I’m really going to live at last.”
    “Your aunt told me you were going out to