The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-09-14

through her eyeglasses. Matters had gone rather far between him and the fascinating widow; he foresaw that there would be trouble, and his antici- pations were speedily verified.
 ''Let you off? Oh, dear, yes; will do that with the utmost alacrity, if you wish to be off" Mrs. Martindale said, in answer to his hesitating request; ''only you must please to understand that you won't have second chance of leaving me in the lurch. 1 am not ac- customed to being treated in that way. and don't like it."
 'I believe I accepted the Eltons' in- vitation before had yours" Lionel af- firmed, boldly. "Anyhow, Miss Elton swears did"
 'No doubt she is prepared to swear to anything. But really don't care a pin whether I was first in the field or not. You can throw these people over, and you will have to throw them over, if you value my-friendship. l have reasons for making a point of it.'
 She had, indeed, and 1t sounded like an audacious proceeding on her part to say so; but she was an experienced woman, and she had found MT. Fal- coner yielding on previous occasions. It was an unpleasant surprise to her to hear him reply now
 "Tm awfully sorry, but I'm afraid 1 can't throw them over"
 "Just as you like" she rejoined, care lessly. ''You must make your choice between them and me. that's all"
 That was exactly what he had done, and he did not regret his choice; only it can never be a very pleasant thing to tell woman to whom you have been making love for several weeks that you have changed your mind. Perhaps Lionel Falconer would not have escaped quite so easily if the scene of this in- terview had been laid elsewhere than in a ball room; but, as it was, the ad- vent of an impatient partner drew Mrs. Martindale away, and very little more passed between them than has been re- corded above.
 Descending the staircase shortly af- forwards, it was his goodsor ill fortune to overhear a fragment of a dialogue between two ladies who had put on their wraps and were waiting for their respective carriages.
 "So I shall not have to surrender my fan to you after all, you see, Nellie" Miss Elton was saying. Talk about men being imbeciles.-A qui e dHes- p0uS? A little humbug and hattery, the least little crack of the whip, and he was crawling at my feet, with his tail between his legs. Of course he is com- ing to our picnic, and believe he went straight off to quarrel with Mrs. Mar tindale."
 ''So much the better" returned Miss Leighton, good-humoredly. You are very welcome to keep your fan, and hope that on Friday morning you will have some good news for me-"
 Maud shrugged her shoulders. That's as may be. The money and the pros pective title are solid advantages, l ad' init; but it is poor sport to capture such a simpleton."
 At this juncture the simpleton ad. vanced and politely offered his arm to NllSS IslJOH, NllOS lloliICI " do ull Citl J beclloning to her from the porch. Dur ing the shqSt transit across the hall he found time to say to his companion:
 ''I cant thank you enough for having delivered me from Mrs. MartindaIe; wanted an excuse to break with her and it was awfully good of you to pro vide me with one. By the way, l shan't be able to turn up at your picnic or Thursday, because l have just remem bered there will be racing at Kemptor park that day; but you won't miss me Pm rather too much of simpleton tc shine on such occasions, you know"
 She withdrew her hand from his arm, stared at him for moment and forced out disconcerted laugh.
 Did you hear what I said to Nellie Leighton just now?" she inquired.
 'Since you ask me, l did. It was tolerably conclusive, wasn't it?" It had been so conclusive that she could think of no adequate rejoindei